Mandarin Chinese 3: Chinese for Beginners

Shanghai Jiao Tong University via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/mandarin-chinese-3

Introduction

### Course Review: Mandarin Chinese 3: Chinese for Beginners on Coursera #### Introduction If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Mandarin Chinese, the course **Mandarin Chinese 3: Chinese for Beginners** offered on Coursera is a fantastic choice. Building upon the foundations set in Mandarin Chinese 2, this course enriches your language skills through an engaging and structured approach. It utilizes a combination of lectures, short plays, interactive exercises, and cultural insights, making learning not only efficient but also enjoyable. #### Course Overview Spanning five fascinating lessons, the **Mandarin Chinese 3** course aims to elevate your proficiency in the language to a solid level, enabling you to handle everyday conversations and situations in Mandarin. Upon completion, learners can expect to acquire: - **Vocabulary:** 500 new words - **Language Points:** 60 essential language points - **Real-Life Situations:** Mastery of 15 practical scenarios. The course is designed for students who have completed **Mandarin Chinese 2** or have attained a corresponding proficiency level, ensuring that everyone starts on a solid foundation. #### Syllabus Breakdown The structure of the syllabus is thoughtfully designed to ensure progressive learning: 1. **Lesson 11 - Borrowing Books:** In the first segment, students learn to navigate the library, picking up vocabulary and expressions necessary for borrowing books, while also exploring concepts of capability and possibility. 2. **Lesson 12 - Currency Exchange:** The focus shifts to banking, where you'll learn how to express and deal with large numbers, such as exchanging currency. This lesson is invaluable for anyone planning to visit China or engage in financial transactions. 3. **Lesson 13 - Housework Vocabulary:** This lesson introduces expressions for housework, alongside the complex "bǎ" sentence structure which is an essential part of Mandarin grammar that enhances clarity in communication. 4. **Lesson 14 - Travel Plans:** Focusing on travel, students learn essential vocabulary and phrases about travel plans, ensuring they can express their desire to travel and make arrangements. 5. **Lesson 15 - Booking Tickets:** Rounding off the course, this lesson dives into the world of travel logistics, equipping students with phrases to book flight tickets and hotel rooms, and phrases used in the airport. #### What’s Great about the Course? - **Interactive Learning:** The integration of plays and interactive exercises makes mundane grammar lessons engaging and memorable. It allows learners to practice in a fun and realistic setting. - **Cultural Insights:** Understanding cultural nuances is crucial in language learning, and this course does a commendable job of intertwining cultural tips, helping students navigate real-life interactions with confidence. - **Practical Application:** The focus on real-life situations prepares learners for actual conversations and practical use of the language, making you feel equipped to handle everyday interactions. #### Who Should Enroll? This course is perfect for: - Beginners looking to progress from basic Mandarin - Travelers planning a trip to China - Language enthusiasts who want everyday conversational skills - Anyone interested in Chinese culture alongside learning the language #### Conclusion In summary, **Mandarin Chinese 3: Chinese for Beginners** is a comprehensive course that seamlessly builds upon prior knowledge while opening doors to real-world applicability of the language. With its interactive methodology and practical approach, it stands out as a top-notch offering on Coursera. I highly recommend it to anyone eager to enhance their Mandarin skills and enjoy the journey of learning a beautiful, complex language! If you’re serious about making strides in Mandarin, don’t hesitate to enroll!

Syllabus

Lesson 11 Wǒ xiǎnɡ jiè jǐ běn Hànyǔ shū 我想借几本汉语书 I want to borrow some Chinese books Part 1

(Please start this module after completing Mandarin Chinese 2: Chinese for beginners or having corresponding proficiency level)Learning the expressions related to the library; Learning how to express capability and possibility

Lesson 11 Wǒ xiǎnɡ jiè jǐ běn Hànyǔ shū 我想借几本汉语书 I want to borrow some Chinese books Part 2

Learning the expressions related to the library; Learning how to express capability and possibility

Lesson 12 Wǒ xiǎnɡ huàn Rénmínbì 我想换人民币 I would like to exchange for RMB Part 1

Learning the expressions related to the bank; Learning how to express big numbers

Lesson 12 Wǒ xiǎnɡ huàn Rénmínbì 我想换人民币 I would like to exchange for RMB Part 2

Learning the expressions related to the bank; Learning how to express big numbers

Lesson 13 Qǐnɡ bǎ zhuōzi shōushi yíxiàr 请把桌子收拾一下儿 Please clear the table Part 1

Learning the expressions for housework; Learning the “bǎ” sentence

Lesson 13 Qǐnɡ bǎ zhuōzi shōushi yíxiàr 请把桌子收拾一下儿 Please clear the table Part 2

Learning the expressions for housework; Learning the “bǎ” sentence

Lesson 14 Wǒ xiǎnɡ qù lǚyóu 我想去旅游 I want to take a trip Part 1

Learning the expressions related to travel; Learning how to talk about travel plans

Lesson 14 Wǒ xiǎnɡ qù lǚyóu 我想去旅游 I want to take a trip Part 2

Learning the expressions for housework; Learning the “bǎ” sentence

Lesson 15 Wǒ xiǎnɡ dìnɡ yì zhānɡ jīpiào 我想订一张机票 I want to book a flight ticket Part 1

Learning how to book flight tickets and hotel rooms; Learning the expressions used in the airport

Lesson 15 Wǒ xiǎnɡ dìnɡ yì zhānɡ jīpiào 我想订一张机票 I want to book a flight ticket Part 2

Learning how to book flight tickets and hotel rooms; Learning the expressions used in the airport

Overview

Mandarin Chinese 3: Chinese for beginners is a beginner's course of Mandarin Chinese in continuation of Mandarin Chinese 2: Chinese for beginners. It uses lectures, short plays, interactive exercises and cultural tips to help learners build a fundamental capability of oral Chinese in real-life situations. At the end of the 5-lesson course, the learners will reach the following proficiency: ♦ 500 words ♦ 60 language points ♦ handling 15 real-life situations. Completing "Learn Mandarin Chinese 2:

Skills

Reviews

The course is interesting and well structured. The necessary time to complete each session is reasonable and the topics are relevant.

The course was explained in a majestic way. I rated it with five stars as well.

It is a good course to learn about using Chinese in various situations.

This course is highly informative for me and for others in my country

Great course, and I am excited to take more courses from this university to study Mandarin.