- Online, In-Person
- $435 - $445
This course can be applied to the UBC Award of Achievement in Chinese or taken as a standalone course.
At this level, you should be able to understand most common and non-technical speech in Mandarin and be able to hold a conversation on a variety of topics, but still need improvement in more complex grammatical structures and complex sentence formation. A complete understanding of what is being communicated in the target language is essential to participate at this level. The needs of the students will determine specific topics in the class. Discussion topics include political, social and cultural topics relevant to the countries where the target language is spoken. You will improve your grammar and vocabulary through interesting conversational exercises such as debates, presentations, cultural discussions and small group work using authentic materials.
Course format
This course is offered 100% online.
About online learning
Our online conversational language courses offer you a real-time virtual classroom experience where you can see and interact with your teacher and classmates. Each week, you log in at a set time to your class using our intuitive learning management platform, Canvas. Through Canvas, you access Zoom, a web conferencing app, for your live class. Just like in a classroom, you do individual, pair and group work, ask questions and receive verbal feedback from your instructor.
Outside of class time, you can access handouts and other materials online at your own pace and rhythm. You might be doing readings or watching videos to prepare for your next class, or practising with the material you have learned in your previous class. You do get out what you put in.
In order for a virtual classroom to be successful, we want to see your faces! Please be prepared to participate with your video turned on. We provide virtual drop-in sessions for you to test out the Zoom app before your first day of class. We will also send you instructions on accessing Canvas before your course begins.
Learn more about online learning at UBC Extended Learning.
Expected Effort
You can expect to spend about three hours per week attending live, virtual classes and completing course work on your own time. Expect double this amount during the intensive summer term.
Textbook
This course does not require the purchase of a textbook. Course materials are provided by the instructor.
Course Format
This course is offered online and/or in-person. See Available Sessions for details on the course format.
Our online conversational courses offer a virtual classroom experience where you can see and interact with your teacher and classmates over Zoom. Log in at a set time to participate in individual, pair and group work, ask questions and receive feedback from your instructor.
Outside of class time, access course materials online at your own pace for up to three weeks after the course ends.
In-person classes are offered at UBC Robson Square in downtown Vancouver.
Learn more about online learning at Extended Learning.
How am I assessed?
This is a non-credit course without letter or numerical grades. You receive verbal feedback on your conversation and grammar skills from your instructor during class. Written homework is typically corrected in class. Some lesson modules may include quizzes.
Record of completion
A record of completion will be emailed to students who participate and satisfy the course requirements within two weeks of the course end date. Course completion means 80% attendance and/or 80% completion of mandatory assignments.
Technology requirements
For all languages classes, you’ll need access to the internet, a personal email account and an up-to-date web browser.
For online classes, you will also need a video camera and a microphone on your device.
The day before your course starts, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access the course.