Chinese (Mandarin) is normally studied from beginner's level. You will study the Chinese language, country and culture through a range of lively options. This includes modules that explore Chinese history and literature, from the earliest times to present day.
You will achieve a high level of communicative skill, and an in-depth understanding of the culture and society in China. To further increase your career options you can take a final year module to help you develop translation and interpreting skills.
You will have access to our excellent language resource centres which have internet access; audio-visual facilities; computer-aided language learning software; and course-related books, materials and periodicals. This ensures that you will have a broad range of options to help you increase your language understanding.
Take a year abroad
The year abroad option will allow you to increase your foreign language fluency and understanding of other cultures. You will come away with an experience that will give you a real advantage when competing for the best jobs.
In year three you can spend time studying in one of our Chinese Partner Universities
Any questions?
General course enquiries
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Admissions enquiries
Telephone: +44(0)115 848 4200
Please note the following information for applicants
What will I study?
Year One
- Accelerated Chinese (Mandarin) Language for Beginners
Year Two
- Chinese (Mandarin) Language Intermediate
- Chinese Culture and Society
Year Three (Year Four if you take the year abroad option)
- Chinese Language
- Contemporary China
- Interpreting
- Dissertation
For full details of the modules available and details of what you will be able to study please download our module booklet
Degree options and UCAS codes
Chinese (Mandarin) is taken in combination with one or two of the following subjects as part of the BA Joint Honours programme. The number in brackets is the UCAS code for a Joint Honours degree in Chinese (Mandarin) alongside the listed subject.
- English (TQ13)
- European Studies (TR18)
- Film and TV (TP13)
- French (RT11)
- German (RT21)
- Global Studies (TL19)
- International Relations (L2T1)
- Italian (RT31)
- Linguistics (TQ11)
- Spanish (RT41).
What do you study?
Chinese is available to students with no previous knowledge of the language. If you already have some knowledge of Chinese, you will be able to join the subject at the appropriate level. This will be determined in consultation with your lecturers. You will follow a challenging programme, taught predominantly in Chinese by native speakers, that develops your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
Through thematic modules you will increase your knowledge and understanding of Chinese culture and society. The subject offers the opportunity to develop skills in translation and basic interpreting and lays the foundation for more advanced training in these areas. You can also spend all or part of the third year studying or working in China. This time abroad is invaluable in developing your linguistic and cultural knowledge and understanding.
How do you study?
In the first year of the degree you will study Chinese alongside one or two other subjects. The third subject may be taken to degree level or dropped at the end of the first year.
Chinese language classes focus on the rapid development of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. In addition to Chinese language course books, classes make use of authentic materials from the press and television. They also make increasing use of eLearning both within the classroom and in directed learning. Knowledge and understanding of the major syntactical and structural features of the language is addressed in grammar workshops. You will develop your oral conversation skills in small group sessions with the language assistant.
Historical, theoretical, cultural and societal debates relevant to China are addressed in lectures, seminars and tutorials. Whilst lectures provide an overview of the main issues and arguments, you are required to develop your knowledge base through recommended readings. Seminars, which are often student led, and tutorials provide an opportunity to clarify areas of doubt and explore key themes in greater depth.
Teaching and learning is designed to enable you to develop the transferable skills that will allow you to enter into a wide range of careers or to engage in further academic study. Teaching principally takes place through a combination of lectures (where tutors introduce the key ideas) and seminars (organised on the basis of smaller group discussion of those ideas).
A wide range of different assessment methods are used. The most common are coursework essays and exams, but you will also find that presentations (either individual or group), project work (either individual or group), book reviews and reports are also employed. In the final year, you also have the opportunity to undertake a dissertation in Chinese or one of your other joint honours subjects.
Your future career
Graduates of Chinese are in great demand in a variety of occupations including the media, commerce, industry, education and the civil service, and an increasing number of students are recruited by firms based in East Asia. A degree in Chinese will also open the door to further vocational study in translation, interpreting and language teaching.
Year abroad
All students completing the four year BA (Hons) Modern Languages are able to spend their third year overseas engaging with the languages they are studying. NTU structures this overseas year around the innovative Placement Diploma in Language Study Abroad. This great opportunity allows students to:
- work and learn in their chosen language
- further develop their communication skills
- enhance their cultural understanding.
Gain work experience
One distinctive feature of modern languages at NTU is the work we do with local businesses and charities. For example, we have a close relationship with the Nottingham-based charity, Education for the Children. EFTC works in Central America offering educational opportunities to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Increasingly, these links are offering opportunities, either on a voluntary or paid basis, for our students to gain the type of work experience in international organisations that graduate employers are looking for.
You can apply for this course through the UCAS website.
Find out more about applying for an undergraduate course at NTU.
