You usually take these courses if you:

• have finished Standard Grade General level; or
• want to take an alternative to Standard Grade Credit level; or
• want to take up a new subject at school or college.

Generally, three national units (blocks of work that usually take 40 hours to finish) plus 40 hours flexible time make up these courses.

Mandarin: Intermediate 2

Why Mandarin?

The aim of this course is to allow you to develop your skills in Mandarin in useful and relevant contexts. The four skill areas are listening, speaking, reading and writing. You will also learn about China and the customs and way of life of the Chinese people. 

Spoken by over a billion people, Mandarin is the most common native language in the world, as well as the official language of China and Taiwan. It is estimated that the size of China's economy will surpass that of the United States within twenty years. This means that trade links with China are more important than ever before, and learning Mandarin will be increasingly important for many career paths.

Two styles of lettering are used in China, and to reflect this, two Mandarin courses are available: Traditional and Simplified. Simplified lettering is used within China itself, while Chinese populations outside of the mainland continue to use the traditional style.  

Entry to the course

This is at the discretion of the school/college, but you would normally be expected to have attained one of the following:

• Intermediate 1 Mandarin
• an equivalent qualification.

The course consists of one compulsory 80 hour unit and one 40 hour unit taken from a choice of two options, plus 40 hours flexible time.

This unit is designed to build on your previous learning and increase your skills in Mandarin. By improving your ability in speaking and writing, you will learn to express your point of view and exchange ideas in Mandarin. Three themes provide the framework for learning - Lifestyles; Education and Work; the Wider World.

Lifestyles

Main topics are:

• family and friends
• leisure.

Education and Work

The main topic is:

• school/college.

The Wider World

• holidays and travel
• tourism.

Throughout these themes a variety of source material will be used including magazines and newspapers, TV and film extracts, narrative texts and work-related correspondence.

Optional Units - one to be selected

Personal Communication

This unit focuses on reading and writing skills needed to communicate with a Mandarin-speaking person mainly in the form of letter writing. The content relates to the Lifestyles and Education and Work themes developed in the Language unit.

Language in Work

This unit focuses on the speaking and writing skills needed to:

• make requests for goods and services
• communicate information orally
• communicate information in letters and messages.

Extended Reading/Viewing

This unit focuses on the speaking, writing, reading and listening skills needed to study one or more types of text linked by subject matter or topic. The text or texts could include:

• magazine or newspaper articles
• short stories
• a book at a suitable reading level
• film, video or TV viewing supported by written texts. 

Completion of this course does not lead to the automatic award of any Core Skills. 

Assessment

The course is assessed by a combination of internal assessment by the teacher/lecturer and an external examination set and marked by the SQA. An Oral assessment of Speaking and Listening is internally assessed with moderation by the SQA.
 

Successful completion of this course may lead to: