Intermediate Courses
Ready to take your Mandarin Chinese to the next level?
Lower Intermediate: Term 5 (Unit 12-15, book 3&4)
In this course you will smoothly step to the lower intermediate level, after 12 weeks learning, in the end, you can comfortably take UK GCSE Exam.
The intermediate textbook A Trip to China
Join Meridian on “A Trip to China” (published by Princeton University Press) where your language skills will progress from basic conversation to debate and discussion.
NB: This course is for those who have already studied Mandarin and have reached to the elementary level. (It assumes a current vocabulary of around 550 Chinese characters and an understanding of basic grammar).
Intermediate courses are divided into 9 terms in total 108 weeks, 216 hours
What will I learn?
The course book is “A Trip to China” by Princeton University Press and examines the people and issues of modern China.
Students will learn to understand and express attitudes, emotions and opinions in discussions relating to course material.
How the course is taught?
Taken from the viewpoint of an American student in China, the course explores the complexity and diversity of Chinese society through everyday experiences. Politically neutral though sometimes provocative, the course evolves from daily life to the discussion of issues.
- This course is taught by senior level native-speaking teachers in classes of 5-8 students.
How long is the course?
The full course runs for 9 terms of 12 weeks-each weekly session last 2 hours and is held on weekday evenings and Saturdays.
1, Intermediate: Term 1 (Lesson 1 to 4)
Intermediate Mandarin Chinese: Term 1
Using the framework of four short stories, you will improve you listening and speaking skills as well as reading and writing to take part in class discussions.
By the end of this term you’ll have learnt many more complex (cause & effect) sentence patterns and increased your knowledge of Chinese characters to around 600.
Topics
- L1: Delayed landing at Beijing Airport
- L2: Using public conveniences in China
- L3: The registration day
- L4: School canteen
……………………………………………………………………….
2, Intermediate: Term 2 (Lesson 5 to 8)
Intermediate Mandarin Chinese: Term 2
The carry on of another four short stories, you will improve you skills for discussion with your classmates and teacher about your personal opinions.
By the end of this term you’ll have learnt many more complex (cause & effect) sentence patterns and increased your knowledge of Chinese characters and culture. The standard in this term equals to HSK Third Level Exam.
Topics
- L5: I am a poor student
- L6: Food likes and dislikes
- L7: The “California noodles” in Beijing
- L8: There is no big differences between
…………………………………………………………………………..
3, Intermediate: Term 3 (Lesson 9 to 12)
Intermediate Mandarin Chinese: Term 3
More stories to come into this term 3, as well as more debatable issues will be discussed in the class.
Topics
- L9: Complaining the school dormitory and arguing with the manager
- L10: Is any Privacy in China?
- L11: The “California noodles” in Beijing
- L12: The culture of using Back Door
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4, Intermediate: Term 4 (Lesson 13 to 16)
Intermediate Mandarin Chinese: Term 4
The four stories giving you the details of Chinese daily life, and quite objective views were well delivered by the writer. Still some debatable topics come.
Topics
- L13: There is two attitudes of Chinese toward foreigners
- L14: Complaining the school dormitory and arguing with the manager
- L15: Is any Privacy in China?
- L16: The “California noodles” in Beijing
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5, Intermediate: Term 5 (Lesson 17 to 20)
Intermediate Mandarin Chinese: Term 5
For these coming four stories where provided views of comments on the fast speed of Chinese society under the Open policy during the eighths & ninths last century.
Topics
- L17: The culture of using Back Door
- L18: There is two attitudes of Chinese toward foreigners
- L19: MacDonald in China
- L20: The slogan of “Looking for future” real meaning is “Looking for fortune ”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
6, Intermediate: Term 6 (Lesson 21 to 24)
Intermediate Mandarin Chinese: Term 6
In this term, students’ vocabulary is getting large and can compose some complex sentences for debating.
Topics
- L21: The comparison between businessmen and intellectuals
- L22: A new social class of “self employ”
- L23: Do you like this textbook of A Trip to China?
- L24: The Working unit
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
7, Intermediate: Term 7 (Lesson 25 to 28)
Intermediate Mandarin Chinese: Term 7
Four in four stories about marriage, divorce, one-child policy and women in China etc
Topics
- L25: Women in China
- L26: Divorce
- L27: The little emperor
- L28: Concept of “Education”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
8, Intermediate: Term 8 to Advanced Book (Lesson 29 to 32)
Intermediate Mandarin Chinese: Term 8
The term 8 also has four stories which are focused on the tourist’s industry in China. The places include Beijing, Yangzi River, Suzhou and Hangzhou.
Topics
- L29: China’s landscapes
- L30: New and old, good and bad…
- L31: The huge dam in the Three Gorges
- L32: Suzhou and Hangzhou
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
9, Intermediate: Term 9 to Advanced Book (Lesson 33 to 36)
Intermediate Mandarin Chinese: Term 9
At this stagy, students have reached about 1400 characters, and closed to the Advanced level.
- L33: The opinions about the old China versus the new.
- L34: Taiwan of China
- L35: China’s languages
- L36: The reform program of Chinese characters
The standard of student in this term 9 equals to A Level GCE Chinese Exam in the UK and HSK Fourth Level Exam in P. R. China.