Skip to 0 minutes and 17 seconds Hi, I’m Teresa (Chia-Tung, Lin). This is a totally beginner course for Chinese learners. Before learning characters, it will take 3 weeks for you to learn Chinese Mandarin pronunciation. We learn the pronunciation in an easy and fun way. In the 4th week, we’ll learn the Chinese Mandarin numbers, and some topics related to it. After 4 weeks, you’ll find yourself be able to speak and understand Chinese in daily life. Again, welcome to the course.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
2 hours100% online
How it works
Mandarin Chinese in Motion: Your Very First Chinese Class
Learn Mandarin with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Have you ever wanted to learn Mandarin Chinese but don’t know where to start? This four-week beginner course National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University will help you take your first steps to mastering Mandarin Chinese.
You’ll learn the Mandarin Chinese phonetic system and simple sentences to help you gain a solid understanding of language basics.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to improve your existing skills, this course provides a comprehensive guide to help you speak, listen, and interact in Mandarin Chinese.
Discover Chinese pronunciation and tones
Pronunciation is an essential part of learning Mandarin Chinese.
On the course, you’ll understand how to describe the features of Mandarin Chinese pronunciation that are important for mutual understanding.
With this knowledge, you’ll build a solid foundation for your pronunciation to help you develop your Mandarin Chinese accent.
Learn Chinese numbers and days of the week
Finally, you’ll master Chinese numbers and days of the week to help you start to communicate simple sentences.
By the end of the course, you’ll have the knowledge to apply your language skills and start communicating in Mandarin Chinese.
Syllabus
Week 1
Mandarin Chinese pronounciation 1/3
Welcome and introduction
This activity is a short introduction to what you can expect throughout this course, in terms of structure, content, and workload.
Pinyin Part 1/3
In this activity, we will look at pinyin, including b p m f, d t n l, i u ü and a o e ê and their pronunciation.
Tones
Mandarin Chinese is a tone language. We will look at four main tones and one neutral tone, five in total. One pinyin with the combination of four tones can produce four different meanings.
What have you learnt?
Now that we've learned the pinyin bpmf, dtnl, iuü, aoee, and also four tones. We are very curious - how have you found it and what have you learned? Great! We believe you get a completely new idea of Mandarin Chinese.
Week 2
Mandarin Chinese pronounciation 2/3
Pinyin Part 2/3
In this activity, we will look at more pinyin, including g k h, j q x, ai ei ao ou and sounds, which do not completely correspond to the phonetic symbols. We will focus on their relevance and the rules.
Can you tell the difference?
In Mandarin Chinese, you may find two words sound a little bit different to you. But to native speakers, they may have different meanings!
Week 3
Mandarin Chinese pronounciation 3/3
Pinyin Part 3/3
In this activity, we will look at more pinyin, including zh ch sh r, z c s, an en ang eng er.
Tongue twister
In this activity, you can see how native speakers perform tongue twisters in Mandarin Chinese, and then it’s your try!
Week 4
Mandarin Chinese numbers and related topics
Numbers
In this activity, we will look at how to type in Mandarin Chinese and recognize the numbers.
Topics related to numbers
If you know from 1 to 10, you'll find out you know more than that in Mandarin Chinese! In this activity, we will learn to express age, date, and time.
How to conquer the Mandarin Chinese keyboard?
After this activity, you'll learn more about two Chinese character systems, including traditional and simplified, and many methods to generate characters. So what are You Waiting For? Have a go at it!
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- features of Mandarin Chinese pronunciation that are important for mutual understanding.
- what you have learned about Mandarin Chinese pronunciation to your Mandarin Chinese accent.
- language skills for a first-time meeting.
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for total beginners with no prior knowledge or experience of Mandarin Chinese.
You will learn the basics of pronunciation and counting in Mandarin.
Who will you learn with?
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
---|---|---|---|
Choose the best way to learn for you! | $79/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 12 Mar 2025 |
Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$244.99 for a whole year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$79/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 12 Mar 2025
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. |
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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