CHIN 3013 - Understanding Chinese for Chinese Speakers

This course is intended for native or near-native speakers of Mandarin studying Modern Standard Chinese in Australian context. The course aims to introduce students to the essentials of the Chinese language so as to enhance their proficiency in the practical use of the language in the Australian context. It focuses on important aspects of the language including its writing system, historical development, and its social and regional variances. Topics covered in this course include Chinese among world languages, Chinese in China and overseas, Romanisation schemes, the phonological, lexical and syntactic features of Chinese, the historical development of Chinese, reform of the Chinese language, analysis of traditional & simplified scripts and teaching Chinese as a foreign language in Australia.