Adults Language Classes

This course is designed for absolute beginners with little or no knowledge of Chinese Mandarin. This class will introduce the phonics of Chinese Mandarin, sounds and tones, using the pinyin Romanization system. Upon completion, students will be expected to establish a solid foundation in Chinese pronunciation (initials, vowels and most importantly, the tones). In addition, students will easily master about 80 basic Chinese characters, most of which are very commonly used to construct other characters. Students are also expected to be able to conduct short daily conversations, including greetings, expressing gratitude, and introducing themselves and others, etc.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Threshold.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

This course is a continuation of Beginner Chinese 101 and will continue to build on the pronunciation and tones taught in Beginning Chinese 101. In addition, this course will cover the topics of making acquaintance, describing oneself, making appointments, discussing everyday situations, asking various types of questions, making suggestions or comments, etc.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.1 (Lessons 1-6).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

This course is a continuation of Beginner Chinese 102 and will continue to introduce new vocabulary and sentence patterns. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to communicate about daily necessities, including shopping, making a purchase, and going to the bank, among many others.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.1 (Lessons 7-12).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

This course is a continuation of Beginner Chinese 103 and will bring students to a high beginner level. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to talk about daily activities, going to the movies, taking classes, and discussing sports.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.2 (Lessons 13-17).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 1.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

This course is a continuation of Beginner Chinese 104 and will continue to introduce new vocabulary and sentence patterns. Topics to be covered include directions and locations, talking about personal skills, and describing sickness.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.2 (Lessons 18-22).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 1.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

This course is a continuation of High Beginner Chinese 105 and will continue to introduce new vocabulary and sentence patterns. Topics to be covered include style of clothing, making comparisons on weather, food, and cities.  New grammar and sentence patterns include the reduplication of verbs, the complement of manner, and making comparisons, among many others.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.2 (Lessons 23-28).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 1.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

Following Heritage Chinese Beginner I, this course is designed specifically for heritage Chinese students who possess speaking skills but limited reading and writing skills in Chinese. More complex and functional vocabulary words, sentence patterns and systemic review of grammar will be practiced through reading texts on various culturally related topics. Writing is also an important part of the training in this class.

The textbook required for this course is Contemporary Chinese for Heritage Learners: An Introductory Text Simplified Character Version 2nd Edition, Lessons 9 – 14.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon.

This course will bring students to the intermediate level courses, and covers topics of phone conversations, renting an apartment, going out to eat in a restaurant, and watching TV programs, among many others. Upon completion, students will be able to discuss different aspects of daily life and use more complicated structures for language expressions.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Elementary, Vol. 1 (Lessons 1-4).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 2 or 3.

This class is a continuation of Intermediate Chinese 207. Three pieces of contemporary prose and one traditional fable will be studied. Students will be able to tell a comprehensive story with flesh and blood in an authentic way of expression.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success, Upper Elementary Vol 1 (Lesson 5-8).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 3.

*Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

This class is designed for students who have learned about 1,000 words and structures or have taken intermediate-level classes at China Institute but want to improve conversational skills. The class will help students speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in informal conversational and business settings. The class is highly conversational and interactive, with a focus on live conversations and discussions to achieve fluency in spoken Chinese.

NO textbook is required to purchase for this class. Materials will be provided in class.

This course is designed specifically for heritage Chinese students who possess speaking skills but limited reading and writing skills in Chinese. It will introduce more functional vocabulary and sentence patterns and phrases. It will also provide a systemic review of grammar through reading texts on various cultural topics. Writing is also an important part of the training in this class.

The textbook required for this course is HSK Standard Course, HSK 4A上 (Lessons 6-10).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon.

People expect that the main challenges involved in learning Chinese are things like characters, vocabulary, reading, and writing, but they forget about the challenges presented by mispronunciation. This workshop is designed to help Chinese learners who already have at least an intermediate level of Chinese to break poor pronunciation habits and eventually master the correct pronunciation and tones of Mandarin Chinese. This workshop will not only provide a review of the Chinese sound system, but it will also help the students to overcome the difficulties and pitfalls faced by most English speakers, such as the four tones, the initials “zh/ch/sh” v.s. “j/q/x”, the initial “r”, tone-sandhi, and the final “u” v.s. “ü”, etc. Before the class, students will receive professional feedback through a pronunciation test. The instructor will record each student’s pronunciation, focusing on any imperfections, and provide personalized guidance. Through a variety of fun class activities including group practice, games, and pronunciation drills, such as similar sound comparisons and mixed recognition exercises, this workshop aims also to help students recognize the ‘mistakes’ they commonly make and understand what they are doing ‘wrong’, compared to what they ‘should’ be doing. Throughout the course, students will receive continual and immediate feedback in class and, in the end, will be on their way towards speaking with clear and correct pronunciation and tones.

