Beginning Chinese 2 for Independent Learners

Course outline with learning objectives

Unit 1: Invitations 

• Module 1: Main Content

• • • Make and accept invitations to events 

• Module 2: Listening

• • • Translate sentences from Chinese to English 

• Module 3: Grammar

• • • Talk about days months and years
    • Use the preposition 為 to talk about how to do something for somebody

• Module 4: Reading Exercises

• • • Recognize times and dates from a short text

• Module 5: Consolidation Exercises

• • • Describe street signs 

• Module 6: Culture Link

• • • Make cultural comparisons about dating 

• Module 7: Unit Test 

Unit 2: Making Requests

• Module 8: Main Content

• • • Request information in formal and informal contexts

• Module 9: Listening

• • • Recognize the pinyin used for new vocabulary words

• Module 10: Grammar

• • • Use optative verbs to discuss wish, desire, obligation, capability, possession, or permission
    • Use 多 to express continued action
    • Use 先…然後…再 to express actions in a sequence

• Module 11: Reading Exercises

• • • Identify supporting information in a short text

• Module 12: Consolidation Exercises

• • • Identify how to make and respond to a request

• Module 13: Culture Link

• • • Discuss differences between public restrooms in the US and China

• Module 14: Unit Test 

Unit 3: Restaurant

• Module 15: Main Content

• • • Decide where to go to eat with a friend 
    • Order food at a restaurant

• Module 16: Listening

• • • Translate the main ideas from an audio source.

• Module 17: Grammar

• • • Employ 還是 and 或者 to express alternative choices
    • Use 杯瓶盤碗雙 as measure word classifiers
    • Employ 極了 as an intensifier

• Module 18: Reading Exercises

• • • Analyze supporting information in a text.

• Module 19: Consolidation Exercises

• • • Interpret a Chinese menu

• Module 20: Culture Link 

• • • Discuss the differences between Chinese food and Western food 

• Module 21: Unit Test

Unit 4: Shopping

• Module 22: Main Content

• • • Employ vocabulary to talk about clothing and sizes

• Module 23: Listening

• • • Distinguish prices for a variety of items when listening to an audio source

• Module 24: Grammar

• • • Determine when to employ 量詞: 件, 條, 雙 as measure word classifiers
    • Use reduplication of verbs with 看 
    • Employ “好+V: “好看,好吃”; “好學, 好開”” 

• Module 25: Reading Exercises

• • • Distinguish the main idea based on a short text

• Module 26: Consolidation Exercises

• • • Recognize key words in a short conversation about clothing

• Module 27: Culture Link

• • • Compare cultural wedding traditions

• Module 28: Unit Test 

Unit 5: Showing People Around

• Module 29: Main Content

• • • Ask and describe where things are located 

• Module 30: Listening

• • • Respond to cardinal directions 

• Module 31: Grammar

• • • Use position words ( 前後左右上下裡外旁 (邊), 中間, 對面) to describe where things are located
    • Express location with  在, 有 and 是

• Module 32: Reading Exercises

• • • Employ context clues to understand new words

• Module 33: Consolidation Exercises

• Describe one’s housing arrangements

• Module 34: Culture Link

• • • Compare and contrast principles of interior design (i.e., Fengshui) 

• Module 35: Unit Test

Unit 6: Hobbies & Sports

• Module 36: Main Content

• • • Describe one’s hobbies, sports, and interests

• Module 37: Listening

• • • Identify what others enjoy doing when listening to audio 

• Module 38: Grammar

• • • Employ 得 to tell how an action is performed
    • Use the ordinal numbers to describe in what order actions occurred
    • Give examples with 比如
    • Use 最 to indicate a superlative

• Module 39: Reading Exercises

• • • Recognize vocabulary for the different sports

• Module 40: Consolidation Exercises

• • • Describe cultural leisure practices

• Module 41: Culture link

• • • Compare and contrast sports culture in China and one’s own culture 

• Module 42: Unit test

Unit 7: Travel Plans

• Module 43: Main Content 

• • • Discuss weather and seasons

• Module 44: Listening

• • • Identify the supporting details in an audio segment

• Module 45: Grammar

• • • Explain events that are about to happen with 就/快要……了
    • Use 離 +很遠(近) to indicate distance
    • Talk about vehicles with  坐, 騎and 開

• Module 46: Reading Exercises

• • • Recognize vocabulary for travel expressions

• Module 47: Consolidation Exercises

• Describe travel plans 

• Module 49: Unit Test

Unit 8: An Illness

• Module 50: Main Content

• • • Talk about sickness and going to the doctor

• Module 51: Listening

• • • Recognize pinyin for common expressions

• Module 52: Grammar

• • • Describe past action and new situations with 了
    • Indicate possession, degree, and adverbs with  的, 得 and 地

• Module 53: Consolidation Exercises

• • • Identify vocabulary for discussing illness

• Module 54: Culture Link

• • • Compare and contrast health practices in China and one’s own culture 

• Module 55: Unit Test

Unit 9: Renting an Apartment

• Module 56: Main Content 

• • • Discuss lodging details and costs 

• Module 57: Listening

• • • Translate the main ideas of a short audio

• Module 58: Grammar

• • • Indicate motion with  趨向補語 
    • Stress effects of an action with Ba 把 construction

• Module 59: Reading Exercises

• • • Identify the causes and effects in a short text

• Module 60: Consolidation Exercises

• • • Identify the causes and effects in a short audio

• Module 61: Unit Test

Unit 10: Future Plans

• Module 62: Main Content

• • • Talk about plans for the future 
    • Describe work and study 

• Module 63: Listening

• • • Understand conversations related to the future

• Module 64: Grammar

• • • Review measure words
    • Review conjunctions
    • Review verb aspects

• Module 65: Reading Exercises

• • • Recognize the details in a short text

• Module 66: Consolidation Exercises

• • • Identify future plans

• Module 67: Unit Test