Elementary Mandarin

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This course enables learners with no prior Chinese background to achieve Novice-High proficiency in Mandarin through structured practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing across everyday topics.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Target audience: learners with no background in Chinese.
• Four core skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing in standard Mandarin.
• Proficiency goal: approximately Novice-High level on the ACTFL-ETS scale.
• Practical topics: greetings, names, family, work, study, and hobbies.
• Common confusion: the course covers both interpersonal (two-way exchange) and presentational (one-way delivery) communication—these are distinct skill modes.

🎯 Course design and scope

🎯 Who this course is for

• Designed specifically for learners with no background in Chinese.
• The excerpt emphasizes this is an introductory level, so prior knowledge is not assumed.

📚 What the course covers

The course introduces:

• Basic structures of Mandarin Chinese.
• Emphasis on all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
• Topics of conversation include:
  • Basic greetings
  • Names
  • Family
  • Work
  • Study
  • Hobbies

🎓 Proficiency target

Novice-High level on the ACTFL-ETS (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency scale.

• This is the benchmark students should reach upon successful completion.
• The excerpt does not define what Novice-High means in detail, but it is the stated goal.

🗣️ Communication modes

🗣️ Interpersonal Communication

Exchange information about familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences, sometimes supported by memorized language, and ask and answer simple questions about everyday situations in short social interactions.

• This is two-way communication: asking and answering.
• Key features:
  • Use of phrases and simple sentences.
  • May rely on memorized language.
  • Focused on short, everyday social interactions.
• Example: A learner greets someone, asks about their family, and responds to questions about their own hobbies.

📢 Presentational Speaking

Verbally convey basic information on familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences.

• This is one-way spoken delivery: the learner speaks to an audience without immediate back-and-forth.
• Example: A learner introduces themselves and describes their work or study.

✍️ Presentational Writing

Write short messages and notes on familiar topics related to everyday life.

• This is one-way written delivery.
• Focus on short, practical texts (messages, notes).
• Example: A learner writes a note about their daily routine or a message to a friend about hobbies.

Don't confuse: Interpersonal vs Presentational—interpersonal involves exchange (two-way), while presentational is one-way delivery (speaking or writing).

👂 Interpretation skills

👂 Interpretive Listening

Interpret spoken words, phrases, and simple sentences related to everyday life by recognizing pieces of information and by identifying the main topic.

• This is receptive skill: understanding what is heard.
• Key tasks:
  • Recognize pieces of information.
  • Identify the main topic.
• Example: A learner listens to a short conversation about family and picks out who is being discussed and the main subject.

📖 Interpretive Reading

Interpret familiar words, phrases, and sentences within short and simple texts related to everyday life and identify the main idea of written materials.

• This is receptive skill: understanding what is read.
• Key tasks:
  • Interpret familiar words, phrases, and sentences.
  • Identify the main idea.
• Example: A learner reads a short note about someone's hobbies and understands the general topic.

📘 Course structure and resources

📘 Textbook and format

• The course uses an OER (Open Educational Resources) textbook.
• The textbook can be used for:
  • Self-study
  • Online courses
  • Traditional college courses
• It is used for CHN101 at Kapi'olani Community College in Honolulu, Hawai'i.

📘 Textbook chapters

The excerpt lists the following chapters (content details are not provided):

Chapter	Title
1	Introduction
2	First Contact
3	Origin and Languages
4	Family
5	Ordering Food and Drink
6	At the Restaurant
7	At the Hotel
8	Shopping
9	Review and Conclusion

• These chapters align with the practical, everyday topics mentioned in the course description (greetings, family, work, study, hobbies, and common situations like ordering food and shopping).

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This chapter teaches learners how to exchange basic greetings and introductory information in Mandarin Chinese as part of an elementary course designed for beginners with no prior background.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Course context: "First Contact" is the second chapter in an elementary Mandarin textbook for learners with no Chinese background.
• Skill focus: The course emphasizes four skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—in standard Mandarin.
• Proficiency target: Students aim to reach approximately Novice-High level on the ACTFL-ETS proficiency scale.
• Typical topics: Conversation topics include basic greetings, names, family, work, study, and hobbies.
• Common confusion: This is an introductory chapter (chapter 2), not an advanced lesson; it focuses on "first contact" scenarios like meeting someone for the first time.

