Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
The course assumes a Chinese standard of HSK 2. Students should have successfully completed CHIN2100 or equivalent. They should possess basic skills in standard Mandarin pronunciation and have a complete mastery of the pinyin romanisation system. Knowledge of the grammar structures and vocabulary of Vol 1 textbook of Contemporary Chinese (Revised Edition) is assumed.
This is an intermediate subject providing further instruction in both oral and aural aspects of Modern Standard Chinese.
Course requirements
Assumed background
The course assumes a Chinese standard of HSK 2. Students should have successfully completed CHIN2100 or equivalent. They should possess basic skills in standard Mandarin pronunciation and have a complete mastery of the pinyin romanisation system. Knowledge of the grammar structures and vocabulary of Lessons 1-14 of Contemporary Chinese for Beginners is assumed. Native or background speakers of Chinese are not permitted to enrol in this course, but should enrol in courses in the Native Speaker Streams. Background speakers of Cantonese and other dialects will not normally be permitted to enrol in the course, but must seek special permission from the course coordinator.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
CHIN2100 or permission of course coordinator
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
CHIN2110
Course staff
Course coordinator
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Public holidays:
Alternative arrangements for affected students will be announced through the Blackboard site.
Class allocation:
In order to optimise the student experience, it may be necessary to reallocate students to a different class from their first choice. Before this happens, every effort will be made to enable students to voluntarily change into an alternative class that is suitable. Please note: Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation.
Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email hass.mytimetable@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email account with the following details:
- Full name,
- Student ID, and
- the Course Code
Additional information and support can be found here
Please note that this course assumes a good knowledge of Hanyu Pinyin which is essential to good and correct pronunciation of both sounds and tones (Some test items will require students to write in correct pinyin). Students whose knowledge of pinyin is poor are strongly advised to attend the optional pinyin sessions run in teaching weeks 2-6. Venue and time are to be advised.
Aims and outcomes
The course aims to
- improve oral and aural skills by providing practice in the use of a wider range of expressions and increasingly complex grammatical structures
- improve communicative competence through pair and group activities
- improve the quality of oral production throughﾠreading and speech presentation
- enhance students' cultural knowledge so that they are able to use language and function socially in a culturally appropriately way inﾠmultiple Chinese cultural contexts.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
at an intermediate level and in a culturally sensitive way, discuss topics of interest through the use of social routines, exchange of information, ideas, opinions, experiences and plans;
LO2.
at an intermediate language level and in a culturally sensitive way, participate in social interaction related to solving a problem, making arrangements and decisions, and transacting for services
LO3.
at an intermediate language level and in a culturally sensitive way, to obtain information by searching for specific details in a spoken text, or by listening to or reading the text as a whole
LO4.
present information or your experience in a short speech
LO5.
understand the socio-cultural aspects of the language you have learnt
LO6.
acquire vocabulary and grammar structures appropriate to an intermediate level learner of Chinese
LO7.
pronounce Mandarin sounds and tones accurately. Speak or read using correct pronunciation, intonation and word stress at an intermediate learner level of fluency.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Practical/ Demonstration |
WeChat Task
|
20% |
Week 2 Topic - 10/03/2025 1:00 pm Week 3 Topic - 17/03/2025 1:00 pm Week 4 Topic - 24/03/2025 1:00 pm Week 5 Topic - 31/03/2025 1:00 pm Week 6 Topic - 7/04/2025 1:00 pm Week 7 Topic - 14/04/2025 1:00 pm Week 8 Topic - 28/04/2025 1:00 pm Week 9 Topic - 6/05/2025 1:00 pm Week 10 Topic - 12/05/2025 1:00 pm Week 11 Topic - 19/05/2025 1:00 pm
Students must submit their WeChat recording by 1pm Monday Week 3 (except in Week 10 - Due to Monday Public Holiday, recording will be due 1pm Tuesday). |
| Examination |
In-semester Exam
|
30% |
9/04/2025
WEEK 7 during Tutorial on Wednesday. |
| Presentation |
Oral presentation
|
15% |
7/05/2025
WEEK10 during Tutorial on Wednesday. |
| Presentation, Role play/ Simulation |
Final Oral interview
|
35% |
20/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
Exam Week 2. Tentative dates to be confirmed. |
Assessment details
WeChat Task
- Online
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Practical/ Demonstration
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
Week 2 Topic - 10/03/2025 1:00 pm
Week 3 Topic - 17/03/2025 1:00 pm
Week 4 Topic - 24/03/2025 1:00 pm
Week 5 Topic - 31/03/2025 1:00 pm
Week 6 Topic - 7/04/2025 1:00 pm
Week 7 Topic - 14/04/2025 1:00 pm
Week 8 Topic - 28/04/2025 1:00 pm
Week 9 Topic - 6/05/2025 1:00 pm
Week 10 Topic - 12/05/2025 1:00 pm
Week 11 Topic - 19/05/2025 1:00 pm
Students must submit their WeChat recording by 1pm Monday Week 3 (except in Week 10 - Due to Monday Public Holiday, recording will be due 1pm Tuesday).
