Chinese for Beginners
Offered By
Chinese for Beginners
Peking University
About this Course
4.7
3,557 ratings
Nowadays, there is an increasing number of people who are interested in Chinese culture and language. And it is useful to know about the language when coming to China for travel or business. This is an ABC Chinese course for beginners, including introduction of phonetics and daily expressions. After taking this class, learners can have a basic understanding of Chinese Mandarin and make basic conversations of daily living such as exchanging personal information, talking about daily arrangements and food, asking about price, introducing the city and the weather, telling your hobbies etc. Selected topics and situations come from real life scenarios and can be used for everyday communications. In addition to the dialogues, the selection of reading materials and practice activities will make the content as rich and varied as possible, in order to stimulate the learners’ interests. This is an elementary course on Chinese speaking. The learners don’t need to study Chinese characters, so it is easier to follow and complete this course.
Skills you will gain
GrammarCommunicationChinese LanguageSpeech
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
1
Section
Who Are You?
When we first meet someone, we need to learn about each other. In this module, we are going to learn some ways to introduce yourself, including name, nationality, identity, and discussing your family. We are also going to study Chinese Mandarin phonetics.
5 videos (Total 18 min), 13 readings, 4 quizzes
5 videos
Lecture: What is Your Name?3m
Lecture: Where Are You From?5m
Lecture: Are You a Student?3m
Lecture: Who is He/She?4m
13 readings
Extended Exercise: What is Your Name?10m
Additional Information: Chinese Mandarin（普通话）10m
Self-study Video—Tones and Simple Finals10m
Extended Exercise: Where Are You From?10m
Additional Information: Chinese Pinyin（汉语拼音简介）10m
Self-study Video—Initials10m
Extended Exercise: Are You a Student?10m
Additional Information: Spelling Rules of Pinyin（汉语拼音拼写规则）10m
Self-study Video—Compound Finals10m
Extended Exercise: Who is He/She?10m
Readings10m
Review: Who are You?10m
Self-study Video—Finals with Nasal Endings10m
4 practice exercises
What is your name?12m
Where are you from?42m
Are you a student?24m
Who is he/she?16m
2
Section
When Do You Go To School?
How do you plan your daily life? In this module, we are going to learn how to describe our daily schedule, including numbers, time, periods, and some corresponding actions.
4 videos (Total 12 min), 4 readings, 4 quizzes
4 videos
Lecture: What Time is it Now?2m
Lecture: Morning or Afternoon?2m
Lecture: Do You Have a Busy Life?2m
4 readings
Extended Exercise: What Time is it Now?10m
Extended Exercise: Morning or Afternoon?10m
Extended Exercise: Do You Have a Busy Life?10m
Review: When Do You Go To School?10m
4 practice exercises
Numbers20m
Time (1): O'clock14m
Time (2): Periods20m
Daily Arrangements28m
3
Section
What Do You Like to Eat?
Food is our most important need. In this module, we are going to talk about Chinese main courses, fruits, vegetables and meat, as well as drinks. Have you seen or tried any of these Chinese dishes? Maybe you have already learned to say them in Chinese!
4 videos (Total 8 min), 5 readings, 4 quizzes
4 videos
Lecture: I Like Apples.1m
Lecture: I Like Chicken.1m
Lecture: Do You Want a Cup of Tea?2m
5 readings
Extended Exercise: Do You Like Dumplings?10m
Extended Exercise: I Like Apples.10m
Extended Exercise: I Like Chicken.10m
Extended Exercise: Do You Want a Cup of Tea?10m
Review: What Do You Like to Eat?10m
4 practice exercises
Main Courses16m
Fruits12m
Vegetables and Meat16m
Drinks18m
4
Section
I Like Shopping!
Shopping! Shopping! Some people love to go shopping, while others feel it is a headache. Still, shopping is an essential part of our life. In this module, we are going to learn how to express our color and size preference, how to ask about price, and how to bargain. Do you know what the most popular color is in your country? How about in China?
4 videos (Total 16 min), 5 readings, 4 quizzes
4 videos
Lecture: This is Too Big.3m
Lecture: How Much is This?5m
Lecture: It’s Too Expensive!3m
5 readings
Extended Exercise: What is Your Favorite Color?10m
Extended Exercise: This is Too Big.10m
Extended Exercise: How Much is This?10m
Extended Exercise: It’s Too Expensive!10m
Review: I Like Shopping!10m
4 practice exercises
Colors24m
Sizes10m
Prices10m
Learn to Bargain6m
4.7
28%
83%
Top Reviews
By SS•Sep 17th 2016
Thanks for this course. I like it and this language really so necessary for me and my job. My company in New Zealand - ESKA Ltd (www.eskaltd.co.nz, eskaltd.com) and we are work with aliens from China.
By EE•Mar 2nd 2016
This course is excellent. It gives thorough introduction into language without going into too much unnecessary details. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to start learning Chinese from scratch.
Instructor
Xiaoyu Liu
Associate ProfessorSchool of Chinese as A Second Language, Peking University
About Peking University
Peking University is determined to make its education openly accessible to students in China and around the world. With over 3000 faculty members, Peking University offers excellence in teaching and learning.
Founded in 1898, Peking University (PKU) was the first national comprehensive university in China. For the past 115 years, with its hundreds of thousands of outstanding alumni, Peking University has made prominent contributions in the humanities and sciences to further China's prosperity and progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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