Cantonese Beginners Course

Program Overview

Cantonese Beginners

Overview

The Cantonese Beginners course is designed for individuals with little to no prior knowledge of the language. The course is divided into three parts, each building on the previous one, and covers various topics and grammar.

Who is this class for?

This course is suitable for absolute beginners who want to start learning Cantonese. It is also open to those who have some prior knowledge of the language and want to improve their skills.

Course Structure

The course consists of three parts:

• Part One: For absolute beginners with no prior knowledge of Cantonese.
• Part Two: For those who have completed Part One or have studied Cantonese for about 20 hours.
• Part Three: For those who have completed Parts One and Two or have studied Cantonese for about 40 hours.

Teaching

The course follows a communicative approach to language teaching, focusing on speaking and listening skills. The classes are taught by experienced language teachers who are native speakers of the language or equivalent.

Learning Resources

The course uses the textbook "Cantonese for Everyone." However, students are advised to wait until the first session before buying the book.

Part One

In Part One, students will cover the following topics and grammar:

• Topics:
  • Radicals of Chinese characters
  • Cantonese phonetic system
  • Numbers up to 100 million
  • Public amenities; description of functions
  • Simple description of a town
  • Useful expressions of greetings
  • Leisure activities
• Grammar:
  • Singular and plural personal pronouns and possessive pronouns
  • Usage of various adjectives forms
  • Closed questions forms
  • Open-end questions forms
  • Using adverbs (dak1)
  • Measure words, 4 syllables vocabulary combination

Part Two

In Part Two, students will cover the following topics and grammar:

• Topics:
  • Describing people
  • Rooms at home
  • Facilities in a hotel
  • In a Hong Kong Style café
  • Food and drinks
• Grammar:
  • Comparison between written and spoken Chinese
  • Usage of various conjunctions to form a valid sentence (tung4), (dou1)
  • Grammar words used in different tenses (gan2) (zo2)
  • To express someone’s desire using (soeng2) (jiu3)

Part Three

In Part Three, students will cover the following topics and grammar:

• Topics:
  • Prices and discounts
  • Dim Sum
  • Direction and position
  • Travelling in Hong Kong
• Grammar:
  • Various questions forms (bin1 go2), (bin1 dou6), (gei2 si4), (mat1 je5)
  • Use of conjunctions (zung6)
  • Use of position words, (soeng6), (haa6) (zo2) (jau6)
  • Use of adverb of degree (hou2) (gei2) (m4)

Discounts and Booking Deadlines

• Online courses – January start:
  • Standard Fee per Part: £300
  • Booking deadline: 10 days prior to the start date of each Part
• Online courses – September start:
  • Standard Fee per Part: £300
  • Booking deadline: 10 days prior to the start date of each Part
• On-campus courses – October start:
  • Standard Fee per Part: £365
  • Booking deadline: 10 days prior to the start date of each Part

Language Courses Term Dates

• Online courses – September start:
  • Part 1: 16 September 2024 – 05 December 2024 (12 weeks)
  • Part 2: 20 January 2025 – 10 April 2025 (12 weeks)
  • Part 3: 28 April 2025 – 28 July 2025 (Monday courses) (12 weeks)
  • Part 3: 22 April 2025 – 10 July 2025 (Tuesday - Thursday courses) (12 weeks)
• On-campus courses – September start:
  • Part 1: 30 September 2024 – 05 December 2024 (10 weeks)
  • Part 2: 20 January 2025 – 27 March 2025 (10 weeks)
  • Part 3: 28 April 2025 – 14 July 2025 (Monday courses) (10 weeks)
  • Part 3: 22 April 2025 – 26 June 2025 (Tuesday -Thursday courses) (10 weeks)

Program Outline

Outline:

• Course Structure: The Cantonese Beginners course is made up of three parts: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.
Each part builds on what you've learnt previously.
• Part One:
• Topics:
Radicals of Chinese characters, Cantonese phonetic system, numbers up to 100 million, public amenities, description of functions, simple description of a town, useful expressions of greetings, leisure activities.
• Grammar: Singular and plural personal pronouns and possessive pronouns, usage of various adjectives forms, closed questions forms, open-end questions forms, using adverbs (dak1), measure words, 4 syllables vocabulary combination.
• Part Two:
• Topics:
Describing people, rooms at home, facilities in a hotel, in a Hong Kong Style café, food and drinks.
• Grammar: Comparison between written and spoken Chinese, usage of various conjunctions to form a valid sentence (tung4), (dou1), grammar words used in different tenses (gan2) (zo2), to express someone’s desire using (soeng2) (jiu3).
• Part Three:
• Topics:
Prices and discounts, Dim Sum, direction and position, travelling in Hong Kong.
• Grammar: Various questions forms (bin1 go2), (bin1 dou6), (gei2 si4), (mat1 je5), use of conjunctions (zung6), use of position words, (soeng6), (haa6) (zo2) (jau6), use of adverb of degree (hou2) (gei2) (m4).
• Course Schedule:
• Part One:
18 September – 9 December 2023 (12 weeks)
• Part Two (Saturday courses):
13 January – 6 April 2024 (12 weeks)
• Part Two (Monday courses):
15 January – 8 April 2024 (12 weeks)
• Part Two (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday courses):
16 January – 4 April 2024 (12 weeks)
• Faculty: Experienced language teachers who are native speakers of the language or equivalent.
• Learning Resources: Cantonese for Everyone textbook.
• Booking Deadline: Ten days prior to the start date of each part.
• Bank Holidays: Monday 1 April, Monday 6 May, Monday 27 May.
• Online Courses:
• **Why Study with Us?

• What You Need: A reliable internet connection, a PC or laptop with webcam and microphone, and a modern web browser installed.
• On-Campus Courses:
• **Why Study with Us?

• Location and Facilities: Most classes are held at the historic headquarters building at 309 Regent Street, a dedicated teaching building with purpose-designed facilities.
• Meet the Teacher: Online meet the teacher sessions are available to discuss your language level, meet the teachers, and find out more about the courses.
• One-to-One Tuition: Flexible one-to-one language courses focus on your needs to help you progress with the language of your choice.
Lessons can be tailored to your needs, level, and capability. This course is ideal for highly motivated students who want to make quick progress in improving their language skills. Lesson times are flexible.