Mandarin Chinese 2: Chinese for Beginners from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Lesson 6 Qù túshūɡuǎn zěnme zǒu ？去图书馆怎么走？ How to get to the library? Part 1(Please complete Mandarin Chinese 1: Chinese for beginners before you start this module)

Learning how to ask for directions and places; Learning how to talk to taxi drivers

Lesson 6 Qù túshūɡuǎn zěnme zǒu? 去图书馆怎么走？ How to get to the library? Part 2

Lesson 7 Nǐ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshǎo? 你的电话号码是多少？What's your phone number? part 1

Learning how to ask for phone numbers; Learning how to talk about hobbies and leisure activities

Lesson 7 Nǐ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshǎo? 你的电话号码是多少？What's your phone number? part 2

Lesson 8 Nǐ zhǎo wǒ yǒu shénme shì? 你找我有什么事？ What's up? Part 1

Learning how to make phone calls; Learning how to make an appointment

Lesson 8 Nǐ zhǎo wǒ yǒu shénme shì? 你找我有什么事？ What's up? Part 2

Lesson 9 Wǒ de shǒujī ne? 我的手机呢？ Where is my cell phone? Part 1

Learning how to express the location of things and places

Lesson 9 Wǒ de shǒujī ne? 我的手机呢？ Where is my cell phone? Part 2

Lesson 10 Nǐ zěnme le? 你怎么了？ Are you feeling sick? Part 1

Learning some vocabulary for the human body; Learning how to ask about and describe one’s health

Lesson 10 Nǐ zěnme le? 你怎么了？ Are you feeling sick? Part 2

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Builds a strong foundation for beginners in Mandarin Chinese, teaching them essential vocabulary and phrases

Taught by experienced instructors, Wang Jun and An Na, who have a strong reputation for teaching Mandarin Chinese

Uses a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, short plays, and interactive exercises, to engage learners and make learning more effective

Reviews summary

Encouraging and effective learning

learners say that Mandarin Chinese 2: Chinese for Beginners is an encouraging and effective course at teaching Mandarin Chinese. Students appreciate the course's difficulty and report making substantial progress. They highly recommend this course to other students.

Challenging but Rewarding

"I found the course to be challenging, but I also found it to be very rewarding."

"The difficulty of the course is appropriate for the level of Chinese I am learning."

Making Substantial Progress

"I have made substantial progress in my Mandarin Chinese skills since taking this course."

Highly Recommended

"I would highly recommend this course to other students."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Mandarin Chinese 2: Chinese for Beginners with these activities:

Participate in online forums or discussion groups dedicated to Mandarin Chinese learning

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Connect with other learners and share your knowledge and experiences to enhance your understanding.

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Join online forums or discussion groups related to Mandarin Chinese
Participate in discussions and ask questions
Share your insights and help others with their questions
Read and learn from the contributions of other members

Watch videos or listen to podcasts on advanced Mandarin Chinese grammar

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Supplement your learning with additional resources to gain deeper insights into grammar concepts.

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Search for online videos or podcasts on Mandarin Chinese grammar
Choose a topic that you need to improve on
Watch or listen to the content and take notes
Review your notes and practice using the new grammar structures

Complete practice exercises on Mandarin Chinese grammar and vocabulary

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Immerse yourself in the language and reinforce your understanding of grammar rules and vocabulary through practice.

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Access the practice exercises provided in the course materials
Complete the exercises on a regular basis
Review your answers and identify areas for improvement

Four other activities

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Compile a list of useful Mandarin Chinese vocabulary and phrases for everyday conversations

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Build your vocabulary and improve your ability to communicate in various situations.

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Identify common topics and situations where you would need to communicate in Mandarin Chinese
Research and collect useful vocabulary and phrases related to these topics
Organize your vocabulary and phrases into categories
Review your compilation regularly and practice using the vocabulary and phrases

Create a Mandarin Chinese dialogue with a partner

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Develop your speaking skills and confidence by engaging in real-life conversations.

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Find a language exchange partner or a classmate to practice with
Choose a topic for your dialogue
Prepare your dialogue by writing down the key phrases and sentences you want to use
Practice the dialogue with your partner
Record the dialogue for later review

Read authentic Mandarin Chinese short stories or novels

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Immerse yourself in the language and culture by reading real-world texts.

