Chinese Mandarin Language School
At what price?
100€
for a 120-period module (10 months) + access to the optional speaking practice course (for 7 months)
Reduced price: €50 Who’s it for?
Level tests
Link to test schedule
No test necessary for level UE1 - A1 - beginner
For all other levels: orientation test required for students who do not have a certificate of achievement (from IAPS or another school) from the previous level.
Come and learn Mandarin at IAPS.
Are you curious or intrigued by this language, which has no alphabet but a different writing system?
Wondering how a language with a reputation for difficulty can be spoken by over a billion people?
Are you fascinated by this millennia-old culture, which is little known in our country and yet holds many lessons? Or would you like to better understand this country and its culture through its language?
Looking for a linguistic and cultural change of scenery? Do you enjoy the challenge of studying new languages and learning about other cultures?
Then this course is for you! Don’t hesitate to join us.
Next course :
september 2024
Modules of one evening per week (with an optionaloptional additional speaking practice class on a second evening per week).
All courses announced below will be organized at the beginning of the school year.
For all other administrative or general questions, please contact the school secretariat: info@iaps.be
For further information about IAPS Chinese courses: chinois@iaps.be
Level UE1 – beginner :
Wednesday evenings from 6:45 to 9:30 p.m.
(and on Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm for the optional speaking practice class)
from September 4, 2024 to June 18, 2025
Level UE2 :
Monday evenings from 6:45 to 9:30 p.m.
(and on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm for theoptional speaking course)
from September 2, 2024 to June 23, 2025
Level UE3 :
Monday afternoons from 4.45pm to 6.30pm (and Fridays by videoconference for 1 hour to be agreed with the teacher + Monday evenings from 6.50 pm to 8.50 pm for the optional speaking practice course)
from September 9, 2024 to June 23, 2025
Level UE4 :
This level is not organized for the start of the 2024 school year.
This lively and dynamic Mandarin course is designed for beginners and offers a first contact with the everyday language. It will introduce them to the language through three aspects: oral, written and Chinese culture.
While respecting the specificity of Mandarin, the first level of training will focus on fundamental knowledge of the language, based on simple oral and written tasks referenced in level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Students will gradually acquire simple vocabulary, basic language structures and specific linguistic features. At the second level, training will consolidate the basics and deepen the knowledge acquired at the first level through language acts referenced in CEFR level A2. The third and fourth levels follow on from the previous ones, and will further develop what has been learnt, with a particular emphasis on practical application, and enriching all aspects of language knowledge (in particular by expanding vocabulary and sentence structures), through activities referenced between CEFR levels A2 and B1.
More specifically, at the oral level, the course will offer an introduction to the sounds of Mandarin (notably through the recognition and acquisition of the phonemes and four tones of Chinese) through practice and real-life situations. The training will use the “pinyin” system, the official transcription of Chinese writing in China. The sounds of the language will then be gradually acquired through active practice, with the course also highlighting the difficulties for both French- and English-speaking learners. The emphasis at each level is on listening comprehension and oral interaction, as well as pronunciation.
In terms of writing, the course will provide a basic grounding in writing, with an introduction to Chinese characters, their composition and specific features, and will focus on both character recognition and production. The learner will be expected to have both a passive knowledge (for reading comprehension) and an active knowledge (for writing production) of a limited list of common characters adapted to each level and cross-referencing the lists of the official HSK Chinese assessment test.
Last but not least, this course will also focus on the cultural dimension, which is essential for making contact with a Chinese speaker while respecting and understanding his or her codes and values. Cultural landmarks and aspects of Chinese society will be covered in class, according to the themes and interests of the students: Chinese astrology and the approach to time, the origin of Chinese characters, the numeral system and how to count with the hands…
Pascal VO
Chinese teacher
With a Master’s degree in Oriental languages and literature, specializing in Chinese studies, this Chinese teacher has been trained throughout his academic career in Far Eastern Asian studies at various Belgian universities (ULB, KULeuven and UCLouvain). Having won a specialization scholarship from WBI (Wallonie-Bruxelles International) and FNRS in partnership with CSC (China Scholarship Council), he also studied Chinese language and culture for two years at two universities in China: at FDU (Fudan University – 复旦大学) in Shanghai and ZJU (Zhejiang University – 浙江大学) in the city of Hangzhou. Following his studies and his stay in China, he is now keen to share this marvelous language with its multiple specificities and the rich culture that accompanies it, while emphasizing multiculturalism and interculturality.
Prerequisites
- For level UE1: Beginners’ courses. No prior knowledge is required.
- For level UE2: Successful completion of level UE1 (A1 of the CEFR) in Mandarin at IAPS or another school, or a placement test to check that level UE1 has been achieved. This corresponds to passing HSK1 (second edition) and active knowledge of around 150 characters.
- For level UE3: Successful completion of level UE2 (A2 of the CEFR) in Mandarin at IAPS or another school, or a placement test to verify that level UE2 has been achieved. This corresponds to passing HSK2 (second edition) and active knowledge of around 300 characters.
- For level UE4: Successful completion of level UE3 (A2+/B1- of the CEFR) in Mandarin at IAPS or another school, or passing a placement test to verify that level UE3 has been achieved. This corresponds roughly to passing HSK1 ( third edition) and active knowledge of around 400 characters.
Course level
UE 1 – Level A1 (Discovery level). By the end of UE1, students will have acquired a basic command of Mandarin. He/she will be able to understand simple oral or written messages (or recognize key words and select relevant information from more complex sources) on concrete everyday topics. Students will also be able to produce very short, simple oral and written texts.
UE2 – Level A2 (Survival level). By the end of level UE2, students will have acquired a survival level of Mandarin. He/she will be able to get by in a basic way in a Chinese-speaking environment in simple, everyday situations (taking part in very simple conversations, for example) and to make himself/herself understood using correct basic sentence structures, both orally and in writing.
UE3 – Level A2+/B1- (Intermediate level). By the end of UE3, students will have acquired a more active use of Mandarin, albeit limited and with assistance, as well as more spontaneous practice. He/she will be able to get by without undue effort in simple, everyday exchanges in a Chinese-speaking environment, and with relative ease in predictable but varied everyday situations (e.g. expressing opinions in a simple way, exchanging ideas or information, or producing simple, coherent speech), and to make himself/herself understood in a standard, clear language of communication, using more complex sentence structures both orally and in writing.
UE4 – Level B1- (Beginning level of autonomy). By the end of level UE4, students will have acquired a more active use of Mandarin and a more spontaneous, natural style of speaking. He/she will be able to get by without excessive effort and with relative ease in a Chinese-speaking environment, as well as to take part to a limited extent in a conversation in common but varied situations of everyday life (for example, telling a story, describing an event or experience, or giving his/her opinion or impressions) and to make him/herself understood on familiar subjects, respecting the structures of the language both orally and in writing and using logical and chronological connectors.
Activities and subjects covered in Chinese classes at different levels:
1. Develop language skills (both oral and written) through fun, practical activities based on everyday life:
- Greet and introduce yourself or a member of your social or family circle;
- Talking about your country of origin ;
- Talk about your studies and profession;
- Talking about your family ;
- Talk about your tastes and preferences and express yourself about your passions and hobbies;
- Fill in a form ;
- Use survival phrases in a Chinese-speaking context ;
- Talk about your timetable: a typical day or a typical week ;
- Talk about past experiences, current habits or future plans;
- Talk about your eating habits;
- Talk about the weather, seasons, holidays or situate events (e.g. birthdays) in time (past, present or future);
- Conveying greetings and best wishes;
- Talking on the phone, leaving a voicemail with your phone number, asking friends out, setting up an appointment and declining an invitation or rescheduling an appointment ;
- Read and ask for the time, understand store opening hours and ask for public transport timetables;
- Identify and describe a person, an object or a place and its layout;
- Ask for directions, explain an itinerary or locate places;
- Take public transport and ask for information about destinations, timetables, connections, etc. ;
- Organize a trip and book hotels and transportation;
- Talking about vacations ;
- Talking about the weather;
- Make purchases (e.g. at the market or in a clothing store), express requests, ask for the price of an item and negotiate the price;
- Exchange a purchased item and explain the reason for the exchange;
- Go to a restaurant and order ;
- Book a hotel room and provide personal details (telephone, address, etc.).
- Go to the doctor, register at the hospital and describe your symptoms;
- Exchanging money at the bank;
- Describe the rules of a public place;
- Compare people, objects, places, prices, etc. ;
- Explain a problem encountered ;
- Express the cause and purpose of an action;
- Reporting someone’s word;
- …
2. Develop listening skills by listening to authentic materials and develop oral and interaction skills through dialogues and role-playing;
3. Understand the writing system through the study of the origin of characters, the basics of writing, the rules allowing easy access to this writing both for the reproduction of sinograms and for their memorization, and thus develop writing and reading skills;
4. Understand cultural traits or specific features of life in China through a variety of themes.
Further information on the organization of speaking practice courses:
For each level of Chinese, IAPS offers an additional oral practice course. The course runs from November to May and is led by a native speaker from Taiwan. Participation in this course is entirely optional. It complements the Chinese course on a second evening per week, giving learners an additional 2 hours of oral practice. Students will review and deepen the vocabulary they’ve learned in class through oral activities.
At level 1, the emphasis will also be on acquiring the sounds of Mandarin through active practice. At other levels, this course will also offer small conversation tables.
Additional information on the organization of UE3 level courses for the start of the 2024 school year:
Most of the course will be given face-to-face, but an additional hour of video-conferencing will be given each week on Friday evenings (the precise time will be determined with the students during the first course of the year). Please note that listening and speaking skills will be practised exclusively in class. The hour-long videoconference lesson will be devoted to cultural issues and the study of the writing system, essential for reading and writing skills.
Du lundi au jeudi / Monday to Thursday
8H45 to 13H & 17H30 to 20H30
8.45 am -1 pm & 5.30 pm-8 pm