📚 Course design and structure

📚 Target audience

• The course is designed for learners with no background in Chinese.
• It introduces basic structures of Mandarin Chinese from the ground up.

📖 Textbook organization

The excerpt shows the textbook is divided into chapters covering different everyday situations:

Chapter	Topic
1	Introduction
2	First Contact
3	Origin and Languages
4	Family
5	Ordering Food and Drink
6	At the Restaurant
7	At the Hotel
8	Shopping
9	Review and Conclusion

• "First Contact" comes early in the sequence, immediately after the introduction.
• Later chapters build on foundational skills with practical scenarios (food, hotels, shopping).

🎯 Learning outcomes

🗣️ Interpersonal communication

Exchange information about familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences, sometimes supported by memorized language, and ask and answer simple questions about everyday situations in short social interactions.

• Learners practice two-way conversation.
• They use memorized phrases and simple sentences.
• Example: A learner meets someone and exchanges greetings, names, and basic personal information.

🎤 Presentational speaking

Verbally convey basic information on familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences.

• This is one-way spoken communication (e.g., introducing oneself to a group).
• The focus is on delivering information, not interactive dialogue.

✍️ Presentational writing

Write short messages and notes on familiar topics related to everyday life.

• Learners produce written text (e.g., a short note or message).
• Topics are limited to everyday life and familiar subjects.

👂 Interpretive listening

Interpret spoken words, phrases, and simple sentences related to everyday life by recognizing pieces of information and by identifying the main topic.

• Learners listen to Mandarin and pick out key information.
• They identify the main topic even if they don't understand every word.
• Example: Listening to a greeting and recognizing that the speaker is asking about someone's name or work.

📖 Interpretive reading

Interpret familiar words, phrases, and sentences within short and simple texts related to everyday life and identify the main idea of written materials.

• Learners read short, simple texts in Mandarin.
• They identify the main idea without needing to understand every character.
• Don't confuse: this is not translation; it is comprehension of the gist.

🌐 Proficiency and scope

🌐 ACTFL-ETS Novice-High level

• The course aims for Novice-High on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages proficiency scale.
• This level means learners can handle very basic, familiar topics with simple language.
• It is the starting point for language proficiency, not advanced fluency.

🗨️ Conversation topics

The excerpt lists specific topics students will learn to discuss:

• Basic greetings
• Names
• Family
• Work
• Study
• Hobbies

These are all "first contact" and everyday-life subjects appropriate for beginners meeting someone for the first time or making small talk.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This section of the Elementary Mandarin I course addresses topics related to origin and languages as part of building foundational conversational skills in standard Mandarin Chinese.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Course context: Chapter 3 is one of several thematic units in a beginner Mandarin course designed for learners with no prior Chinese background.
• Skill integration: The course emphasizes all four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—across everyday topics.
• Proficiency target: Students aim to reach approximately Novice-High level on the ACTFL-ETS scale by the end of the course.
• Thematic structure: The textbook organizes content around practical conversation topics including greetings, names, family, work, study, and hobbies.

📚 Course design and structure

📚 Target audience and prerequisites

• The course is designed specifically for learners with no background in Chinese.
• It introduces basic structures of Mandarin Chinese from the ground up.
• The textbook can be used for self-study, online courses, or traditional college instruction.

🎯 Proficiency goals

Novice-High level on the ACTFL-ETS (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency scale: the target proficiency students should attain upon successful completion.

• This level indicates the ability to handle simple, everyday communication tasks.
• The course balances all four language skills rather than focusing on only one or two.

🗣️ Communication skills framework

🗣️ Interpersonal communication

• Students learn to exchange information about familiar topics.
• They use phrases and simple sentences, sometimes relying on memorized language.
• They practice asking and answering simple questions in short social interactions.
• Example: A learner might greet someone, ask their name, and respond to similar questions in return.

🎤 Presentational speaking

• Students learn to verbally convey basic information on familiar topics.
• The focus is on using phrases and simple sentences to present information to others.
• This differs from interpersonal communication because it is one-directional rather than interactive.

