Certificate | Chinese Language Centre

Certificate in Chinese Language Courses

The Certificate Course in Chinese Language may be taken in the Putonghua stream or the Cantonese stream. Its curriculum extends over two years comprised of three terms each year with 15 hours per week.

There are three evening class choices:
1. Cantonese 1 NCS (for non-Chinese speaking students)
2. Cantonese 1 PTH (for students with a foundation in Mandarin or a Mandarin speaking

background – this is a NEW addition to our offerings!)
3. Putonghua 1 (for non-Chinese speaking students)

Classes will meet four times weekly after 5 p.m. for three terms over the year, with an additional experiential class included each week by arrangement at various days and times. The experiential classes will bring students to venues where the language is spoken and to various neighborhoods in Hong Kong, guide them in utilizing the language in real-world contexts, and develop their communication skills and appreciation of Chinese culture through lively direct experience.

The courses are intended for those whose mother tongue is not Chinese. They are taught by experienced teachers, who are native speakers of Chinese.

Academic Terms (2022 – 23)

Term 1 September 1 - December 2, 2022
Term 2 January 3 – March 31, 2023
Term 3 April 11 – July 7, 2023*
(* Examinations: July 3 – 7, 2023)

Assessment

The First Examination is held at the end of the first year and the certificate Examination is held at the end of the curriculum. Both Examinations consist of written papers and oral tests.

The Curriculum

Both Putonghua stream and Cantonese stream consist of the following curriculum, providing balanced training in listening, speaking, reading and writing in Chinese.

YEAR ONE

1. Listening Comprehension I

In this course, drills on sounds and tones as well as simple situational dialogues will help students examine the problems that foreign learners commonly have in understanding the language and expand their range of expressions.

2. Spoken Practice

This course aims at enhancing the student’s ability to cope with conversations in everyday situations. The main activities include accurate pronunciation and tones, the practice of sentence patterns and drills of the Romanization system. Students will be trained to use pin-yin in Putonghua stream, and the Jyutping system for Cantonese stream.

3. Reading and writing I

Students learn basic sentence patterns and grammar in modern standard Chinese. About 1,000 commonly-used Chinese characters are introduced. Students are taught how to use Chinese dictionaries and online applications for learning Chinese characters. Composition will be offered in the third term. It helps students develop their ability to write simple paragraphs before moving on to 200-character essays.

YEAR TWO (to be suspended in AY 2022-23)

1. Listening Comprehension II

This course helps students understand different situational conversations, weather reports, news, advertisements and announcements from media, radio and television.

2. Topical Discussions

This course gives students further practice in sentence patterns and natural expressions, storytelling, and enhances their communication skills. Students engage in discussions on special topics ranging from social issues to beliefs and practices in Chinese culture.

3. Reading and Writing II

This course helps students enrich their vocabulary through an intensive study of modern written texts and to master sentence structure and grammar of Chinese. It also provides training in writing well-structured essays and creative pieces as well as writing on practical subjects.

4. Newspaper Readings

This course equips students with the basic skills for reading newspaper articles and enhances their reading comprehension. Specialized terms for various news topics are introduced.

Tuition Fee

HK$29,900 for each Term, payable in 6 non-refundable installments.