The main focus is on speaking and listening, using Pinyin (the Romanised version of Chinese pronunciation) to help you build confidence in everyday conversation. You’ll start by learning basic pronunciation rules and useful phrases such as greetings, thank you, goodbye, and how to introduce yourself by name, nationality and occupation. You’ll also learn vocabulary related to immediate family members and start to recognise some key Chinese characters.

As well as developing your language skills, the course introduces cultural elements and traditions, including popular Chinese festivals. You’ll begin to understand how language and culture are closely linked, making the learning experience richer and more meaningful.

To get the most from the course, learners are encouraged to spend a little time between sessions practising what they’ve learned. A small amount of homework will be set each week to support this.

This course offers a fun and engaging way to explore a new language, helping you to begin ‘getting by’ in Mandarin while discovering more about life and culture in the Chinese-speaking world.