✍️ Presentational writing

• Students practice writing short messages and notes on familiar, everyday topics.
• The emphasis is on practical written communication rather than formal composition.
• Example: A learner might write a brief note about their family or hobbies.

👂 Interpretive listening

• Students develop the ability to interpret spoken words, phrases, and simple sentences related to everyday life.
• They recognize pieces of information and identify the main topic of what they hear.
• This is a receptive skill focused on understanding rather than producing language.

📖 Interpretive reading

• Students learn to interpret familiar words, phrases, and sentences within short, simple texts.
• They identify the main idea of written materials related to everyday life.
• Like interpretive listening, this is a receptive skill that supports overall comprehension.

🧩 Thematic content organization

🧩 Chapter 3 in context

The textbook is organized into thematic chapters:

Chapter	Topic
1	Introduction
2	First Contact
3	Origin and Languages
4	Family
5	Ordering Food and Drink
6	At the Restaurant
7	At the Hotel
8	Shopping
9	Review and Conclusion

• Chapter 3 ("Origin and Languages") follows introductory material and first-contact scenarios.
• It precedes chapters on family, food, lodging, and shopping.
• The progression moves from basic social exchanges toward more specific situational contexts.

🌐 Conversation topics covered

The course addresses practical, everyday subjects:

• Basic greetings
• Names
• Family
• Work
• Study
• Hobbies

These topics provide the foundation for the interpersonal and presentational communication skills the course develops.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This unit teaches learners to exchange information about family members using basic Mandarin vocabulary and sentence structures.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Topic focus: family-related vocabulary and conversation skills in Mandarin Chinese.
• Skill integration: covers listening, speaking, reading, and writing about family topics.
• Proficiency context: part of a Novice-High level course (ACTFL-ETS scale) for learners with no prior Chinese background.
• Practical application: enables short social interactions asking and answering questions about family and everyday situations.

📚 Course context

📚 Where this unit fits

• This is Unit 4: Family in the Elementary Mandarin I textbook sequence.
• It follows units on Introduction, First Contact, and Origin and Languages.
• It precedes units on Ordering Food and Drink, At the Restaurant, At the Hotel, and Shopping.

🎯 Target learners

• Designed for learners with no background in Chinese.
• Aims for approximately Novice-High level proficiency by course completion.
• Used at Kapi'olani Community College; suitable for self-study, online courses, or traditional classroom settings.

🗣️ Communication skills developed

🗣️ Interpersonal communication

• Exchange information about familiar topics (including family) using phrases and simple sentences.
• Ask and answer simple questions about everyday situations in short social interactions.
• Sometimes supported by memorized language.

🎤 Presentational speaking

• Verbally convey basic information on familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences.
• Example: describing one's family members or relationships.

✍️ Presentational writing

• Write short messages and notes on familiar topics related to everyday life.
• Example: writing brief descriptions of family or sending simple family-related messages.

👂 Comprehension skills developed

👂 Interpretive listening

• Interpret spoken words, phrases, and simple sentences related to everyday life.
• Recognize pieces of information and identify the main topic.
• Example: understanding when someone talks about their family members.

📖 Interpretive reading

• Interpret familiar words, phrases, and sentences within short and simple texts related to everyday life.
• Identify the main idea of written materials.
• Example: reading simple texts about family relationships and understanding the key information.

🌐 Thematic scope

🌐 Conversation topics covered

The course (including this family unit) addresses:

• Basic greetings
• Names
• Family (this unit's focus)
• Work
• Study
• Hobbies

🧩 Language skills emphasis

All four core skills are integrated:

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing

Note: The excerpt does not provide specific vocabulary, grammar structures, or detailed lesson content for the Family unit itself; it describes the overall course framework within which this unit operates.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This chapter teaches learners how to order food and drink in Mandarin Chinese as part of a beginner-level course focused on everyday conversational situations.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Course context: Chapter 5 of an elementary Mandarin textbook designed for learners with no prior Chinese background.
• Skill integration: The course emphasizes all four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—applied to practical topics.
• Proficiency target: Students work toward Novice-High level on the ACTFL-ETS scale through familiar, everyday scenarios.
• Practical focus: Topics center on real-life situations like greetings, family, work, study, hobbies, and ordering food.

