nǐ hǎo! In other words, hello! Welcome to Chinese, the language spoken by more than one billion people in the world. Language is so much more than the spoken or written word, it is about understanding the roots of the language and the history behind it. In this World Languages subject, you will learn how the Chinese language has changed over time, and why Mandarin is the most widely spoken dialect. One unique feature of learning Chinese is the importance of phonology. We will learn how to change the inflections in our speech to accurately match different tones and put emphasis on different sounds in order to say what we mean. Did you know that in order to read a Chinese newspaper, you have to be able to recognize 3,000 unique characters? Whether your goal is to get acquainted with Chinese news, or to discover the art of Chinese calligraphy, we offer plenty to learn about Chinese language and culture.