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
Almost all native speakers (NS) of Chinese use WeChat to communicate with each other on a daily basis. As a learner of Chinese, you are required to download a WeChat App to communicate with NS. Each of you will form a pair with one of the Chinese NSs through WeChat and start real life interaction with them. This task will be supervised by Ms Annie Wang who is the instructor for Wednesday tutorials. From Week 2 to Week 11, a weekly topic is assigned, you need to communicate with your NS language partner and accomplish the task assigned. All the tasks will be related to the lessons covered. Your interaction with the NS will be monitored by Annie.
Task details: The native speaker and the learner each should ask each other five questions in Chinese based on the topic assigned weekly (see list of weekly topics below). The questions asked must be understood and relevant answers must be successfully elicited. In other words, the student must ask the native speaker 5 questions, get a relevant answer to each question and at the same time she/he must answer each of the 5 questions the native speaker asks. The question-answer interactions should be recorded on WeChat in each individual group by using the “Hold to Talk” function. Practice before the recording is not only allowed but also encouraged. The deadline for the recording is 1pm on the following Monday of each week. For example, Week 2 recording is due at 1pm on Monday the 10th March 2025 (Week 3 Monday). The weekly topics are as follows. Both learner and NS are recommended to number their questions and answers, for example, wenti yi__, wenti er___, wenti san__; hui da yi__, hui da 2__, hui da 3__ …… This is to help the teachers mark your responses, although most of the time they are only silent listeners.
- Week 2 Topic: Self-introduction
- Week 3 Topic: Language learning experience (Unit 7)
- Week 4 Topic: Travel or accident (Unit 8)
- Week 5 Topic: Renting a room/apartment (Unit 9)
- Week 6 Topic: Seeing a movie or mountain climbing (Unit 10)
- Week 7 Topic: Lost something like a wallet (Unit 11)
- Week 8 Topic: Bad luck or environment pollution (Unit 12)
- Week 9 Topic: Birthday present (Unit 1 Vol 3)
- Week 10 Topic: First year birthday celebration (Zhua Zhou) (Unit 2 Vol 3)
- Week 11 Topic: Foreign accent (Unit 3 Vol 3)
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Students submit their oral interactions/questions through WeChat App on their own mobile phone.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Maximum 14-day extensions are allowed as this is part of a regular series of tasks which students need to complete in order to demonstrate consolidation of content and support sequential nature of learning in this course. The maximum extension length ensures that assessors can provide timely feedback, supporting the progressive, sequential, and cumulative nature of language learning that underpins this course.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
In-semester Exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
9/04/2025
WEEK 7 during Tutorial on Wednesday.
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
This 90-minute, in-semester, in-person exam involves listening comprehension, filling in blanks, translation of sentences from English to Chinese, and creating dialogues, etc.
The exam will be conducted in classroom using hardcopy exam papers.
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Exam details
| Planning time | no planning time minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Materials | None |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
This is a paper-based, in-person examination conducted during class.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
A deferred exam application can be submitted online within 5 calendar days of the original exam. Approval is based on acceptable evidence for deferred examinations.
Oral presentation
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
7/05/2025
WEEK10 during Tutorial on Wednesday.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L06, L07
Task description
You can talk about anything related to the Chinese language and Culture. For example, you could describe your experience of learning Chinese, e.g. why you chose to study Chinese, what level you are at now, what fun/difficulties did you have in learning it, whether you will continue learning it, and how you hope to use these language skills in the future, and how will the language skills help you to realize your dreams, particularly how the learning of Chinese helps you form friendship with native speakers of Chinese or anyone else, how the learning of Chinese helps you become more open-minded and more understanding of the world we live in, etc.
Specific topics: 1. Why do I study Chinese; 2. My trip to China; 3. My Chinese friend; 4. I find the Chinese Culture fascinating; 5. My experiences in learning Chinese. Choose one of the topics listed or self-nominate a topic that is related to the Chinese language and culture for your oral presentation.
Text submission: You will need to submit the text in pinyin and/or characters before the time you give your talk. You can consult your language partner, but they will only give you assistance with grammar points and word usage you are unsure of. You are the one who will draft the speech, not anyone else.
The following aids are permitted during presentation:
- One PPT slide is allowed, which is encouraged.
- Palm cards can be used for occasional assistance. You are not allowed to simply read from it. If you do, it will be considered a reading activity, not a presentation, and you will gain a maximum mark of 50% only (see marking criteria for details).
Criteria & Marking:
An overall assessment will be made that takes into account all of the following aspects of the presentation.
- Accuracy of pronunciation and tones
- Content
- Accuracy of grammar
- Fluency
- Presentation techniques (clear, loud voice, interaction with audience etc)
- Originality/Flair
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
The maximum extension length ensures that assessors can provide timely feedback, supporting the progressive, sequential, and cumulative nature of language learning that underpins this course.
Final Oral interview
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation, Role play/ Simulation
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
20/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
Exam Week 2. Tentative dates to be confirmed.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
Final oral interview includes two sections: the first is a dialogue between two students as a pair. Four scenarios will be provided for students to practice and one of the four will be desmonstrated at the interview; the second section consists of answering questions asked by the examiner/s. These will be conducted by a face to face interview. Tentative dates are 20 and/or 21 June 2025 (to be confirmed in class).