📚 Course structure and placement

📚 Where this chapter fits

• Chapter 5 in a nine-chapter sequence:
  1. Introduction
  2. First Contact
  3. Origin and Languages
  4. Family
  5. Ordering Food and Drink ← current chapter
  6. At the Restaurant
  7. At the Hotel
  8. Shopping
  9. Review and Conclusion

🎯 Relationship to adjacent chapters

• Follows the Family chapter, building on foundational vocabulary and structures.
• Precedes At the Restaurant, suggesting this chapter introduces ordering vocabulary and phrases that will be expanded in the next unit.
• Part of a progression from basic greetings and personal information toward transactional conversations in service settings.

🗣️ Communication skills developed

🗣️ Interpersonal communication

Exchange information about familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences, sometimes supported by memorized language, and ask and answer simple questions about everyday situations in short social interactions.

• Learners practice two-way exchanges, not just one-way speaking.
• Relies partly on memorized language, appropriate for Novice-High level.
• Example: A learner asks "What would you like to drink?" and responds to the answer in a brief back-and-forth.

🎤 Presentational speaking

Verbally convey basic information on familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences.

• Focuses on one-way delivery of information.
• Uses phrases and simple sentences, not complex grammar.
• Example: A learner describes their food preferences or explains what they want to order.

✍️ Presentational writing

Write short messages and notes on familiar topics related to everyday life.

• Emphasizes brief written output: messages and notes, not essays.
• Tied to everyday life contexts like ordering food.
• Example: A learner writes a short note listing items they want to order.

👂 Interpretation skills developed

👂 Interpretive listening

Interpret spoken words, phrases, and simple sentences related to everyday life by recognizing pieces of information and by identifying the main topic.

• Learners recognize pieces of information, not necessarily every word.
• Goal is to identify the main topic, not detailed comprehension.
• Example: A learner hears a server ask a question and identifies that it's about drink choices, even if some words are unclear.

📖 Interpretive reading

Interpret familiar words, phrases, and sentences within short and simple texts related to everyday life and identify the main idea of written materials.

• Focuses on short and simple texts, such as menus or signs.
• Learners work to identify the main idea, not translate every character.
• Example: A learner reads a menu and identifies categories like "beverages" or "main dishes."
• Don't confuse: interpretation at this level is about gist and key information, not word-for-word translation.

🎓 Proficiency and design

🎓 Target proficiency level

• Novice-High on the ACTFL-ETS scale: a standardized measure from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
• This level indicates learners can handle simple, predictable exchanges using memorized and recombined phrases.
• The ordering food and drink scenario is well-suited to this level because it involves familiar, routine transactions.

📘 Course design and accessibility

• Designed for learners with no background in Chinese: assumes zero prior knowledge.
• OER (Open Educational Resource) textbook: can be used for self-study, online courses, or traditional classroom settings.
• Developed for CHN101: Elementary Mandarin I at Kapi'olani Community College in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
• Flexible use cases support diverse learning environments and schedules.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This unit teaches learners to use Mandarin Chinese for restaurant interactions, building on earlier lessons about ordering food and drink to support everyday conversational skills at the Novice-High proficiency level.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Course context: Part of CHN101 Elementary Mandarin I, designed for learners with no prior Chinese background.
• Skill integration: Combines listening, speaking, reading, and writing in restaurant scenarios.
• Progression: Follows "Ordering Food and Drink" (Unit 5) and precedes "At the Hotel" (Unit 7), showing a practical sequence of everyday situations.
• Proficiency target: Supports the Novice-High level on the ACTFL-ETS scale through familiar, everyday topics.

🍽️ Course placement and purpose

🍽️ Where this unit fits

• Unit 6 in a nine-unit sequence (Introduction → First Contact → Origin and Languages → Family → Ordering Food and Drink → At the Restaurant → At the Hotel → Shopping → Review and Conclusion).
• Builds directly on Unit 5 (Ordering Food and Drink), extending food-related vocabulary and phrases into full restaurant interactions.
• Part of a broader set of "everyday situations" topics that also includes family, work, study, and hobbies.

