Chinese - A Level

Chinese is a living and evolving language. During the A Level course you will study a variety of topics through the medium of the language and have the opportunity to gain a greater awareness of the concerns and interests of China and its people. You will develop the ability to begin to speak and understand Chinese, and will equally have been exposed to a number of aspects of China’s historical and contemporary culture that have produced and developed the language.

As a wide variety of social issues are addressed during the study of Chinese A Level, you will have the opportunity to learn about and debate current political, demographic and socio-cultural concerns. You will also gain a broad understanding of China’s history and conduct in depth analyses of examples of Chinese literature and Arts.

You may elect to study either Mandarin or Cantonese.

What will I study in Chinese?

AS Unit 1 & 2
Spoken Expression & Response in Chinese. You will study a variety of topics in the context of the culture and language of China. Through beginning to speak and understand spoken Chinese you will learn about Chinese society in terms of issues such as food, diet and health; transport, travel and tourism; education and employment; leisure and youth interests; and Chinese festivals such as the dragon boat festival and Qing Ming.

Understanding & Written Response in Chinese. The topics covered in unit 1 will be developed further, but the emphasis now turns to understanding and writing Chinese characters or ‘pinyin’. You will be examined on your ability to translate from Chinese to English and write continuous language.

A2 Unit 3
Understanding, Written Response & Research in Chinese. Building on knowledge of vocabulary and grammar acquired in the AS you will continue your study of historical and modern Chinese culture whilst developing your writing, reading, listening and speaking skills. You will also undertake an extended project on a topic area, book or film of interest: for example, the Cultural Revolution, Confucian Philosophy, or the Hong Kong films of Wong Kar-wei.

How will I be assessed?

The AS course is examined via 2 exams: a 2 hour listening, reading and writing section and an oral exam involving 20 minutes preparation and 15 minutes examination. The A2 course has a 2 hour 30 minute listening, reading and writing exam and the same pattern for the oral as the AS.

Do I need to have studied Chinese before?

Ideally, you should have achieved a B or above at GCSE Level. However, it is assumed students would not have had the opportunity to study Chinese at GCSE, therefore we would simply require some evidence of previous success at learning languages.

Which subjects complement Chinese?

Other modern or historical languages, History, Geography, English Literature are all well suited to Chinese. However, languages generally combine well with all A Levels

Which careers can follow a study of Chinese?

All professions like to have recruits with a language. The nature of the modern world makes Chinese particularly suited to those working in transnational industries and financial institutions. Lawyers, bankers, diplomats, and a variety of business executives value this qualification.