Length: 15 to 20 minutes for each student.
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
This is an in-person assessment task.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A student awarded this grade has not completed the required assessment items. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A student awarded this grade has not completed the required assessment items. Speaking is highly simplified and halting, often being single word responses with no initiation. Student does not fulfil minimal requirements to complete a task. Comprehension of spoken language is extremely limited. Lack of linguistic knowledge and limited use of strategies to locate information in written and spoken texts, lead to extremely limited comprehension. Shows little or no cultural knowledge in attempting to speak or interact in a Chinese cultural context. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Speaking shows an extremely narrow range of structures and expressions used, with frequent errors. Speech is simplified and halting - often one word responses with little initiation. Student does not fulfil minimal requirements to complete a task. Comprehension of spoken language is limited. Considerable gaps in linguistic knowledge and limited use of strategies to locate information in written and spoken texts, lead to limited comprehension. Showsﾠ poor cultural knowledge in attempting to speak or interact in a Chinese cultural context. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Speaking shows a narrow range of structures and expressions used with accuracy and fluency, fluctuating considerably from activity to activity. The ideas of speech are presented with many problems in logic and coherence. Student fulfils minimal performance requirements. Comprehension of spoken language is fair in predictable contexts. Student occasionally uses strategies. Considerable gaps in linguistic knowledge and infrequent use of strategies to locate information in written and spoken texts lead to limited comprehension. Shows fair cultural knowledge in attempting to speak or interact in a Chinese cultural context. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Speaking shows a range of structures and expressions used with accuracy and fluency, but fluctuating considerably from activity to activity. The ideas of speech are presented with some problems in logic and coherence. Student occasionally elaborates beyond minimal performance requirements. Student comprehends most spoken language and occasionally uses strategies when this is not the case. Some gaps in linguistic knowledge and use of strategies to locate information in written texts, lead to some comprehension problems. The student makes good use of classroom time and exercises. Shows good cultural knowledge and sensitivity inﾠspeaking andﾠinteracting in a Chinese cultural context. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Speaking shows a wide range of structures and expressions used. Accuracy and fluency are generally good but open to some fluctuation. The ideas presented in the speech are logical and coherent. Student frequently elaborates beyond minimal performance requirements. Student comprehends most spoken language and uses strategies effectively when this is not the case. Student uses a range of strategies and linguistic knowledge in order to successfully to locate information in written and spoken texts. The student makes full use of classroom time and exercises. Shows very good cultural knowledge and sensitivity inﾠspeaking and interacting in a Chinese cultural context. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Speaking shows a wide range of structures and expressions used accurately and fluently. The ideas presented in speech are original, logical and coherent. The student is willing and able to elaborate beyond minimal performance requirements. Pronunciation (tones, stress, intonation and rhythm) is accurate and always comprehensible to a native speaker. The student differentiates correctly between retroflex sounds (zh, ch, sh, r) and the j,q,x, and d,z,s series of sounds. Student comprehends almost all spoken language and uses strategies effectively when this is not the case. Student uses a range of strategies and linguistic knowledge in successfully locating information in written and spoken texts. The student makes full and outstanding use of classroom time and exercises. Shows excellent cultural knowledge and sensitivity in speaking and interacting in a Chinese cultural context. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Regular attendance is strongly encouraged, as active participation in all classes is essential for developing language skills and achieving learning outcomes in this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Speaking and listening skills can be enhanced outside the classroom by watching films, videos, and DVDs in Mandarin. The Centralﾠlibrary has an extensive collection available for borrowing. There is Mandarin news on SBSﾠ (SBS news broadcasts are now available in the CentralﾠLibrary. ﾠEven if you find this extra curricular material difficult to understand, it is still valuable to watch/listen and try to pick up anything you can. It will help train your ear to differentiate Mandarin sounds at a fast speed. You can also try making friends with some of the many Mandarin speaking students on campus and speaking with them in Chinese.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Tutorial |
Week 1:Introduction Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Tutorial |
Week 2 CC: Unit 7 CC, Lesson 7 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Tutorial |
Week 3 CC: Unit 8 Lesson 8 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Tutorial |
Week 4 CC: Unit 9 Lesson 9 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Tutorial |
Week 5 CC: Unit 10 Lesson 10 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Tutorial |
Week 6 CC: Unit 11 Lesson 11 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Tutorial |
Week 7 Revision + In-Semester Exam (Review on Tuesday and In-Semester exam on Wed) Lessons7-11 [No Dictation, No Wechat task] Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Tutorial |
Week 8, Unit 12 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Tutorial |
Week 9: Unit 1, Vol 3 [Thursday 25/4 is public holiday] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Tutorial |
Week 10: Prepare for Oral Presentation + Oral Presentation (No new unit) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Tutorial |
Week 11: Unit 2, Vol 3 Tutorial class is used for revision or having some fun activities[No Dictation] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Tutorial |
Week 12: Unit 3, Vol 3 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Tutorial |
Week 13 Revision+ format of final exams At tutorial go through all interview questions Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.