🎯 Learner background

• Designed for students with no background in Chinese.
• Assumes completion of earlier units (greetings, names, family, basic ordering).
• Targets approximately Novice-High level on the ACTFL-ETS proficiency scale by course end.

🗣️ Communication skills developed

🗣️ Interpersonal communication

Exchange information about familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences, sometimes supported by memorized language, and ask and answer simple questions about everyday situations in short social interactions.

• In a restaurant context: asking for a table, ordering dishes, requesting the bill, etc.
• Relies on phrases and simple sentences, not complex grammar.
• May use memorized language as support (e.g., set phrases for common requests).

🎤 Presentational speaking

Verbally convey basic information on familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences.

• Example: describing a dish, explaining dietary preferences, or recommending a restaurant.
• Focus is on conveying information, not back-and-forth conversation.

✍️ Presentational writing

Write short messages and notes on familiar topics related to everyday life.

• Example: writing a reservation request, a note about food preferences, or a simple review.
• Emphasizes short messages and notes, not essays or formal writing.

👂 Interpretation skills developed

👂 Interpretive listening

Interpret spoken words, phrases, and simple sentences related to everyday life by recognizing pieces of information and by identifying the main topic.

• In a restaurant: understanding a server's questions, menu descriptions, or announcements.
• Learners identify pieces of information (e.g., price, ingredients) and the main topic (e.g., "today's special").
• Don't confuse: this is about comprehension, not producing speech.

📖 Interpretive reading

Interpret familiar words, phrases, and sentences within short and simple texts related to everyday life and identify the main idea of written materials.

• Example: reading a menu, a sign about opening hours, or a simple restaurant advertisement.
• Focus on short and simple texts and grasping the main idea, not detailed analysis.

📚 Course structure and resources

📚 Format and use

• Part of an OER (Open Educational Resources) textbook that can be used for:
  • Self-study
  • Online courses
  • Traditional college courses
• Used at Kapi'olani Community College in Honolulu, Hawai'i.

📚 Supporting materials

• The textbook includes Front Matter, nine numbered units, and Back Matter.
• Each unit addresses a specific everyday topic, ensuring practical, real-world language use.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This section is part of an elementary Mandarin Chinese course designed to build basic communication skills in hotel-related contexts for learners with no prior background in Chinese.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Course context: Chapter 7 ("At the Hotel") is one of several topic-based units in a beginner Mandarin course (CHN101) covering everyday situations.
• Target proficiency: The course aims for Novice-High level on the ACTFL-ETS proficiency scale through listening, speaking, reading, and writing practice.
• Skill integration: Students practice interpersonal, presentational, and interpretive communication across all four language skills.
• Practical focus: Topics center on familiar, everyday situations like greetings, family, work, study, hobbies, ordering food, and hotel interactions.
• Common confusion: This excerpt is a table of contents and course description; it does not contain the actual lesson content for "At the Hotel."

📚 Course structure and placement

📚 Where "At the Hotel" fits

• Chapter 7 appears in a nine-chapter sequence:
  1. Introduction
  2. First Contact
  3. Origin and Languages
  4. Family
  5. Ordering Food and Drink
  6. At the Restaurant
  7. At the Hotel ← current chapter
  8. Shopping
  9. Review and Conclusion
• The progression moves from basic introductions through increasingly complex social and transactional situations.
• Hotel interactions follow restaurant scenarios, suggesting a logical build-up of service-encounter vocabulary and structures.

🎯 Intended audience

• Learners with no background in Chinese (explicitly stated).
• Used at Kapi'olani Community College in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
• Suitable for self-study, online courses, or traditional classroom settings.

🗣️ Communication skills framework

🗣️ Interpersonal communication

Exchange information about familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences, sometimes supported by memorized language, and ask and answer simple questions about everyday situations in short social interactions.

• Focus: two-way conversation in real time.
• Level: phrases and simple sentences, with some reliance on memorized chunks.
• Example context for hotel chapter: asking about room availability, checking in, requesting services.

