Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Chinese culture and language with our ABC Chinese course for beginners. This comprehensive course provides an introduction to Mandarin phonetics and essential daily expressions, enabling learners to achieve a fundamental understanding and confidently engage in basic conversations.
Our carefully crafted curriculum covers practical topics and real-life situations, ranging from exchanging personal information and discussing daily schedules to conversing about food, prices, city life, weather, and hobbies. The diverse selection of reading materials and interactive activities ensures a rich and stimulating learning experience, piquing learners' interests throughout the course.
No need to worry about learning Chinese characters – this course focuses on speaking skills, making it accessible and enjoyable.
Elevate your learning with a thrilling bonus feature: virtually travel to China and hone your speaking skills with our immersive game, playable on a VR headset or desktop. Embark on a scavenger hunt, talk to vendors, encounter fellow travelers, and explore a traditional market, all while applying your Chinese skills in a real-world environment.
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.
What's included
5 videos13 readings4 assignments1 app item
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 18 minutes
Welcome to "Chinese for beginners"•1 minute
Lecture: What is Your Name?•4 minutes
Lecture: Where Are You From?•5 minutes
Lecture: Are You a Student?•3 minutes
Lecture: Who is He/She?•4 minutes
13 readings•Total 130 minutes
Extended Exercise: What is Your Name?•10 minutes
Additional Information: Chinese Mandarin(普通话)•10 minutes
Self-study Video—Tones and Simple Finals•10 minutes
Extended Exercise: Where Are You From?•10 minutes
Additional Information: Chinese Pinyin(汉语拼音简介)•10 minutes
Self-study Video—Initials•10 minutes
Extended Exercise: Are You a Student?•10 minutes
Additional Information: Spelling Rules of Pinyin(汉语拼音拼写规则)•10 minutes
Self-study Video—Compound Finals•10 minutes
Extended Exercise: Who is He/She?•10 minutes
Readings•10 minutes
Review: Who are You?•10 minutes
Self-study Video—Finals with Nasal Endings•10 minutes
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.
What's included
4 videos4 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 12 minutes
Lecture: Can You Count?•5 minutes
Lecture: What Time is it Now?•3 minutes
Lecture: Morning or Afternoon?•2 minutes
Lecture: Do You Have a Busy Life?•2 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
Extended Exercise: What Time is it Now?•10 minutes
Extended Exercise: Morning or Afternoon?•10 minutes
Extended Exercise: Do You Have a Busy Life?•10 minutes
Review: When Do You Go To School?•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 120 minutes
Numbers•30 minutes
Time (1): O'clock•30 minutes
Time (2): Periods•30 minutes
Daily Arrangements•30 minutes
What Do You Like to Eat?
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
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!
What's included
4 videos5 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 8 minutes
Lecture: Do You Like Dumplings?•2 minutes
Lecture: I Like Apples.•2 minutes
Lecture: I Like Chicken.•2 minutes
Lecture: Do You Want a Cup of Tea?•2 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
Extended Exercise: Do You Like Dumplings?•10 minutes
Extended Exercise: I Like Apples.•10 minutes
Extended Exercise: I Like Chicken.•10 minutes
Extended Exercise: Do You Want a Cup of Tea?•10 minutes
Review: What Do You Like to Eat?•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 108 minutes
Main Courses•30 minutes
Fruits•30 minutes
Vegetables and Meat•30 minutes
Drinks•18 minutes
I Like Shopping!
Module 4•4 hours to complete
Module details
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?
What's included
4 videos5 readings4 assignments1 app item
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 16 minutes
Lecture: What is Your Favorite Color?•3 minutes
Lecture: This is Too Big.•4 minutes
Lecture: How Much is This?•6 minutes
Lecture: It’s Too Expensive!•4 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
Extended Exercise: What is Your Favorite Color?•10 minutes
Do you live in a big city or a small town? How do you get to work or school every day? In this module, we are going to learn how to give directions and how to speak about transportation. This module is valuable in case you need to talk about directions with a Chinese friend or you need to go somewhere when you are in China.
What's included
4 videos2 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 16 minutes
Lecture: I Go To Work By Car.•6 minutes
Lecture: Is There a Supermarket Near Here?•3 minutes
Lecture: The Bank is on the Left.•4 minutes
Lecture: How Do I Get to the Underground Station?•4 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
Extended Exercise: How Do I Get to the Underground Station?•10 minutes
Review: Do You Live in a Big City•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 120 minutes
Transportation•30 minutes
Public Places•30 minutes
Locations and Directions•30 minutes
Ask For Directions•30 minutes
How About the Weather?
Module 6•3 hours to complete
Module details
Weather can influence our daily life and personal health. In this module, we are going to talk about temperature, seasons, and personal health. China is a very big country and the weather can be quite different across regions and seasons; we will learn to talk about all sorts of weather.
What's included
4 videos2 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 15 minutes
Lecture: What is the Temperature Today?•4 minutes
Lecture: Is it Cold in January?•3 minutes
Lecture: I Like Spring.•4 minutes
Lecture: I Caught a Cold.•4 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
Extended Exercise: I Caught a Cold.•10 minutes
Review: How About the Weather?•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 120 minutes
Temperature•30 minutes
Time (3): Months•30 minutes
Seasons•30 minutes
Health•30 minutes
What is Your Hobby?
Module 7•4 hours to complete
Module details
What do you like to do in your spare time? We have so many choices nowadays and lead such colorful lives. In this module, we are going to talk about weekday pastimes, sports, TV programs, and some other activities related to the internet, reading, music, and travel!
What's included
4 videos3 readings4 assignments1 app item
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 17 minutes
Lecture: What Day is it Today?•5 minutes
Lecture: I Like Swimming.•4 minutes
Lecture: I Watch TV News Everyday.•4 minutes
Lecture: We Can Do a Lot of Things on the Internet.•4 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
Extended Exercise: We Can Do a Lot of Things on the Internet.•10 minutes
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.
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UA
5·
Reviewed on Oct 24, 2015
This is fantastic effort from Peking University, for those who want to learn Chines. it just amazing. chines is very interesting language.....where we need to care of even sounds of a sentence......
C
CS
5·
Reviewed on Sep 26, 2023
This course was very helpeful and very well made. Amazing first course for people who don´t have knowledge of mandarin. Thank you to the teacher for the easy understanding classes and exercises!
S
SS
5·
Reviewed on Sep 16, 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.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
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.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.