Chinese Course (simplified)

Contents overview:

Level 1 – Getting Started with the Basics

At this level, learners are introduced to the fundamentals of Chinese. They begin by learning how to greet people, introduce themselves, and talk about others or simple things using basic sentence patterns. Numbers, time expressions (like asking what time it is), and essential verbs such as “have” are also taught. Students learn how to form simple negative statements and ask basic questions such as “who,” “what,” and “where.” Other topics include talking about common actions (like eating, drinking, going, and watching), expressing location (e.g., “at”), and using simple phrases to describe quantity (e.g., “one person,” “three books”). Learners are also introduced to basic word connectors like “de” for linking words.

Level 2 – Everyday Communication and Descriptions

Here, students learn how to describe things using adjectives and express ability or possibility with words like “can,” “may,” or “able to.” They begin organizing sentences with time words at the beginning, and they learn how to talk about ongoing actions using forms like “is doing.” There’s also an introduction to expressing small amounts or degrees (like “a little”) and making comparisons (e.g., saying one thing is better than another). Students explore how to express desires or plans and learn to connect ideas using patterns like “because... so...”. There’s a focus on softening tone using repeated verbs (like “take a look” or “try it”), as well as talking about direction and position using simple location words like “in front,” “behind,” “above,” and “below.”

Level 3 – Intermediate Structures and Nuance

At this stage, learners tackle more complex grammar. They are introduced to the “ba” and “bei” sentence patterns, which allow them to change emphasis in sentences and express passive voice. They also begin using directional complements like “come in,” “go out,” or “come down.” Structures for expressing things like “in addition to...” or doing two things at once (e.g., “while doing this, also doing that”) are also covered. Learners explore how to talk about degrees (e.g., “more,” “most,” “very”), link contrasting ideas with “although... but...”, and understand the difference between “or” used in questions versus statements. There's also a focus on talking about how often something happens, and on describing past experiences using the particle “guo.”

Level 4 – Expressing Nuanced Ideas and Relationships

This level introduces how to show the result of an action (e.g., finishing something, completing a task, reaching a place). Learners also explore more complex sentence structures, including expressions of concession like “even if... still...” and describing progressive changes using patterns like “the more... the more...”. Emphasis and inversion structures are introduced, allowing students to highlight certain parts of a sentence. Time becomes more detailed, with phrases for time spans and specific timing. There’s also an introduction to abstract uses of verbs (like using “come down” or “rise up” metaphorically), ways to report what others say, and comparisons between formal and casual language. Students also work with logical connectors like “therefore,” “however,” and “otherwise.”

Level 5 – Complex Thought and Formal Writing

Students now start using idiomatic expressions and four-character phrases that are common in formal or literary Chinese. They dive deeper into passive sentence structures, comparing uses of “bei” and “you.” Conditional statements become more advanced, using phrases like “as long as... then...” or “unless... otherwise...”. Learners begin to explore hypothetical or wishful thinking with structures like “if only...”. Sentence-building becomes more challenging with multiple adjectives or descriptors before a noun, and vocabulary expands to cover more abstract ideas such as “awareness” or “concept.” Reading and writing longer, more complex sentences with logical flow becomes essential. Figurative language such as similes and metaphors is introduced, and students begin working with common expressions found in news articles and argumentative writing.

Level 6 – Mastery and Advanced Fluency

At the highest level, learners work on mastering high-level connectors such as “despite,” “as a result,” and “at the same time.” They explore the difference between formal written vocabulary and everyday spoken language, and they learn to express abstract or philosophical ideas like “existence” or “value.” Complex sentence patterns involving multiple objects or embedded clauses are covered, as is the modern use of classical Chinese words. Advanced figurative techniques such as personification and metaphor are taught in detail. Vocabulary is expanded to include academic and professional terms, and learners study how to write formal letters or business documents. Finally, they develop the ability to manipulate complex sentence structures, omit unnecessary parts, and analyze how Chinese language and culture influence each other in expression and meaning.