Eligibility

All DMU students and staff are eligible to take part in this opportunity. The maximum number of places in each class is 30, and the minimum number of participants required for classes to go ahead is 5. Please check our eligibility criteria for further details.

 Description

With a range of different study options, you could be learning one of the world’s most spoken languages. The Confucius Institute (CI) is offering 10 weeks of evening Mandarin classes to DMU students and staff for free.

Each class will develop language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as awareness of Chinese culture. The classes are ideal for anyone interested in learning Mandarin as well as those that would like to develop existing skills. Each class will involve independent learning and practical group work, giving you plenty of opportunities to develop your skills inside and outside the classroom. At the end of the course, you will have the option to take a HSK proficiency test which is an internationally standardised and recognised test to evaluate Chinese language abilities of non-native speakers.

Term 2 study options

Classes start from January 2019 and will cover 20 hours of teaching over 10 weeks. After completing 10 weeks of classes, learners of each level can progress to the next stage. Classes will take place in the morning from 10am-12pm, you can apply for the following:

Level	Description	Day	Start date	End date
Level 1
Stage 1	For those that have never previously studied mandarin	Monday	14/01/2019	18/03/2019
Stage 2	For those that have studied approximately 20 hours of mandarin	Thursday	17/01/2019	21/03/2019
Level 2
Stage 1	For those that have studied approximately 40 hours of mandarin	Tuesday	15/01/2019	19/03/2019
Stage 2	For those that have studied approximately 60 hours of mandarin	Tuesday	15/01/2019	19/03/2019
Level 3
Stage 1	For those that have mastered 300 commonly used words and related grammar	Wednesday	16/01/2019	20/03/2019
Stage 2	For those that have mastered about 350 commonly used words and are able to read and write basic Chinese characters	Monday	14/01/2019	18/03/2019
Stage 3	For those that have mastered about 400 commonly used words and are able to read and write Chinese characters	Wednesday	16/01/2019	20/03/2019
Level 4
Stage 1	For those that have mastered 700 commonly used words, being able to read or write simple essays in Chinese	Thursday	17/01/2019	21/03/2019

Application

To study Mandarin, you first need to complete the online application form. You will have to:

1. Choose your preferred class
2. Answer the following question: Please provide three reasons for studying Mandarin. Your answer may refer to academic, professional or personal motivations.

You will be notified of the outcome of your application by email within 7 days of the opportunity deadline closing.

Accepting your offer

Where possible, we will try to offer you your preferred class. However, we are not able to make any guarantees and you may be offered an alternative day or time.

Recognition

Undergraduate students that complete their mandarin will receive specific recognition on their Higher Education Achievement Record (HEAR). The HEAR is a recognised transcript of results which provides a rich picture of your course and module results, as well as any additional achievements. It allows you to showcase your skills and achievements to potential employers.

Contact

If you are a member of the public and are interested in learning Mandarin or have any questions, please contact the CI directly on ci@dmu.ac.uk.