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Chinese III: Foundations for Communication in Chinese

Code: 105863
Credits: 12
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Spanish and Chinese Studies: Language, Literature and Culture OB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Pau Viladiu Illanas
Email :
pau.viladiu@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

It is advisable to have passed the subjects Chinese I & II (Introduction to Chinese language and writing). 

Objectives

The purpose of this subject is to consolidate students' basic linguistic knowledge of Chinese in order for them to correctly understand Chinese society and be able to communicate orally and in writing in Chinese.

On successfully completing this subject, students will be able to:

  • Understand information in short, simple written texts on topics related to their specific, immediate environment.
  • Write short, simple texts on topics related to their specific, immediate environment.
  • Recognise the basic phonological and lexical system and understand basic oral expressions related to their specific, immediate environment, and be able to write a short text of 350 Chinese characters.
  • Use the phonological and lexical system correctly to produce basic oral expressions related to their specific, immediate environment.
  • Have developed good linguistic and cultural knowledge about modern Chinese.

Learning outcomes

  1. Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
  2. Describe linguistic aspects of Chinese using specialised terminology.
  3. Describe linguistic aspects of Chinese using a non-specialist informative tone.
  4. Recognise basic structures in Chinese and describe them using adequate terminology.
  5. Describe Chinese writing according to the different types of characters.
  6. Apply strategies to understand written texts in different fields at a basic level (A1, A2).
  7. Recognise the communicative intention and meaning of written texts in different field at a basic level (A1, A2).
  8. Recognise the communicative intention and meaning of spoken texts in different field at a basic level (A1, A2).
  9. Apply strategies to produce spoken texts in different fields and for different specific communicative purposes.
  10. Produce spoken texts at a basic level (A1, A2) that are linguistically correct and appropriate to the context.
  11. Produce spoken texts at a basic level (A1, A2) (A1, A2) in different fields and for different specific communicative purposes.
  12. Apply lexical, morphosyntactic, textual and rhetorical knowledge and knowledge of linguistic variation.
  13. Resolve interferences between working languages.
  14. Apply strategies for producing written texts at a basic level (A1, A2) in different fields and with different specific communicative purposes.
  15. Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
  16. Solve problems of intercultural communication.
  17. Ensure quality standards for your own work.

Contents

The subject's content can be divided into the following types:


Phonological and graphic:



  • application of the Pinyin transcription system in learning new vocabulary by writing;

  • consolidation of the basic principles of writing: character structure identification, decomposition into different components (semantic parts, phonetic parts); stroke order, number and type

  • recognition of characters in traditional Chinese

  • practice of typing Chinese in electronic devices


Lexical and morphological:



  • learning frequently used radicals

  • use and understanding of basic everyday vocabulary (around 300 new words)


 


Grammar (morphosyntactic level): 



  • the complement of degree

  • topic-comment sentences

  • uses of the particle 了

  • different kinds of comparisons

  • expression of the future with the auxiliaries 要 or 会

  • the progressive aspect

  • sequential sentences

  • time clauses with 以后 and 的 时候

  • expressing possession, existence, or location with 有

  • passive sentences with 被ç

  • emphatic sentences with 是 ... .... 的

  • the result complement


Communicative and sociocultural:



  • talking about daily routines

  • talking about the weather and the seasons

  • describing clothes

  • describing parts of a house

  • talking about the Chinese New Year

  • talking about transportation

  • expressing distances and giving directions

  • checking-in at a hotel

  • describing a room

  • talking about everyday life objects

  • understanding rules and signs


Encyclopaedic and instrumental:



  • basic general knowledge about the Chinese language

  • introduction to certain aspects of Chinese culture directly or indirectly related to the language mastering, such as festivals (e.g. Chinese New Year), Tang Dynasty poetry, or paper-cutting crafts

  • non-verbal communication (e.g. gifts)

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Writing 10 0.4 1, 12, 14, 17
Exercises 10 0.4 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Written comprehension 15 0.6 4, 6, 7, 12
Lectures 26 1.04 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 15, 16
Vocabulary tests 10 0.4 5, 12
Preparation of activities of reading and listening comprehension 15 0.6 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17
Preparation of new contents 20 0.8 2, 3, 4, 5, 9
Preparation of writing and listening activities 6 0.24 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17
Exercises 70 2.8 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Writing 20 0.8 1, 4, 5, 12, 14, 16, 17
Reading comprenension 20 0.8 6, 7
Revision of contents 20 0.8 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17
Listening and speaking activities 20 0.8 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16

Training activities are divided into directed, supervised, autonomous and assessment activities. 

 
Directed activities (90 hours): explanations of each unit's most important content, written and oral comprehension exercises, writing and oral expression exercises, practice of grammar points and new vocabulary, sight translation, dictation, review of previous content, clarifying general doubts, etc. Approximately 15 hours will be spent on each teaching unit. Classroom activities will be varied and of different types (oral and written, individual and group). 
 
Supervised activities (51 hours): writing and oral expression and comprehension exercises. 
 
