Mandarin Chinese for adults | 谢大孔院成人部

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• 12-week 'Chinese for Everyone' Mandarin courses (In-person and online)

• One-to-one private Mandarin tuition

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12-week 'Chinese for Everyone' Mandarin courses (In-person and online), Autumn 2023, is now OPEN. 

The course consists of 3 parts:

• Chinese in Steps course
• HSK/Chinese Proficiency course 
• Survival Chinese Crash course 

Register for 12 week  "Chinese for Everyone" course at the University Online Shop 

Download the Provisional Timetable- 12-Week Chinese for Everyone (PDF, 556 KB)

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Chinese in Steps Course

• The courses aim to provide a solid foundation in all four language skills - speaking, listening, reading and writing.
• The required textbooks are “Chinese in Steps”, vol 1-4.
• The courses follow University semester dates, 12 weeks in length, Monday or Tuesday, 2h/week.
• The course fee including Survival Chinese and HSK course, is £140 (standard) or £120 (concessions).
• Beginners are required to take Survival Chinese Crash course before the week 1 start, i.e. before the beginning of the course.

Please note: Classes open on the basis that a minimum of 5 registrations have been made.

Chinese in Steps Course	Required textbook	Coupled with HSK Course
Beginners I	Chinese in Steps Vol1, 1st half	HSK1
Beginners II	Chinese in Steps Vol1, 2nd half	HSK1, HSK2
Upper Beginners I	Chinese in Steps Vol2, 1st half	HSK2
Upper Beginners II	Chinese in Steps Vol2, 2nd half	HSK2, HSK3
Intermediate I	Chinese in Steps Vol3, 1st half	HSK3
Intermediate II	Chinese in Steps Vol3, 2nd half	HSK3
Upper Intermediate I	Chinese in Steps Vol4, 1st half	HSK3, HSK4
Upper Intermediate II	Chinese in Steps, Vol4, 2nd half	HSK4
Advanced	Authentic learning materials	HSK5

Course Descriptions

Beginners Mandarin I and II

Provides complete beginners with a solid foundation in all four language skills. It introduces basic knowledge of Chinese, basic grammar, essential vocabulary, as well as Chinese characters, acquiring practical communicative skills on daily topics.

By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to recognise ~200 Chinese characters, read simple short texts in Chinese, and be able to take HSK Level 1.

The course book is "Chinese in Steps, vol 1" and runs over two semesters, with 24 contact hours each semester.

Note: The pre-course (Survival Chinese Course) for Beginner I students will begin on September 18, 2023, and will last for one week. The classes will take place from Monday to Friday, starting at 6:30pm and ending at 8:30pm.

You are already enrolled in Survival Chinese course and DO NOT need to purchase it.

Upper Beginners Mandarin I and II

The course is a continuation from Beginners Mandarin and uses the "Chinese in Steps, vol 2" textbook. It aims to provide Mandarin beginners with a solid foundation in all four language skills.

Students will be introduced to approximately 400 commonly used Chinese characters and 700 words. The course also includes instruction on the use of a Chinese dictionary and on basic word processing in Chinese.

Entry for Upper Beginners - For those who have mastered around 200-300 Chinese characters who wish to progress their knowledge of Chinese grammar.

By the end of the course, students are expected to read simple texts in Chinese, communicate within a limited range of daily life situations and be able to take HSK Level 2.

Intermediate Mandarin I and II

Intermediate - For those with more formal experience and knowledge of around 600 Chinese characters.

Designed to further develop the four key language skills in Chinese for Mandarin Beginners, the course begins to use the "Chinese in Steps, vol 3" textbook. Students will be introduced to a further 400 characters and approximately 700 words.

The course is still very much practice-based, with communicative activities, structure practice, grammar, reading and writing.

By the end of the course, students should be able to complete basic communication tasks in daily life, study and work. They should be able to handle most communication situations encountered when travelling in China. HSK Level 3 is the suggested level for students to take.

Upper Intermediate Mandarin I and II

Upper Intermediate - Assumes familiarity with the major grammar structures of Chinese and knowledge of at least 800 Chinese characters.

The course is designed for students who have completed "Chinese in Steps, vol 3" or equivalent, and will start to use "Chinese in Steps, vol 4". Students will be introduced to a further 400 characters and about 700 words.

By the end of the course, students should be able to communicate freely in daily life situations, to describe some events and to express their own ideas and views while engaged in discussion in a limited range of topics. HSK Level 4 is the suggested level for students to take.

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HSK/Chinese Proficiency courses

These courses are part of the 12 week "Chinese for Everyone" course. It runs on Wednesday evenings, 6:30pm - 8:30pm. It is highly recommended for students studying China Studies at SEAS, as well as those who are planning to take the internationally recognised Chinese Proficiency Tests (HSK and/or HSKK test).

Using a set of HSK Standard textbooks and workbooks, the proficiency courses are designed for systematic study of the language, they therefore can be taken on their own, or taken as tutorials in addition with the above 12 week courses.

Course	Required textbook	Vocabulary count
HSK 1	HSK Standard Course book 1	150
HSK 2	HSK Standard Course book 2	300
HSK 3	HSK Standard Course book 3	600
HSK 4, Lower	HSK Standard Course book 4A	1200
HSK 4, Upper	HSK Standard Course book 4B	1200
HSK 5, Lower	HSK Standard Course book 5A	2500
HSK 5, Upper	HSK Standard Course book 5B	2500

If you are only interested in taking a HSK course, the fee for a HSK course is the same as a 12 week course. Kindly select "HSK course only" and indicate the level of the course in the "comments" section of the questionnaire.

Register "HSK course only"  at the University Online Shop 

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Survival Chinese Crash Course (In-person and online)

The next Survival Chinese course will take place from 18th September - 22nd September 2023.

Survival Chinese is a crash course for learners with little or no prior knowledge of Mandarin, and is on offer twice a year (around early February and end of September).

It runs over one week, Monday to Friday (6:30pm – 8:30pm), with a total of 10 contact hours. The course material is “New Experience Chinese” that is developed by the CI,  handouts will be provided.

For those who have already registered the Beginners Mandarin course, the Survival Chinese is mandatory to attend, i.e. part of 12 week "Chinese for Everyone" course. 

If you are interested in only taking the Survival Chinese Crash Course and do not wish to continue with the Chinese in Steps coupled with the HSK course, the cost of the course is £70 (standard) or £60 (concessions). 

If you have already registered the Beginners Mandarin course, you DO NOT need to purchase this course. You have already been assigned to this course.

Register for "Survival Chinese Crash Course" at the University Online Shop 

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One-to-one private Mandarin tuition

Specifically designed to meet personal learning objectives,  1-1 or 1-2 private tuition is offered all year round. Prior to the first private tuition session, a meeting is required to assess the necessary learning resources and to develop a  programme. This meeting can take up to one hour and is free of charge.

Fees paid for a minimum 10-hourly-sessions, is at £300 (Fee rate is £30/h).

Fees paid for 33-hourly-sessions, is at £900 (Fee rate is equivalent to £27.3/h)

Fees are payable via the University Online Shop. 

Delivery of the classes is optional as either In-person or online. The Confucius Institute office will usually be used for in-person classes. 

The fee rate is £30 per hour, paid in advance for every 10 hour block. Tuition normally takes place at the Confucius Institute office.

Register for "One-to-one Private Mandarin" at the University Online Shop