Mandarin (Y10-13)

2 Year Beginner course at GCSE / IB Ab-initio

If you were to learn a language from a textbook only, how would this differ from learning through interaction only? We will introduce how Chinese speaking people interact with each other in formal and informal settings, and interactions that people use which are not presented in textbooks. One of the biggest challenges to learning Chinese is to master the "tones" when speaking the language. Mandarin Chinese is a tone language which means that saying words with different tones (which are like pitches in music, but not as many) will change the meaning of the words.

Mandarin ab initio class is designed for students with little or no prior experience speaking or studying Mandarin Chinese. Mandarin Chinese is the most widely-spoken language in the world and there are additional benefits of learning Mandarin.

Business - Business people who speak Mandarin have a huge advantage in tapping into the Chinese market. It is much easier to develop all-important relationships if you can speak Mandarin.

Travel - China and Taiwan offer exciting travel opportunities. Getting around is much easier if you can speak Mandarin.

Culture - With thousands of years of history, Chinese culture is endlessly fascinating. Whether your interests are in history, architecture, music, or cuisine, a knowledge of Mandarin will enrich your understanding of Chinese culture.

The Chinese writing system is quite a challenge but they are not randomly constructed. There is a system to their design, and understanding that system makes it much easier to learn new characters.

For more details on Higher Level Mandarin, please contact us.

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Year 10