In this course, you will receive systematic training in listening, speaking, reading and writing from our native-speaking professional teachers, who have a wealth of teaching experience. General Chinese lessons are divided into 9 different levels, ranging from Beginner to Advanced level with a wide range of useful topics.
For beginners:
Level 1
1. This level is for students who have no or very limited prior knowledge of Chinese language and may not be able to read Chinese alphabets or characters. You may not know basic Chinese words, and find it difficult to answer simple questions in Chinese.
2. In this level, you will study Chinese pronunciation and how to initiate or respond basic conversations in daily life such as greetings, self-introduction, shopping (simple bargaining), ordering food, etc.
Level 2
1. This level is for students who can interact in a simple way but communication is somewhat dependent on repetition at a slower rate, or paraphrasing. You can ask and answer simple questions in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics. You can understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at a time, and picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases.
2. In this level, you will study topics such as asking directions and time, exchanging money, booking tickets and introducing family members and friends. You may learn the basic structure of Chinese characters.
Level 3
1. This level is for students who can meet concrete needs provided speech is clearly and somewhat slowly articulated. You can ask and answer questions and exchanges ideas and information on familiar topics in predictable everyday situations.
2. You will study advanced daily life topics such as hobbies, likes or dislikes, talking about sports and travel plans etc. You will practice to read some short essays related to daily life. You will learn more structure of Chinese characters and basic rules of character-building.
For intermediate learners:
Level 4
1. This level is for students who can understand main points of clear and standard speech on familiar matters.
2. In this level, you will study topics such as lifestyle, educational background, work and career, etc. Important word-building methods will also be learned. You will learn to read detailed description on a range of familiar subjects.
Level 5
1. This level is for students who can communicate with some confidence on familiar routine and non-routine matters related to their interests and professional fields. You can exchange, check and confirm information, although some pauses and mistakes usually happened. And you can read straightforward factual texts on subjects related to your field and interest with a satisfactory level of comprehension.
2. In this level, you will learn topics such as differences between Eastern and Western culture, traditional festivals, historical sites, scenic spots, etc.
Level 6
1. This level is for students who can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction and sustained relationship with native speakers possible and somewhat effective without imposing strain on either party. You can read with a large degree of independence. You have a broad active reading vocabulary, but may experience some difficulty with low frequency idioms.
2. In this level, you will learn to narrate a story, describe events, hopes and ambitions, give detailed accounts of experiences, and describe feelings and reactions.
For advanced learners:
Level 7
1. This level is for students who can use Chinese accurately and effectively on a wide range of topics. You can communicate spontaneously with good grammatical control without much sign of having to restrict what you want to say, although you can be hesitant as you search for patterns and expressions. You can read longer texts and gather information from different parts of a text with no difficulty.
2. In this level, you will learn complex topics such as environmental pollution, filing a complaint, discussing marital problem etc. You will read articles focused on social issues, technology, economy, etc.
Level 8
1. This level is for students who can understand a wide range of demanding topics, and recognize implicit meaning. You can express yourself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. You can understand in detail lengthy, complex texts, whether or not they relate to your area of specialty, provided you can reread difficult sections.
2. In this level, you will discuss topics such as stock market, Chinese social issues, etc. Articles selected from newspaper, literary work, and internet will also be read.
Level 9
1. This level is for students who can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. You can express yourself spontaneously, fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in extremely complex situations. You can understand and interpret critically virtually all forms of the written language including abstract, structurally complex, or highly colloquial literary and non-literary writings.
2. In this level, you will learn sophisticated topics that appear in public media and writings. You will gain a vast knowledge of China’s emerging market, business investment environment, and China’s commercial culture. And you will learn to read the underlying meaning of business texts and write long thesis to present your business-related research findings.
