Mandarin

How to learn Mandarin at the Language Centre including pathways, timetables and fees.

To ensure that we have time to set you up with access to our Virtual Learning Environment (Canvas), please make sure you have paid no later than five working days before your course starts. 

Michaelmas Term Course Timetable 2021

For Learners without an Oxford University SSO, or who are not members of the University, enrolment information can be found here.

 

 Mode of delivery

Course Pathway

*Stage

Part

Duration

 Day and time of classes

Date of first class

 Date of final class  
Closed for enrolment In-person General 1 1

Weeks 2-7

Tuesdays 13:00-14:00

 19 October 2021 23 November 2021
Closed for enrolment Online General 1 1

Weeks 2-7

Thursday 12:00-13:00

 21 October 2021 25 November 2021
Closed for enrolment In-person General 2 1

Weeks 2-7

Tuesdays 15:00-16:00

 19 October 2021 23 November 2021
Closed for enrolment In-person General 3 1

Weeks 2-7

Thursday 13:00-14:00

 21 October 2021 25 November 2021
Closed for enrolment Online General 4 1

Weeks 2-7

Tuesdays 13:00-14:00

 19 October 2021 23 November 2021
Closed for enrolment Online General 5 1

Weeks 2-7

Tuesdays 17:00-18:00

 19 October 2021 23 November 2021
Closed for enrolment Online General 6/7 1

Weeks 2-7

Tuesdays 12:00-13:00

 19 October 2021 23 November 2021
Closed for enrolment Online Fast Track A1 1,2,3

Full year

Mondays 14:30-15:30 and Wednesdays 16:00-17:00

 18 October 2021 15 June 2022
Closed for enrolment Online Fast Track A1 1,2,3

Full year

Tuesdays and Thursdays 18:00-19:00

 19 October 2021 16 June 2022
Closed for enrolment In-person Fast Track A1 1,2,3

Full year

Wednesdays and Fridays 15:00-16:00

 20 October 2021 17 June 2022
Closed for enrolment In-person Fast Track A2 1,2,3

Full year

Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00-13:00

 19 October 2021 16 June 2022
Closed for enrolment Online Fast Track B1 1,2,3

Full year

Mondays 17:30-18:30 and Thursdays 17:00-18:00

 18 October 2021 16 June 2022
Closed for enrolment Online Fast Track B2 1,2,3

Full year

Mondays 18:30-19:30 and Wednesdays 18:00-19:00

 18 October 2021 15 June 2022

Enrolment is now closed. Please join our mailing list to be kept informed of when enrolment opens for our intensives courses at the end of term.

To identify which Stage is right for you, please refer to the Assess your level page or read the dedicated paragraph in the course handbook.
MT = Michaelmas Term (October - December); HT = Hilary Term (January - March); TT = Trinity Term (April-June)
*For General and Academic courses, a Stage is made up of three Parts, usually Part 1 is Michaelmas term, Part 2 is Hilary term and Part 3 is Trinity term. However, in some instances we will run another Part 1 in Hilary term due to popularity, please check the timetable carefully. Please note, complete beginners (Stage 1) cannot join Parts 2 or 3 if they have not completed Part 1.

Waiting Lists, funding, enrolment and mode of delivery

If the course on which you would like to enrol is fully booked, please check the timetable to see if the same course is being offered at a different time (many of our courses have several iterations, each with a different day/time for the ‘class’). In addition, we operate a first-come, first-served waiting list, simply click on the Join the Waiting List button alongside the course of your choice and we will email you if a space becomes available. 

 

Priority funding for Michaelmas term courses is now closed. 

If you need to learn a language to support your studies, you can ask your college, department or faculty to sponsor you via our Priority Funding scheme. You'll need to seek permission from your tutor/supervisor, obtain the email address of the financial signatory in your college/department/faculty, and click on the link to the Priority Funding Application Form below.

Please do not enrol yourself on the course prior to your application being approved. When the Language Centre receives confirmation of approval from your college/department, we will enrol you onto the course and email you to confirm.

The deadline to submit your application is 12 noon on Wednesday, 13 October 2021 (Week 1). Priority Funding is not available for Fast Track courses. See our course handbook for more information.

 

Colleges will consider refunding students up to half the Fast Track course fees on completion of the course at the end of Trinity term. Please contact your college to find out more about their arrangements before you start your course. A form to record the agreement between a student and their college of their eligibility for the reimbursement scheme is available for students to download below: it should not be returned to the Language Centre. 

Fast track college reimbursement form

For Learners with an Oxford University SSO (Single Sign-On) simply click on the enrol button next to the class that you wish to join. 

For Learners without an Oxford University SSO, or who are not members of the University, please email admin@lang.ox.ac.uk with the following details:

  • Full name
  • Email address and phone number
  • The name of the course you wish to study (including Stage and Part)
  • The start date and time of the course
  • Your connection to Oxford University, if any (to determine course fee)

We will then provisionally enrol you onto the course and send you a link to the Oxford University Online Store for payment. Once payment is received we will confirm your place on the course. 

What happens after I enrol?

