Mandarin Chinese Lessons in Seattle, WA

Washington Academy of Languages, Seattle:
Washington Academy of Languages (WAL) is a language school in downtown Seattle offering Mandarin Chinese programs which aim to prepare our students with the skills needed to function in China. The basic approach of our programs is to emphasize the use of practical spoken Chinese. Small class size allows the instructor to give individual attention to each student.

Mandarin Chinese Language Programs in Seattle:
The basic approach of our program is to emphasize the use of practical spoken Chinese. The program prepares the student with the skills needed to function in China. Throughout the course, listening and speaking are stressed and the student has ample opportunity to take part in classroom discussions. The small class size also promotes this opportunity and allows the instructor to give individual attention to each student. By focusing on practical language usage, students are able to actively participate in situations which they can expect to encounter in their travels.

Each class session is divided into two distinct parts: communicative and explanatory. The communicative segment is the substance of the course. It consists of conversations about common situations among individuals, problem-solving activities, and spontaneous discussions. The explanatory segment consists of grammar explanation, pronunciation practice and exercises. Cultural facts about life in China are also included in the subject matter. The two components are kept distinct because of our commitment to speaking the language in the classroom. Because the written script is so intimately a part of the Chinese culture, it is introduced early in the program; the simplified characters are taught. Therefore, the student gains facility in speaking and listening, as well as reading and writing Chinese characters.

CHN 2501 (Chinese I) - 30 hours of instruction / 5 weeks:
This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit. During the first five-week session, students learn greetings and basic inquiries, how to identify objects, to mail letters and to visit famous places. A student completing this first course also develops basic skills in pronunciation, and in reading and writing Chinese sentences. Students at this level are immediately exposed to Chinese and are able to demonstrate their comprehension by responding to simple commands.

CHN 2502 (Chinese II) - 30 hours of instruction / 5 weeks:
This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit. Chinese II would be a good place to start for the person who has been away from the language for any length of time, but who has already had some basic grammar and vocabulary. This course begins with a review of all materials covered in Chinese I. This course consists of discussions dealing with dates and time expressions, making telephone calls and exchanging foreign currencies. Reading and writing skill development parallels that of aural/oral skills.

Prerequisite: Completion of Chinese I or instructor's permission.

CHN 2503 (Chinese III) - 30 hours of instruction / 5 weeks:
This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit. This course begins with a brief review of materials studied in previous levels. Students at this level will continue to use conversational Mandarin in various settings. Informal speech will be much more developed with extended classroom activities mirroring everyday life, such as eating in a restaurant, taking a taxi, shopping for clothes and seeing a doctor. Development of reading and writing skills parallels aural/oral skill achievement.

Prerequisite: Completion of Chinese II or instructor's permission.

CHN 2504 (Chinese IV) - 30 hours of instruction / 5 weeks:
This course begins with a review of Chinese III. Students at this level will continue to focus on conversation and formal and informal situations. In particular, students will learn about traveling and modes of transportation, chatting about the weather, and talking about past events. Reading and writing skills continue to be developed along with listening /speaking skills.

Prerequisite: Completion of Chinese III or instructor's permission.
This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit.

CHN 3501 (Chinese V) - 30 hours of instruction / 5 weeks:
This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit. This course begins with a review of Chinese IV. Students at this level will learn proper etiquette at dinner, formal and informal systems of address, and discussions of continuous activities in the present, past and future tenses. Emphasis is placed on everyday aspects of Chinese life and culture. Reading and writing skills are developed accordingly.

Prerequisite: Completion of Chinese IV or instructor's permission.

CHN 2502 (Chinese VI) - 30 hours of instruction / 5 weeks:
Prerequisite: Completion of Chinese V or instructor's permission. Students at this level will be able to converse with the native speaker in many routine situations. The grammar of this level includes adverbial modifiers and comparison constructions. By the end of this five-week session, students will be able to recognize and produce more than 750 written characters. Students will be able to write letters, as well as general compositions, in an approved format.

This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit.

For further information on our Mandarin Chinese language programs, please contact us quickly via our Contact Page.