AIC181 - Chinese 1A: An Introduction to the Language and Culture
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Xuemei Bai |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour on-campus lecture per week 1 x 2-hour on-campus seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week 1 x 2-hour online seminar per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Note:No prior knowledge of the language is required This unit is not available to speakers of Chinese as a first language | |
Content
The unit is designed for beginners who wish to achieve basic practical language skills for oral and written comprehension and expression in Standard Chinese (Mandarin). It aims at correct pronunciation, fluent speech and a systematic grounding in the basic sentence patterns. The official Pinyin Romanization is used and the standard writing system (the simplified characters) is introduced. Students will learn how to express greetings, exchange names and discuss in simple terms their families, occupations, daily routines and study programs. They will also be able to communicate on the above subjects in the Chinese script. Cultural topics will be discussed in conjunction with the language material.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Use the official Pinyin Romanization and simplified Chinese character writing system with a range of key words, expressions and basic grammatical constructions to describe simple information and opinions in writing. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication |
| ULO2 | Apply the official Pinyin Romanization and simplified Chinese character writing system to prepare a script as a team for a dialogue, working through complexities of grammatical and cultural considerations, and perform this orally to an audience of peers. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO5: Problem solving GLO7: Teamwork |
| ULO3 | Use independent study techniques to deeply engage with a text and be able to identify and discuss linguistic features and cultural meanings in preparation for an oral task that includes daily dialogue and formal dialogue on the passage. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO6: Self-management |
| ULO4 | Recognise, comprehend and respond to Chinese written and spoken texts, applying knowledge of language and culture including links to Indigenous Knowledges. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO8: Global citizenship |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Writing Exercises | 800 words or equivalent (in foreign language) | 20% | Weekly |
| Assessment 2: (Group) Presentation | 10-15 minutes | 20% | Week 10 |
| Assessment 3: Oral Test | 10-minutes | 20% | Week 11 |
| Assessment 4: End-of-unit assessment | Online test, 2-hours | 40% | End-of-unit assessment period |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for AIC181 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
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