Mandarin Chinese Workshop Programme

Mandarin workshops will be held in CNW seminar room 6 each Wednesday at 1pm and 2pm.

Wednesdays 1st hour (1pm-2pm) 2nd hour (2pm-3pm) 
Week 1 Stationery & Daily Items
  1. Core vocabulary: 笔/纸/本子/书/书包/杯子/手机/雨伞pen, paper, notebook, schoolbag, cup, mobile phone, umbrella 
  1. Basic Q&A: 这是什么？What is this? 这是我的笔。This is my pen.  
  1. Simple expressions: 我有笔。 I have a pen. 我没有雨伞。I don't have an umbrella. 
  1. Interactive game: Recognize objects by showing real items  
  1. Writing practice: Trace 3-5 simple characters (pen, paper, cup) 
Chinese Handicrafts & Souvenirs
  1. Handicraft vocabulary: 扇子fan, 中国结Chinese knot, 剪纸paper-cutting, 脸谱Peking opera mask 
  1. Core sentence pattern: …真好看！ ... is really nice!  
  1. Cultural knowledge: Regional characteristics of Chinese souvenirs (Suzhou fans, Sichuan masks) 
  1. Practical expression: Choosing souvenirs for friends and explaining reasons 
  1. The Chairman‘s Bao Practice 
Week2 Toys & Games
  1. Core vocabulary: 游戏game, 球ball, 积木building blocks, 拼图puzzle, 跳绳jump rope, 跳舞 dance, 下棋play chess 
  1. Q&A: 你喜欢玩什么游戏？What do you like to play? 我喜欢玩积木。I like playing with building blocks. 
  1. Simple expressions: 我会跳绳，I can jump rope, 我不会跳舞。I cannot dance. 
  1. Cultural sharing: Chinese 榫卯mortise and tenon, 蹴鞠Cuju 
Traditional Chinese Games & Sports
  1. Traditional game vocabulary: 象棋Chinese chess, 围棋Go, 踢毽子shuttlecock kicking, 舞龙舞狮dragon and lion dance 
  1. Core sentence pattern: …是中国传统的... is a traditional Chinese... (Chinese chess is a traditional Chinese game). 
  1. Cultural knowledge: History and folk symbolism of traditional games (e.g., dragon dance symbolizes praying for good fortune) 
  1. Hands-on experience: Learn simple shuttlecock kicking (with English action instructions) 
Week 3 Snacks & Desserts
  1. Core vocabulary: 糖果/饼干/汤圆/月饼 candy, cookie, tangyuan (glutinous rice ball)  mooncake 
  1. Basic Q&A: 你喜欢吃什么？What do you like to eat? Is this tangyuan sweet?汤圆甜吗？ 
  1. Simple expressions: ... is sweet / delicious. I like eating mooncakes. 
  1. Interactive game: Match pictures with words (match snack pictures with their Chinese names) 
Chinese Pastry Culture & Local Snacks
  1. Local snack vocabulary: 豆汁douzhi (Beijing), 小笼包xiaolongbao (Shanghai), 双皮奶 double-skin milk (Guangdong), 油茶youcha (Northwest) 
  1. Core sentence patterns: … 是… 的特色小吃（小笼包是上海的特色小吃）；... is a local snack of... (Xiaolongbao is a local snack of Shanghai)  
  1. Interactive task: Design a "Chinese Snack Tasting List" for British friends 
  1. Expression practice: Introduce your favorite Chinese snack and give reasons 
Week 4 Plants & Flowers
  1. Core vocabulary: 花/草/树/百合/菊花/竹子/荷花flower, grass, tree, lily, chrysanthemum, bamboo, lotus 
  1. Basic Q&A: 这是什么花？你喜欢什么花What flower is this? What flowers do you like? 
  1. Simple expressions : … 很漂亮。荷花是粉色的。我喜欢百合。... is very beautiful. The lotus is pink. I like lily. 
  1. Interactive activity: "Describe the flower's appearance" (using simple words like red/white/very fragrant) 
  1. Picture exercise: Real photos of flowers, recognize words while looking 
Chinese Flower & Plant Symbolism
  1. Classic symbolic plants: plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum (Four Gentlemen), pine, lotus, peony, etc. 
  1. Core sentence patterns: ... symbolizes... (Peony symbolizes wealth and honor; bamboo symbolizes resilience); ... is a famous Chinese flower (Plum blossom is a famous Chinese flower) 
  1. Cultural knowledge: Cultural connotations of the Four Gentlemen; use of flowers in traditional Chinese painting 
  1. Interactive discussion: Differences in flower symbolism between China and the West (e.g., chrysanthemum) 
Week 5 Fruits & Food
  1. Vocabulary：东西、一点儿、西瓜、苹果、包子、面条、咖啡、可乐；衣服、漂亮、少（不少）、这些、都， etc.  
  1. Video (Liziqi): the Life of tomato: https://youtu.be/u_Jx2pB7OZg?si=aGgc-UEj_fP0XE1B 
  1. Polite way of saying I would like … in Chinese: 我想要…  
  1. Language useful for ordering food in a restaurant  
Healthy diet
  1. Vocabulary for discussion on healthy diet: Healthy organic … 绿色有机 … etc.  
  1. Indicate occurrence or completion with “了”; (The negative form of “了” is: 没+verb+object)  
  1. The adverb “都 – all, both” sentences.  
  1. To emphasize time, place or manner for an action took place in the past using the structure “是 ……的”. 
Week 6 Rooms & Home Items
  1. Core vocabulary: 房间、客厅、床、桌子、椅子、窗户、门、灯 room, living room, bed, table, chair, window, door, lamp 
  1. Basic Q&A: 这是你的房间吗？房间里有桌子吗？Is this your room? Is there a table in the room? 
  1. Expressions: 我的房间里有床和桌子。客厅有沙发。My room has a bed and a table. The living room has a sofa. 
  1. Interactive activity: Draw your own room and label items in Chinese 
Home setting & Home Culture
  1. Traditional dwellings: Siheyuan (Beijing), Yaodong (Northern Shaanxi), Tulou (Fujian), Stilt house (Western Hunan), etc. 
  1. Core sentence pattern: … 是… 的传统民居（四合院是北京的传统民居）... is a traditional dwelling of... (Siheyuan is a traditional dwelling of Beijing) 
  1. Cultural knowledge: Relationship between architectural features of traditional dwellings and regional climate/lifestyle habits 
  1. Home culture: Chinese home customs (e.g., living room layout, plant placement) 
Week 7 Illness and seeing a doctor
  1. Vocab: 生病、感冒、发烧、看医生 
  1. Sentence: …去…看病。 
  1. Role-play: In the hospital 
  1. The Chairman’s Bao Practice (related topic) 
Chinese traditional treatments/medicine
  1. Concept/history/Big names/development 
  1. Comparison: Western treatment & Chinese treatment 
  1. Story: 扁鹊见齐桓公 - “Bian Que Meets Duke Huan of Qi”:  is a classic Chinese parable from the book 《Han Feizi》- Book of Master Han Fei （published in 3rd century BC）. It serves as a warning against "hiding one's illness and avoiding treatment" (huì jí jì yī). 
  1. Film:《刮痧》-《The Gua Sha Treatment》: a moving story about cultural conflict and misunderstanding.  https://youtu.be/bNera_OibME?si=CkzSPt7tq-6yIdrO  
 

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