Mandarin Level 1 | Fridays

About this course

The course develops basic Mandarin through introductions, greetings, family, nationalities, ages and everyday classroom expressions. Learners work on pinyin initials and finals, the four tones and neutral tone, Chinese character strokes, radicals and core sentence patterns including 是, 的, 吗, 呢 and 了. Teaching combines spoken communication with group work and role-plays, alongside structured grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation practice. The teacher uses Mandarin throughout, giving learners regular listening and comprehension practice. Cultural content includes ways of asking someone’s age in Chinese.

What you'll learn

• Use basic greetings, farewells, apologies and classroom expressions in Mandarin
• Introduce names, surnames, titles, nationalities and family members
• Pronounce Chinese pinyin initials and finals using the four tones and neutral tone
• Construct basic sentences and questions using 是, 的, 吗, 呢 and 了
• Recognise fundamental Chinese character strokes, stroke order and radicals
• Use Mandarin numbers from 1 to 100 and talk about ages and family size

Is this course right for you?

The course is designed for complete beginners who have never studied Mandarin. Beginner (A1) indicates an introductory level. Participation includes spoken practice, group work and role-plays, while the teacher’s use of Mandarin throughout provides regular listening and comprehension practice.

• No previous Mandarin study is expected
• Group work and role-plays are part of the class format
• The teacher speaks Mandarin throughout the course

Before you go

• The HSK Standard Course 1 Textbook and Workbook, Chapters 1–5, is required and should be purchased after the first lesson.
• Learners can access lesson summaries, notes and resources through an online platform.