📢 Presentational skills (speaking and writing)

Skill	What students should do	Key characteristics
Presentational Speaking	Verbally convey basic information on familiar topics	Uses phrases and simple sentences
Presentational Writing	Write short messages and notes on familiar topics related to everyday life	Brief, practical texts

• These are one-way communication tasks (no immediate back-and-forth).
• Example for hotel context: leaving a note for housekeeping, describing travel plans.

👂 Interpretive skills (listening and reading)

Interpretive Listening:

• Interpret spoken words, phrases, and simple sentences related to everyday life.
• Recognize pieces of information and identify the main topic.
• Example: understanding hotel staff announcements or directions.

Interpretive Reading:

• Interpret familiar words, phrases, and sentences within short and simple texts.
• Identify the main idea of written materials.
• Example: reading hotel signs, room service menus, or checkout instructions.

Don't confuse: Interpretive skills are about understanding input (listening/reading), not producing output; presentational and interpersonal skills involve producing language.

🎓 Proficiency target

🎓 ACTFL-ETS Novice-High level

• The course aims for approximately Novice-High on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages proficiency scale.
• This level is characterized by:
  • Handling simple, direct exchanges on very familiar topics.
  • Using memorized phrases and simple sentences.
  • Beginning to create with the language, though with frequent errors and reliance on practiced material.

📝 Content note

• The excerpt provided contains only the course description and table of contents.
• No substantive lesson content for "At the Hotel" (vocabulary, dialogues, grammar points, exercises) is included in this excerpt.
• Actual learning materials for hotel-related communication would appear in the full chapter text.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This section is part of a beginner Mandarin Chinese course that teaches students how to handle shopping situations using basic phrases and simple sentences.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Course context: Chapter 8 of an elementary Mandarin textbook designed for learners with no prior Chinese background.
• Skill level target: Novice-High on the ACTFL-ETS proficiency scale, focusing on everyday practical situations.
• Four core skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing in standard Mandarin Chinese.
• Practical application: Students learn to exchange information, ask and answer simple questions, and interpret familiar words in real-life contexts.
• Common confusion: This is not advanced language study—the focus is on memorized phrases and simple sentence patterns for survival communication, not fluency.

📚 Course framework

📚 What this chapter belongs to

• Part of CHN101: Elementary Mandarin I, an OER (Open Educational Resources) textbook used at Kapi'olani Community College in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
• Chapter 8 titled "Shopping" follows chapters on family, ordering food and drink, restaurant situations, and hotel interactions.
• The textbook can be used for self-study, online courses, or traditional classroom settings.

🎯 Target learner profile

Learners with no background in Chinese.

• The course assumes zero prior knowledge of Mandarin.
• Students progress through everyday topics: greetings, names, family, work, study, hobbies, and practical scenarios like shopping.

🗣️ Communication skills developed

🗣️ Interpersonal communication

• What it means: Exchange information about familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences.
• Students ask and answer simple questions about everyday situations in short social interactions.
• Sometimes supported by memorized language—not spontaneous fluency, but functional communication.
• Example: In a shopping context, a student might ask "How much is this?" or respond to a shopkeeper's question using rehearsed patterns.

🎤 Presentational speaking

• What it means: Verbally convey basic information on familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences.
• This is one-way communication (presenting information to others), not back-and-forth conversation.
• Example: A student might describe what they want to buy or explain their shopping preferences to a group.

✍️ Presentational writing

• What it means: Write short messages and notes on familiar topics related to everyday life.
• Focus on practical written communication, not essays or formal writing.
• Example: Writing a shopping list, a text message about what to buy, or a simple note about prices.

👂 Comprehension skills developed

👂 Interpretive listening

• What it means: Interpret spoken words, phrases, and simple sentences related to everyday life.
• Students recognize pieces of information and identify the main topic.
• Not full comprehension of every word—the goal is catching key information.
• Example: Listening to a shopkeeper describe a product and understanding the price and basic features.

📖 Interpretive reading

• What it means: Interpret familiar words, phrases, and sentences within short and simple texts related to everyday life.
• Students identify the main idea of written materials.
• Focus on recognizing familiar patterns rather than decoding complex texts.
• Example: Reading a price tag, a simple store sign, or a short product description.

