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### **Introduction to Mandarin Chinese for High School Students – 8-Week Course Outline**

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### **1. Course Overview**
This 8-week introductory course provides high school students with foundational skills in Mandarin Chinese, focusing on speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will learn basic vocabulary, sentence structures, and essential Chinese characters while exploring cultural aspects of Mandarin-speaking communities. By the end of the course, students will be able to engage in basic conversations, understand simple text, and appreciate the linguistic and cultural richness of Mandarin.

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### **2. Learning Objectives**
By the end of the course, students will:
1. Recognize and pronounce Mandarin sounds using Pinyin, the Romanized phonetic system.
2. Understand and use basic Mandarin vocabulary and sentence structures for everyday communication.
3. Write and recognize key Chinese characters (approximately 50-70 characters).
4. Engage in simple conversations, such as greetings, introductions, and talking about daily life.
5. Gain an awareness of Chinese culture, including traditions, festivals, and etiquette.

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### **3. Weekly Breakdown of Topics**

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### **Week 1: Introduction to Mandarin and Pinyin**
- **Learning Objectives**  
    - Understand the basics of Mandarin, including its tonal nature.  
    - Learn how to pronounce Mandarin sounds using the Pinyin system.  
    - Practice the four tones of Mandarin.

- **Key Concepts**  
    - Introduction to Pinyin: initials, finals, and tones.  
    - The role of tones in changing word meaning.  
    - Basic greetings in Mandarin (你好, 再见).

- **Activities**  
    - Pronunciation drills for tones and common Pinyin syllables.  
    - Listening exercises to identify tones.  
    - Partner activity: Practice greetings and introductions.

- **Assessment**  
    - Tone identification quiz.  
    - Oral practice where students pronounce basic Pinyin combinations and simple phrases.

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### **Week 2: Basic Greetings and Introductions**
- **Learning Objectives**  
    - Learn basic conversational phrases for greetings and introductions.  
    - Understand how to ask and answer questions about names and nationalities.

- **Key Concepts**  
    - Vocabulary: 你好, 你叫什么名字, 我是, 你是哪国人, etc.  
    - Sentence structure: Subject + Verb + Object (e.g., 我叫…).  
    - Introduction to Chinese character writing (strokes and stroke order).

- **Activities**  
    - Role-playing: Practice introducing yourself and asking about others.  
    - Writing practice: Learn stroke order and write simple characters like 我, 你, 名字.

- **Assessment**  
    - Speaking exercise: Introduce yourself in Mandarin.  
    - Character-writing quiz (e.g., write 5 characters learned this week).

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### **Week 3: Numbers, Dates, and Time**
- **Learning Objectives**  
    - Learn numbers 1-100.  
    - Understand how to express dates, days of the week, and time.

- **Key Concepts**  
    - Vocabulary: Numbers (一, 二, 三, etc.), days (星期一, 星期二, etc.), months (一月, 二月), and time (点, 分).  
    - Sentence structure for dates and time (e.g., 今天是几月几号？现在几点？).

- **Activities**  
    - Number games: Bingo or flashcards to reinforce number recognition.  
    - Calendar activity: Practice saying dates and days of the week.  
    - Pair activity: Ask and answer questions about the time and date.

- **Assessment**  
    - Listening quiz: Identify numbers, dates, and times.  
    - Writing activity: Write today’s date and time in Mandarin characters.

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### **Week 4: Family and Relationships**
- **Learning Objectives**  
    - Learn vocabulary for family members and relationships.  
    - Practice describing your family.

- **Key Concepts**  
    - Vocabulary: 爸爸, 妈妈, 哥哥, 姐姐, 弟弟, 妹妹, etc.  
    - Sentence structure: Possessive particle 的 (e.g., 我的妈妈).  
    - Cultural note: Importance of family in Chinese culture.

- **Activities**  
    - Family tree project: Create and present your family tree in Mandarin.  
    - Writing practice: Write simple sentences about your family.

- **Assessment**  
    - Speaking presentation: Describe your family using vocabulary learned.  
    - Short written quiz: Translate English sentences about family into Mandarin.

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### **Week 5: Daily Activities and Hobbies**
- **Learning Objectives**  
    - Learn vocabulary for daily routines and hobbies.  
    - Practice expressing likes, dislikes, and preferences.

- **Key Concepts**  
    - Vocabulary: 吃饭, 睡觉, 上学, 看书, 跑步, etc.  
    - Sentence structure: Subject + Time + Verb + Object (e.g., 我早上八点上学).  
    - Expressing likes and dislikes: 喜欢, 不喜欢.

- **Activities**  
    - Schedule activity: Write and share your daily schedule in Mandarin.  
    - Pair activity: Ask classmates about their hobbies and preferences.

- **Assessment**  
    - Listening quiz: Match Mandarin sentences to corresponding activities.  
    - Speaking assessment: Share your favorite hobbies in Mandarin.

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### **Week 6: Food and Ordering at a Restaurant**
- **Learning Objectives**  
    - Learn vocabulary for common foods and drinks.  
    - Practice ordering food at a restaurant.

- **Key Concepts**  
    - Vocabulary: 饭, 面条, 水, 茶, etc.  
    - Sentence structure: 我要 + Food/Drink (e.g., 我要一杯茶).  
    - Cultural note: Chinese dining etiquette.

- **Activities**  
    - Role-playing: Simulate ordering food at a restaurant.  
    - Writing practice: Write a short dialogue between a customer and waiter.

- **Assessment**  
    - Speaking assessment: Role-play ordering food.  
    - Vocabulary quiz: Translate food-related words into Mandarin.

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### **Week 7: Shopping and Numbers in Context**
- **Learning Objectives**  
    - Learn vocabulary for shopping and prices.  
    - Practice asking and answering questions about costs.

- **Key Concepts**  
    - Vocabulary: 钱, 多少钱, 贵, 便宜, etc.  
    - Sentence structure: 这个多少钱？  
    - Cultural note: Bargaining in Chinese markets.

- **Activities**  
    - Role-playing: Simulate buying items at a market.  
    - Number activity: Practice saying large numbers (e.g., prices).

- **Assessment**  
    - Speaking assessment: Simulate a shopping conversation.  
    - Writing activity: Write a short dialogue between a buyer and seller.

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### **Week 8: Review and Cultural Exploration**
- **Learning Objectives**  
    - Review key vocabulary, grammar, and conversational skills.  
    - Explore Chinese culture, traditions, and festivals.

- **Key Concepts**  
    - Vocabulary and sentence structures from Weeks 1-7.  
    - Cultural highlights: Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, etc.

- **Activities**  
    - Group project: Create a poster or presentation about a Chinese festival.  
    - Speaking practice: Review key conversational topics (e.g., introductions, ordering food).

- **Assessment**  
    - Final oral exam: Engage in a 3-minute conversation in Mandarin.  
    - Written exam: Translate sentences, write characters, and answer basic comprehension questions.

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### **4. Suggested Activities and Assignments**
- Daily pronunciation practice using apps like Duolingo or HelloChinese.  
- Weekly character-writing assignments to reinforce stroke order.  
- Group discussions on Chinese cultural topics to build cultural competence.  
- End-of-course project: Create a short video or skit using Mandarin phrases learned.

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This 8-week course provides students with a solid foundation in Mandarin Chinese while sparking interest in Chinese culture, ensuring a balance of language skills and cultural understanding.

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