Autonomous activities (around 150 hours): writing of characters, study of characters and vocabulary, preparation and revision of texts and new grammar points, exercises and self-assessment thereof (via the teaching web). 
 
It is important that students attend class regularly, and essential that they consistently study new content in advance, carry out exercises and review previous content. It is assumed that they will do so in order to keep up with the pace of the subject. Assessment (28 hours) will comprise classroom exams and directed activities (teaching portfolio). 
Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Teaching portfolio 40% 30 1.2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Lexical and syntax test 20% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Oral test 20% 3 0.12 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17
Vocabulary test 20% 3 0.12 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 14, 17

Continuous assessment

Students must provide evidence of their progress by completing various tasks and tests. The activities that will be included in the teaching folder will be clearly indicated on the virtual campus at the beginning of the semester.

Review

When publishing final marks prior to recording them on students' transcripts, the lecturer will provide written notification of a date and time for reviewing assessment activities. Students must arrange reviews in agreement with the lecturer.

Missed/failed assessment activities

Students may retake assessment activities they have failed or compensate for any they have missed, provided that those they have actually performed account for a minimum of 66.6% (two thirds) of the subject's final mark and that they have a weighted average mark of at least 3.5.

The lecturer will inform students of the procedure involved, in writing, when publishing final marks prior to recording them on transcripts. The lecturer may set one assignment per failed or missed assessment activity or a single assignment to cover a number of such activities. Under no circumstances may an assessment activity worth 100% of the final mark be retaken or compensated for. In case of retaking, maximum grade will be 5 (Pass).

Classification as \"not assessable\"

In the event of the assessment activities a student has performed accounting for just 25% or less of the subject's final mark, their work will be classified as \"not assessable\" on their transcript.

Misconduct in assessment activities

Any irregularity committed during an assessment (academic fraud, plagiarism, or misuse of AI, unless expressly authorized in the course syllabus) that could lead to a significant change in the grade will result in a grade of 0 for that assessment. If multiple irregularities occur during assessments for the same course, the final grade for that course will be 0. Furthermore, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any individual who commits any of these irregularities.

Use of AI technologies

In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not permitted at any stage of the assessment activities. Any work that includes AI-generated content will be considered a breach of academic integrity and will be graded a 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated.


Single assessment

This subject may be assessed under the single assessment system in accordance with the terms established in the academic regulations of the UAB and the assessment criteria of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting.

Students must make an online request within the period established by the faculty and send a copy to the teacher responsible for the subject, for the record.

Single assessment will be carried out in person on one day during week 16 or 17 of the semester. The Academic Management Office will publish the exact date and time on the faculty website.

On the day of the single assessment, teaching staff will ask the student for identification, which should be presented as a valid identification document with a recent photograph (student card, DNI/NIE or passport).

Single assessment will include a minimum of three assessment activities of different typology, as stated in the evaluation guidelines.

Grade revision and resit procedures for the subject are the same as those for continual assessment. See the section above in this study guide.

Bibliography

Textbook:

Qi Shaoyan, Zhang Jie (2011) Discover China: Student's book Two + workbook. Oxford: Macmillan Education; Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.

Reference material:

Álvarez, José Ramón. 2000. La pronunciación del chino hablado (putonghua) para hispanohablantes. Taipei: Lanbridge Press cop. 

Casas-Tost, Helena; Rovira-Esteva, Sara (Eds.). 2015/2021. Guia d’estil per al tractament de mots xinesos en català. Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament de Cultura. Biblioteca tècnica de política lingüística, 2. ISBN: 978-84-393-9241-5. DOI: 10.2436/15.8040.02.1. URL: https://ddd.uab.cat/record/133473

Casas-Tost, Helena; Rovira-Esteva, Sara (Eds.). 2015. Guía de estilo para el uso de palabras de origen chino. Madrid: Adeli. URL: https://ddd.uab.cat/record/180644 

López Calvo, F.; Zhao, Baoyan. 2013. Guía esencial de la lengua china. Madrid: Adeli Ediciones.

Ross, Claudia; Sheng, Jing-Heng. 2006. Modern Chinese grammar: a practical guide. New York: Routledge. 

Yip, Po-ching; Rimmington, Don. 2014. Gramática básica del chino. Madrid:Adeli Ediciones. 

Yip, Po-ching; Rimmington, Don. 2015. Gramática intermedia del chino. Madrid: Adeli Ediciones. 

Zhu, Yongping; Huang, Chu-Ren. 2023. A Student Grammar of Chinese. Cambridge University Press.

Other books:

Rovira-Esteva, Sara. 2010. Lengua y escritura chinas. Mitos y realidades. Barcelona: Edicions Bellaterra.

Vicente, Sergi. 2018. Xina Fast Forward. Barcelona: AraLlibres. (también en castellano) 

Online resources:

eChinese Tools: Mil y una herramientas para aprender chino: https://dtieao.uab.cat/txicc/echinese/  

 

Software

  • eChinese Tools: Mil y una herramientas para aprender chino: https://dtieao.uab.cat/txicc/echinese/  (database with online resources to learn Chinese). 
  • Moodle

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Chinese first semester morning-mixed