📊 Proficiency expectations

📊 ACTFL-ETS proficiency level

Aspect	Description
Target level	Novice-High on the ACTFL-ETS scale
What this means	Students can handle simple, direct communication on very familiar topics using memorized phrases and simple sentences
Scope	Everyday situations like shopping, not professional or academic language

📊 How skills are structured

• All four skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) are developed in parallel.
• Each skill is broken into interpersonal (two-way), presentational (one-way production), and interpretive (comprehension) modes.
• Don't confuse: "Interpersonal" involves back-and-forth exchange; "Presentational" is one-way output; "Interpretive" is understanding input from others.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This section marks the completion of Elementary Mandarin I, which equips learners with no prior Chinese background to achieve Novice-High proficiency across listening, speaking, reading, and writing through practical everyday topics.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Target audience: learners with no background in Chinese, starting from zero.
• Four-skill approach: listening, speaking, reading, and writing are all emphasized equally.
• Proficiency goal: approximately Novice-High level on the ACTFL-ETS scale by course end.
• Practical topics covered: greetings, names, family, work, study, hobbies, ordering food, restaurant interactions, hotel situations, and shopping.
• Common confusion: "Novice-High" does not mean fluency—it means handling familiar everyday situations with simple phrases and sentences, often relying on memorized language.

🎯 Course design and goals

🎯 Who this course is for

• The excerpt states the course is "designed for learners with no background in Chinese."
• It can be used for self-study, online courses, or traditional college courses.
• Example: a student who has never studied Mandarin before can start with this material.

📏 Proficiency target

Novice-High level on the ACTFL-ETS (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency scale.

• This is the benchmark students should reach upon successful completion.
• The excerpt does not define "Novice-High" in detail, but the learning outcomes describe it as handling familiar topics with phrases and simple sentences.

🗣️ The four language skills

🗣️ Interpersonal Communication (speaking and listening in interaction)

• What it means: exchange information about familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences.
• Students ask and answer simple questions about everyday situations in short social interactions.
• Sometimes supported by memorized language—don't confuse this with spontaneous fluency.
• Example: greeting someone, asking about their family, or discussing hobbies in a brief conversation.

🎤 Presentational Speaking

• What it means: verbally convey basic information on familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences.
• This is one-way communication (not interactive dialogue).
• Example: introducing yourself, describing your family, or talking about your work or study.

✍️ Presentational Writing

• What it means: write short messages and notes on familiar topics related to everyday life.
• The emphasis is on "short" and "familiar"—not essays or complex texts.
• Example: writing a note about your hobbies or a short message about your daily routine.

👂 Interpretive Listening

• What it means: interpret spoken words, phrases, and simple sentences related to everyday life.
• Students recognize pieces of information and identify the main topic.
• This is about understanding what others say, not producing speech.
• Example: listening to someone talk about their family and identifying who they are describing.

📖 Interpretive Reading

• What it means: interpret familiar words, phrases, and sentences within short and simple texts related to everyday life.
• Students identify the main idea of written materials.
• Don't confuse: this is not reading literature or news—it is understanding simple, everyday texts.
• Example: reading a menu, a hotel sign, or a short note about someone's hobbies.

📚 Content covered in the course

📚 Topic progression

The excerpt lists the textbook chapters, showing the scope of the course:

Chapter	Topic
1	Introduction
2	First Contact
3	Origin and Languages
4	Family
5	Ordering Food and Drink
6	At the Restaurant
7	At the Hotel
8	Shopping
9	Review and Conclusion

• The course moves from basic greetings and introductions to practical scenarios like ordering food, staying at a hotel, and shopping.
• All topics are "familiar" and "everyday," matching the Novice-High proficiency goal.

🌐 Conversation topics

The excerpt explicitly mentions:

• Basic greetings
• Names
• Family
• Work
• Study
• Hobbies

These are the core themes students will practice across all four skills.

🏫 Course context

🏫 Where and how it is used

• The textbook is an OER (Open Educational Resource).
• It is used for CHN101: Elementary Mandarin I at Kapi'olani Community College in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
• It can be adapted for self-study, online courses, or traditional classroom settings.
• The excerpt does not describe the teaching methods in detail, only that the course emphasizes the four skills.