View The Backyard Bird Chronicles on Amazon

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Find a Mandarin Chinese short story or novel that interests you
Read the text aloud and listen to the pronunciation of the characters
Look up unfamiliar words and phrases in a dictionary or online resources
Summarize the main points of the story in Mandarin Chinese

Volunteer at a local organization or event where you can interact with Mandarin Chinese speakers

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Gain practical experience and improve your speaking and listening skills while making a positive impact.

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Find a local organization or event that caters to Mandarin Chinese speakers
Contact the organization and express your interest in volunteering
Participate in activities and interact with Mandarin Chinese speakers
Listen and observe how Mandarin Chinese is used in real-life situations

Career center

Learners who complete Mandarin Chinese 2: Chinese for Beginners will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Mandarin Chinese Interpreter

A Mandarin Chinese Interpreter works with clients that do business with individuals and companies in China. This course will help you develop the skills you need to communicate with Chinese clients. The proficiency in Mandarin that you will develop will serve you well in this role, especially the focus on real-life situations which will allow you to more effectively negotiate and manage relationships with Chinese colleagues and clients.

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Mandarin Chinese Translator

A Mandarin Chinese Translator is responsible for translating written documents from Mandarin Chinese to their native language. With the language skills you will develop in this course, you will be able to help businesses communicate cross-culturally, potentially serving in international business, diplomatic missions, or academic institutions. This course will help you to provide accurate and culturally-sensitive translations.

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Foreign Service Officer

A Foreign Service Officer serves as a diplomat of the United States government. Because the U.S. has extensive diplomatic relations with China, Mandarin is a critical language skill for U.S. diplomats. This course will help you to develop the language skills and cultural knowledge you need to represent the U.S. in China.

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International Business Manager

As an International Business Manager, you could specialize in business with China. This course will provide you with the communication skills you need to build relationships with Chinese colleagues and clients, an increasingly valuable skill in the globalization of business.

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Cultural Exchange Coordinator

A Cultural Exchange Coordinator plans and manages cultural exchange programs between the U.S. and China. The language skills you will develop will serve you well in this role, especially the focus on real-life situations which will make you more effective when interacting with people from various cultural backgrounds.

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Education Consultant

An Education Consultant works with Chinese students who are interested in studying in the United States or with American students who are interested in studying in China. The language skills you will develop in this course will make you a highly effective resource for students, parents, and schools.

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Journalist

A Journalist who specializes in reporting on China will find the specialization in real-life Mandarin Chinese situations particularly useful. This will allow you to not only read and write about events, but to effectively interview Mandarin speakers and better understand the culture.

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Librarian

A Librarian who specializes in Chinese studies will find the Mandarin Chinese language skills developed in this course to be highly useful. This will not only allow you to better assist patrons seeking materials in Mandarin, but also help build bridges with Mandarin speakers in the community.

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Teacher

A Teacher of Mandarin Chinese will find the structured approach to Mandarin Chinese language learning and the focus on real-life situations helpful. This course will help you become more effective in teaching Mandarin to students, especially since the focus on real-life situations will help your students apply their language skills outside the classroom.

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Tour Guide

A Tour Guide who leads tours in China will find the real-life Mandarin Chinese situations particularly useful. This will allow you to more effectively interact with tourists and provide them with a better understanding of Chinese culture.

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Social Worker

A Social Worker who works with Chinese immigrants or Chinese communities will find the Mandarin Chinese language skills developed in this course to be highly useful. This will not only allow you to better serve your clients, but also help build bridges with Mandarin speakers in the community.

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Business Analyst

A Business Analyst who specializes in Chinese markets may find the language skills developed in this course to be useful. This is especially true if you interact with Mandarin speakers on a regular basis. However, a deeper understanding of Chinese business culture may be more useful than a basic knowledge of the language.

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Sales Manager

As a Sales Manager, you could work in a company that does business with Mandarin speakers. While this course will not provide you with the business skills you need for sales management, the language skills developed in this course may be useful.

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Product Manager

As a Product Manager, you could work on products that are used by Mandarin speakers. While this course will not provide you with the technical skills required for product management, the language skills you will develop may be useful.

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Software Engineer

As a Software Engineer, you could work on projects that require knowledge of Mandarin Chinese. While this course will not provide you with the technical skills required for software engineering, the language skills you will develop may be useful.

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