Why study Mandarin Chinese

Mandarin, the national language of China, is the most widely spoken language in the world. Over one billion people speak a form of Chinese as their native language. Currently, there is a worldwide demand for Chinese speakers that is far in excess of the number of Westerners who are able to speak the language.

China is rapidly becoming a world economic power, having opened its doors to foreign investment, goods and services, trade and cultural exchange. With the 2010 World Expo set to capitalise on the success of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, there are many opportunities for businesses to forge enduring commercial relationships. People who speak Mandarin and are also conversant with the Chinese culture will be able to explore in great depth these future business and communication opportunities generated by China's continuing economic growth.

Mandarin is a tonal and analytic language whereby words must be spoken at the right pitch to be understood and convey their correct meaning. The language also makes use of word order to show subject - object relationships.

Mandarin can be taught by the use of pinyin (spell sound), a method of teaching foreign learners the standard pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese. Worldwide, pinyin is the most accepted and widely-used system to spell Chinese names in foreign publications and to enter Chinese characters on computers.

We integrate active communication skills with the grammatical structure of the language. Students develop proficiency in the language by using it in realistic situations and enjoyable activities. Awareness of cross-cultural communication is also addressed as this is an important factor in language learning.

Areas of study:

• Introductions, greetings, leave-taking etc
• Giving personal details such as address, phone/fax number, occupation
• Small talk, weather, health etc
• Basic telephone skills, ordering food and drinks
• Catching a taxi and using public transport
• Asking for and understanding directions
• Prices, quantification, booking a hotel
• Inviting guests home, dates, months etc
• General knowledge of common practices and customs
• The etiquette of social and formal functions
• Cross-cultural awareness skills