NO textbook is required to purchase for this class. Materials will be provided in class.

This course is designed for students who have finished Level 303 at China Institute or anyone who has achieved an overall high intermediate level of proficiency in the Chinese language.

The textbook required for this course is HSK Standard Course 4B (下) (Lessons 14-16).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 4.

This class is a continuation of Advanced Reading III. The class will be highly interactive with students participating in discussions on a wide range of thought-provoking topics on contemporary China. A reader series, Reading into a New China, published by Cheng & Tsui (2017) will be used to replace a traditional language textbook. Students will read articles reflecting on various social issues in contemporary China. Advanced skills in reading comprehension will be developed, along with professional speaking skills, such as discussion and oral presentation.

The textbook required for this course is Reading into a New China, 2nd Edition Vol. 2 (Lessons 11-13), published by Cheng & Tsui: https://www.cheng-tsui.com/browse/reading-into-a-new-china-2e

This class is a continuation of Advanced Reading IV. The class will be highly interactive with students participating in discussions on a wide range of thought-provoking topics on contemporary China. A reader series, Reading into a New China, published by Cheng & Tsui (2017) will be used to replace a traditional language textbook. Students will read articles reflecting on various social issues in contemporary China. Advanced skills in reading comprehension will be developed, along with professional speaking skills, such as discussion and oral presentation.

The textbook required for this course is Reading into a New China, 2nd Edition Vol. 2 (Lessons 14-16), published by Cheng & Tsui: https://www.cheng-tsui.com/browse/reading-into-a-new-china-2e

This course is designed for those who have achieved an overall advanced level of proficiency in the Chinese language and wish to enhance their speaking fluency and sophistication. Students will be fully engaged in discussions on a variety of reading topics about China’s economy, politics, social problems, and cultural issues. The instructor has designed this course to help students not only to improve Chinese language proficiency but also to understand the magnitude of influence these trends have on China’s business world and society.

NO textbook is required to purchase for this class. Materials will be provided in class.

This course is designed for individuals who have completed the advanced course Levels 301-304, and preferably, the Advanced Reading course (Book: Reading into a New China) as well at CI. It is also suitable for those who have attained an overall advanced proficiency in the Chinese language and wish to further their studies by engaging with more advanced texts. The selected textbook for the course, Anything Goes (《无所不谈》), is part of one of the most popular book series published by Princeton University Press. Anything Goes is an advanced modern Chinese language textbook that focuses on newspaper commentaries. The text selections are primarily sourced from local and overseas Chinese newspapers and magazines, covering topics related to economic, cultural, social, and political changes since the reform and opening up of China in the early 1980s.

The class will feature a highly interactive format, with students actively participating in discussions centered around a wide range of thought-provoking topics on contemporary China. The course aims to develop advanced skills in reading comprehension and enhance professional speaking abilities, including discussion and oral presentation.

The required textbook for this course is the Revised Edition of Anything Goes (《无所不谈》), published by Princeton University Press in 2011, Lessons 10 – 12.

This course is designed for advanced heritage Chinese students who possess speaking skills but need to improve reading and writing skills in Chinese. An innovative textbook has been selected: The Routledge Advanced Chinese Multimedia Course: Crossing Cultural Boundaries. This book offers advanced readers the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge of Chinese through a wide range of activities designed to build up both excellent language skills and cultural enrichment. This book is designed to boost learners’ level of useful vocabulary and usage, improve in-depth reading abilities, and provide interesting and culturally important topics for discussion. Writing is also an important part of the training in this class.

Required textbook: The Routledge Advanced Chinese Multimedia Course: Crossing Cultural Boundaries, 2nd edition, published by Routledge, Lessons 7 -9.