COURSES
According to the IMF’s official forecasts, China's economy will surpass that of the U.S. in real terms by 2016. With China’s expanding influence in politics, economy and culture, and with the Chinese population's rapidly growing demand in overseas investment, tourism and foreign products consumption, the importance of learning the Chinese language and culture is becoming increasingly clear.
The Chinese Language Academy is located in Washington DC, the governmental hub of the entire United States. Our language and culture training programs support companies and government agencies to equip their employees with the skillset they need to grow the domestic economy, communicate with their Asian partners and increase their global competitiveness. We also support individual professionals to learn Mandarin and grasp the opportunities with and within China. Please browse our Course Information for specific details about our programs.
Individuals
Individuals interested in learning the Mandarin language and customs can choose between one-on-one instruction or group classes.
Courses Offered:
• “CLA 16” 16 Hour Crash Course
• Group Class-Novice
• Group Class-Intermediate
• Group Class-Advanced
• Business Chinese Course
• Exam Preparation Course
• Private 1-on-1 Course
Corporate
Corporations interested in having their staff learning the Mandarin language and customs can choose between "crash course" or extended courses.
Courses Offered:
• Customized Group Course at Your Site
• Customized 1-on-1 Course at Your Site
• Crash Course Designed for meetings, visits and contract negotiations
• Relocation Preparation Course
• Special Program in Chinese Business Culture (non-language based)
• “Language + Insights” Program (with our Subject-Matter Experts)
Government
Government agencies interested in having their staff learning the Mandarin language and customs can choose between "crash course" or extended courses.
Courses Offered:
• Customized Group Course at Your Site
• Customized 1-on-1 Course at Your Site
• Mandarin For Community Services
• Crash Course Designed for meetings, visits and contract negotiations
• Special Program in Chinese Business Culture (non-language based)
• “Language+Insights” Program (with our Subject-Matter Experts)
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
“CLA 16” Mandarin Chinese Crash Course
Introduction:
The “CLA 16” Mandarin Chinese Crash Course is a 16 hour program designed to introduce the beginner student to the structure of the Mandarin language and guide the student to build a foundation to develop their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Mandarin Chinese. The course has 4 sessions with each session lasting 4 hours with short breaks.
Course Content:
• Introduction of the development and general structure of Mandarin Chinese
• Introduction of the Pronunciation System - Pinyin (the Chinese phonetic alphabet)
• Introduction of the Writing System consisting of Hanzi (the Chinese characters)
• Introduction of the Chinese Grammar Structure
• Learning the most essential words and sentences for business and daily life
• A glance at Chinese culture and Chinese business customs
Expectations of the Student
• This course is designed for adult students who are beginners in Mandarin Chinese.
• Students are required to attend all 4 sessions.
• Students are required to spend at least 1-2 hours after each session to complete the homework (specific assignments and guidelines will be given at the end of each session)
Course Goals and Learning Objectives
• Have a solid understanding of the structure of Mandarin Chinese (pronunciation, writing system and grammar).
• Have basic communicative skills to begin building relationships with your Chinese friends and business contacts.
• Learn to write at least 100 Chinese Characters and recognize many more.
• Be able to use the Pinyin system to pronounce any new Mandarin Chinese word you encounter in the future with correct tones.
• Be able to type Chinese on a regular keyboard.
• Start talking in Mandarin Chinese in real life!
Make-up sessions are available upon request.
CLA Practical Mandarin Chinese Program
The CLA Practical Chinese Program is designed for students who need to learn practical skills in Chinese Mandarin and have a goal to achieve professional proficiency. The student will acquire Chinese Mandarin naturally through efficient instruction, situational practices, and dynamic assignments. Students will develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Mandarin through a communicative teaching approach and obtain the capability to use the language in real life and business situations. This intensive program has four levels: elementary, intermediate, advanced, and proficient. Each level will have two sections. In each section, the students are expected to complete 21 hours of in-class study and another 21 hours of guided self-study.
Elementary Level
Introduction:
The Elementary Level of this program will have 12 sessions with each session lasting 3.5 hours with two short breaks. The 12 sessions are divided into Elementary Section A and Elementary Section B. At the end of this elementary course, students will have a solid understanding of the structure of Mandarin, accurately master the pinyin system, learn the most essential grammatical patterns, read about 500 characters, have the basic capability to conduct dialogues, and write short essays in Mandarin.
Make-up sessions are available upon request.