Chinese Language Courses for Heritage Students

By "heritage students", we refer to :

• Students who were born in a non-Chinese speaking country, but was raised in a home where Mandarin or another Chinese dialect was spoken, who speaks or merely understands the dialect, and who is to some degree bilingual in English and Chinese.
• Students who were born in a Chinese speaking country whose first language was Chinese, and who have received formal education in that country up to 8th grade.

Intermediate Chinese I – Part 1

CHIN 211 (3) – Term 1 (4hrs/week)

CHIN 211 seeks to develop heritage language learners’ integrated skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking at the intermediate level, with a special focus on reading and writing. The course will provide students with: (1) approximately 400 new vocabulary items and phrases; (2) further understanding of Chinese grammar; (3) abilities to read expositive and narrative articles written in commonly used vocabulary; (4) basic writing skills of composition; (5) basic understanding of Chinese history, culture, and society.

Textbook : Bridge Vol. 1

Prerequisite : CHIN 117, 118 or equivalent

Placement interview : required (except for continuing students with advancement approval from previous class)

Continued Area of Study : CHIN 213

Intermediate Chinese I – Part 2

CHIN 213 (3) – Term 2 (4hrs/week)

CHIN 213 is a continuation of CHIN 211 which seeks to develop heritage language learners’ integrated skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking at the intermediate level, with a special focus on reading and writing. The course will provide students with: (1) approximately 400 new vocabulary items and phrases; (2) further understanding of Chinese grammar; (3) abilities to read and comprehend different genres of Chinese writing; (4) more sophisticated skills of composition; (5) further understanding of Chinese history, culture, and society.

Textbook : Bridge Vol.1

Prerequisite : CHIN 211 or equivalent

Placement interview : required (except for continuing students with advancement approval from previous class)

Continued Area of Study : CHIN 215 or 218

Intermediate Chinese II – Part 1

CHIN 215 (3) – Term 1 (4hrs/week)

CHIN 215 is a continuation of CHIN 213 or CHIN 214, which seeks to further develop heritage language learners’ integrated skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking at the intermediate level, with a special focus on reading and writing. The course will provide students with: (1) approximately 400 new vocabulary items and phrases; (2) further understanding of Chinese grammar; (3) abilities to read and comprehend different genres of Chinese writing; (4) more sophisticated skills of composition; (5) further understanding of Chinese history, culture, and society.

Textbook : Bridge Vol.2

Prerequisite : CHIN 213, 214 or equivalent

Placement interview : required (except for continuing students with advancement approval from previous class)

Continued Area of Study : CHIN 217

Intermediate Chinese II – Part 2

CHIN 217 (3) – Term 2 (4hrs/week)

CHIN 217 is a continuation of CHIN 215 which seeks to develop heritage language learners’ integrated skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking at the intermediate level, with a special focus on reading and writing. The course will provide students with: (1) approximately 400 new vocabulary items and phrases; (2) further understanding of Chinese grammar; (3) abilities to read and comprehend different genres of Chinese writing; (4) more sophisticated skills of composition; (5) further understanding of Chinese history, culture, and society.

Textbook : Bridge Vol.2

Prerequisite : CHIN 215 or equivalent

Placement interview : required (except for continuing students with advancement approval from previous class)

Continued Area of Study : CHIN 311 or 314

Intensive Intermediate Chinese I

CHIN 214 (6) – Term 1 (8hrs/week)

CHIN 214 is an intensive 6-credit course for heritage language learners at the intermediate level. It seeks to develop heritage language learners’ integrated skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, with a special focus on reading and writing. The course will provide students with: (1) approximately 800 new vocabulary items and phrases; (2) further understanding of Chinese grammar; (3) abilities to read and comprehend different genres of Chinese writing; (4) more sophisticated skills of composition; (5) further understanding of Chinese history, culture, and society.

Textbook : Bridge Vol. 1

Prerequisite : CHIN 117, 118 or equivalent

Placement interview : required (except for continuing students with advancement approval from previous class)

Equivalent: CHIN 211 + CHIN 213

Continued Area of Study : CHIN 215 or 218

Intensive Intermediate Chinese II

CHIN 218 (6) – Term 1 (8hrs/week)

CHIN 218 is an intensive 6-credit course for heritage language learners at the intermediate level. It seeks to develop heritage language learners’ integrated skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, with a special focus on reading and writing. The course will provide students with: (1) approximately 800 new vocabulary items and phrases; (2) further understanding of Chinese grammar; (3) abilities to read and comprehend different genres of Chinese writing; (4) more sophisticated skills of composition; (5) further understanding of Chinese history, culture, and society.

Textbook : Bridge Vol.2

Prerequisite : CHIN 213, 214 or equivalent

Placement interview : required (except for continuing students with advancement approval from previous class)

Equivalent: CHIN 215 + CHIN 217

Continued Area of Study : CHIN 311 or 314

Mandarin for Cantonese speakers I

CHIN 221 (3) – Term 1 (4hrs/week)

CHIN 221 is specifically designed to help students from Hong Kong who cannot speak Mandarin but have advanced Chinese reading and writing skills (who attended Grade 7 or above in Hong Kong). Through studying college-level text with situational conversations, students will learn standard Mandarin pronunciation and useful expressions of spoken Chinese. Emphasis of instruction is on the differences of pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar between Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese. (Cantonese native speakers without an advanced level in reading and writing should register for regular Chinese language courses.)

Textbook : Speaking Mandarin Vol. I (Zhang, 1997)

Prerequisite : Restricted to Hong Kong Cantonese speakers only

Placement interview : required (except for continuing students with advancement approval from previous class)

Continued Area of Study : CHIN 223

Mandarin for Cantonese speakers II

CHIN 223 (3) – Term 2 (4hrs/week)

CHIN 223 is a continuation of CHIN 221, a special conversational course only for Cantonese speakers from Hong Kong who cannot speak Mandarin but have advanced Chinese reading and writing skills (who attended Grade 7 or above in Hong Kong). Through studying college-level text with situational conversations, students will learn standard Mandarin pronunciation and useful expressions of spoken Chinese. Emphasis of instruction is on the differences of pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar between Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese. After completing this course, students are expected to have a good command of Mandarin pronunciation, idiomatic expressions, and conversational skills. (Cantonese native speakers without an advanced level in reading and writing should register for regular Chinese language courses.)

Textbook : Speaking Mandarin Vol. II (Zhang, 1997)

Prerequisite : CHIN 221 or equivalent

Placement interview : required (except for continuing students with advancement approval from previous class)

Continued Area of Study : Chinese literature courses

Intensive Mandarin for Cantonese speakers

CHIN 224 (6) – Term 1 (8hrs/week)

CHIN 224 is an intensive course specifically designed to help students from Hong Kong who cannot speak Mandarin but have advanced Chinese reading and writing skills (who attended Grade 7 or above in Hong Kong). Through studying college-level text with situational conversations, students will learn standard Mandarin pronunciation and useful expressions of spoken Chinese. Emphasis of instruction is on the differences of pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar between Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese. (Cantonese native speakers without an advanced level in reading and writing should register for regular Chinese language courses.)

Textbook : Speaking Mandarin Vol. I (Zhang, 1997)

Prerequisite : Restricted to Hong Kong Cantonese speakers only

Placement interview : required (except for continuing students with advancement approval from previous class)

Equivalent: CHIN 221 + CHIN 223

Continued Area of Study : Chinese literature courses

© UBC Chinese Language Program, 2006