After enrolment you will receive an automated booking email to confirm your payment. From Week 1 you will be added to the course on Canvas (Oxford University's Virtual Learning Environment). You will receive an invitation to join Canvas, please accept it and follow the instructions for your course and make sure to go through your learning pathway before your first live session with your tutor. Course materials will be available a week before each live session. Please make sure that you read the course handbook for the course you wish to take with us as this contains more detailed information.  

For Learners without an Oxford University SSO, please find useful information about Canvas in the dedicated page for external learners. 

We teach our courses through a flexible and inclusive mode of delivery. In 2021/22 we are offering courses which are either entirely online (these courses all have ‘online’ in their title) or which have the live classes held in person at the Language Centre. 

Our courses include a combination of online learning pathways, activities and feedback using the University’s Virtual Learning Environment, Canvas, and small group conversation classes every week (either online or in person).  
 
This mode of delivery enables you to: 
 
•    Work flexibly at your own pace  
•    Have access to a complete set of learning materials before each class and beyond the life of the course to master and review 
•    Get high quality generic and individual feedback 
•    Interact in small groups, which gives you an excellent opportunity to put your weekly learning into practice.  

Please note that our ability to maintain the in-person course option throughout the term or academic year will depend on circumstances; we will follow government and University Covid-19 regulations and guidance and may therefore have to move in-person courses to online as required. Please see our terms and conditions for more information.

Pathways

Choose the pathway that works best for you by consulting our handbooks (see right hand column) or watching the "How to Choose your Pathway" video via the link below. 

 VIDEO: HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR PATHWAY

Gneral Pathway
  • Focus on communication and use of all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking)
  • Term by term commitment 
  • Entry: first-come, first-served 
  • Fully funded option available with Priority funding scheme 
  • Certificates of attendance and completion available 
  • Taught in weeks 2-7 every term (part 1 in Michaelmas, part 2 in Hilary and part 3 in Trinity)
  • Number of classes per week: 1 
  • Length of class: 1 hour
  • Learning pathway including language instruction and guided learning: 1.5 - 2 hours per week 
  • Recommended self-study and practice time: 2 hours per week 
Fast Track Pathway
  • Focus on communication and use of all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking)
  • Yearly commitment with possible entry point in Hilary term
  • Entry: first-come, first-served 
  • Fully funded (and contributory) options available with some programmes of Study from selected Faculties / departments (Mathematical Institute, Material Sciences, Physics and Chemistry) see appendix 3 in the Fast Track handbook for further information 
  • Part funding reimbursed by Colleges upon completion of course and assessments 
  • Certificates of attendance and completion available 
  • Number of classes per week: 2
  • Length of class: 1 hour
  • 2 learning pathways per week: 3 to 4 hours including language instruction videos and guided learning activities, communicative tasks and feedback 
  • Recommended additional self-study and practice time: 1 to 2 hours per week 
Intensive Pathway

Whether you have been short of time or found it difficult to keep up with your course, or if you prefer learning in a more intensive and focussed manner, we run a selection of our most popular General and Academic courses during Weeks 8, 9 and 10 at the end of each term. Enrolments for these courses will normally open in Week 6 . 

  • Limited variety of Stages available, mostly beginner and advanced 

  • Term by term commitment 

  • Taught in Weeks 8, 9 and 10 every term (part 1 in Michaelmas, part 2 in Hilary and part 3 in Trinity) 

  • Number of classes per week: 2

  • Length of class: 1 hour

  • Expected hours of self-guided study learning outside the classroom (supported by Canvas, the University’s new Virtual Learning Environment): 12

  • Entry: first-come, first-served

  • Fully-funded Priority places available for students sponsored by their college/department (see Priority Funding box on this page for further information)

  • Certificates of course completion and attendance are available, please see the course handbook for conditions 

 

Don't miss out

Join our newsletter to receive notification of the courses we will be offering as Intensives this year!

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Further resources

Library shelfmark: CH

At Oxford

General

  • Chinasoft Publisher of the Ni Hao series of Chinese learning materials.
  • Chinese Language Information Page contains an excellent range of links and resources
  • FSI language course from Foreign Service Institute, U.S.A.
  • Peking University free online courses
  • Real Chinese is a course for beginners on video and on line, from the BBC. Video segments available for viewing in the Language Centre Library. Study the text and listen to dialogues
    on the web. Click on the topics in order to see the slideshow and hear the language, including useful phrases, tips on pronunciation and grammar, cultural notes and short quizzes to check what you've learnt. At the end of each slideshow there's
    a chance to watch a short (approx. 1 min) videoclip taken from the TV series
  • Remembr.it Chinese a series of free-online lessons based from the FSI, with also dictionaries
  • UK Database of Chinese Research Materials Records from the British Library, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Oxford and SOAS
  • XuetangX China's biggest MOOC provider

Dictionaries

The Language Centre Library wishes to thank Yi Wu, Library Assistant, for offering many useful weblinks.

Culture

Media

If you can't find the media you want, try our multilingual page

The Library Netvibes page offers you the latest news

 

Study

Course fees

 
 
 

Useful links

General course handbook

Fast Track course handbook

Help guide

 

Course textbooks

Information about course textbooks can be found in the course handbooks above.

 

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MODERN LANGUAGES

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