We teach Modern Standard Chinese, known as 普通话 Pǔtōnghuà. References are made to other forms of Mandarin Chinese spoken in different regions.
Courses
Our language courses aim to develop your linguistic skills and intercultural competence. You can find out more about our foreign language courses.
The following Mandarin Chinese courses are available for members of the public and University of Bath staff:
- Complete Beginner (Semester 1 & 2)
- Chinese for Business (Semester 2)
- Introduction to Chinese Characters (Semester 2)
- Post Beginner (Semester 2)
- Lower Intermediate Part 1 (Semester 1)
- Lower Intermediate Part 2 (Semester 2)
Placement test
If you have never learned Mandarin Chinese with us before, please take this placement test so that you know which course is suitable for you.
Please also refer to the course descriptions below.
Course descriptions
New: Chinese for Business (Semester 2)
This is a beginner level course designed to develop your competence and fluency in using Mandarin Chinese in a range of business and employment contexts. Enrol on this course if you have never studied Chinese before or if you know some basic Chinese phrases.
We recommend you take the 'Introduction to Chinese Characters' course alongside this course if you have never come across Chinese characters before.
In addition to developing your language skills, this course will also provide you with the opportunity to:
- explore Chinese workplace practices and work culture
- understand Chinese society within a business context
- explore Chinese social media use and its application in workplace communications
- develop your intercultural competence and improve your employability skills
New: Introduction to Chinese Characters (Semester 2)
This 50 minute long course can be taken as a standalone course or as a supplement to the Complete Beginner or the Chinese for Business course.
A substantial amount of lesson time will be devoted to practising writing Chinese characters with the support of your tutor. During this course, you will also learn:
- the origins, evolution and structures of Chinese characters
- to read and write some useful phrases and sentences
Complete Beginner (Semester 1 & 2)
This course is suitable for you if you have never studied Chinese before, or if you know some basic phrases.
Post Beginner (Semester 2)
Enrol on this course if you have completed the Complete Beginner course with us, or if you can:
- note down words and phrases you hear using pinyin with reasonable accuracy
- engage in basic conversations, exchanging information such as age, name, nationality, occupation, and so on.
- read and write around 50 basic Chinese characters
Lower Intermediate Part 1 (Semester 1)
Enrol on this course if you have completed the Post Beginner course with us, or have achieved the Chinese standard examination HSK 1, or if you can:
- engage in conversations on topics such as the weather, routine and leisure activities, state preferences
- read and understand short texts written in Chinese characters on familiar topics
- produce short texts using Chinese characters to give basic information and describe simple situations
Lower Intermediate Part 2 (Semester 2)
Enrol on this course if you have completed Lower Intermediate Part 1 with us, or achieved the Chinese standard examination HSK 1, or if you can:
- perform simple tasks such as going shopping, asking for information such as directions and opening hours
- read and understand short texts written in Chinese characters on familiar topics
- produce short texts using Chinese characters to give essential information and describe simple experiences
Course dates and times
All courses consist of 10 weekly interactive sessions delivered either on our Claverton Down campus in-person or remotely as live online sessions.
'Introduction to Chinese characters' sessions last 50 minutes. All the other sessions last 110 minutes.
Semester 2 Timetable
Please note that there will be no lessons during the Easter break from Monday 1 April to Friday 12 April 2024.
| Courses | Delivery | Day | Time | Start date | End date | Enrolment - members of the public |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Chinese Characters | in-person | Tuesday | 13:15 to 14:05 | 13 Feb | 30 Apr | Closed |
| Chinese for Business | in-person | Wednesday | 11:15 to 13:05 | 14 Feb | 1 May | Closed |
| Complete Beginner | live online | Thursday | 14:15 to 16:05 | 15 Feb | 2 May | Closed |
| Post Beginner | live online | Thursday | 18:15 to 20:05 | 15 Feb | 2 May | Closed |
| Lower Intermediate Part 2 | in person | Tuesday | 18:15 to 20:05 | 13 Feb | 30 Apr | Closed |
Student experience
"I enjoyed my lessons with the Skills Centre. Students, staff, and the general public can register and learn a new language through engaging lessons and taking part in discussions which pushes you out of your comfort zone and speeds up your learning." (Kamile Bagdanaviciute)
Read about the experiences of members of the public and staff learning Mandarin Chinese in the following blogs:
Feel free to join the Virtual Chinese & English Club on Microsoft Teams where we will share interesting facts about language and culture, and information about internal and external events.
Enrolment and cost
Enrolment for Semester 2 courses will open on 9 January 2024.
Members of the public
The cost for Introduction to Chinese Characters is £110 per semester, and the cost for all other courses is £144 per semester. Please enrol using the links in the Course dates and times table.
University of Bath staff
University of Bath staff receive a 10% discount. Please enrol on MySkills. You will then receive a link to the University of Bath online store for the cost of the course.