Chinese 1 (A0 → A1-)

Did you know that a syllable can have many different meanings in Chinese? This is because the meaning depends on the pitch at which it is pronounced and its place in the sentence. Sounds, intonation and pitch therefore form the basis of the Chinese language.

You will be introduced to the five sounds of Chinese and to the transcription system Pinyin. This is the transcription of Standard Mandarin into Latin letters as you are used to. You learn, for example, how to pronounce Pinyin, how to recognise the root of a verb and how to indicate the pitch (and therefore the meaning) of a syllable.

Of course, you will also be introduced to the basic strokes of the authentic Chinese characters and the order in which they are written. You will also learn to count in Chinese and become familiar with common Chinese expressions.

In Chinese level 1 you will work towards language level A1-. Not sure what your language level is? Then take our free placement test.

In the Chinese Level 1 course, you will work towards language level A1-.

After completing this course you will:

• have a good basic knowledge of the Chinese language,
• be well prepared for a trip to China,
• be ready for the follow-up course Chinese level 2.

• The language of instruction is Dutch.
• You can order the necessary books for this course via our website’s Order Books page. You should make sure to have the book before the start of the first lesson.
• You will receive a certificate if you attend at least 8 of the 9 classes.
• Do you work at Utrecht University or are you registered as an (exchange) student at the university? Then you get a 15% discount on this course! Register with your UU e-mail address, and the discount will be automatically processed.

• Chinese 1 consists of 9 sessions of 1,5 hours at Babel in Utrecht or in the virtual classroom.
• To ensure that you learn as much as possible from the classes, you should expect to spend approximately 2 to 3 hours per week on study and the completion of materials and assignments, which will be discussed during the classes.

• During these meetings, you will work individually, in pairs or in class on interactive assignments.
• As a teaching method, we use Discover China. During the course, the teacher also uses additional teaching materials.
• During the course, many exercises are carried out independently or in groups.