What’s it all about?
Looking for the next step beyond Ni Hao? Then ‘A Bit of Basic Mandarin’ may be right up your hutong!
Whether you’ve been to China before or not, you might be looking for a very simple introductory/familiarisation course before you plunge into the language in earnest. There are many aspects of Mandarin Chinese – characters, tones, even hand gestures! – that appear a bit daunting, but this course will make a very basic introduction to the language that is also fun and interesting.
You don’t need any prior knowledge of Chinese to attend the course. The emphasis of vocabulary etc. will be on practical usage.
What will we cover?
We will cover some of the building blocks and cultural context to the Chinese language – both spoken and written (However, we will not have enough time for character recognition and writing characters).
We will also look to develop this base into words/basic vocabulary, including commonly used verbal expressions and hand gestures. How exciting!
Who will be teaching?
Laurel Johnson spent most of the five years between 1990 and 1995 studying and/or working in China. After completing an M.B.A. at the University of Washington in Seattle, she worked for an American company based in Beijing and later, ran a small consultancy in the northwestern province of Gansu advising Western business-people on their business ventures in China.