Chinese in 5 Steps: Getting Started with Pronunciation

This course can be taken as part of a specialization «Chinese in 5 Steps».

About the Course

Pronunciation is one of the most important and complicated parts of the Chinese language. This course is aimed at those who want to start learning Chinese and can be supplemented with the course ‘Fundamentals of Chinese character writing’.

In this course, learners are going to get acquainted with the phonetic system of the Chinese language, master the pronunciation of all syllables in four tones, and also learn how to overcome the most common pronunciational difficulties.

The course materials are based on pinyin transcription. In the course lectures, the instructor will explain the main patterns of pronunciation, and each sound and syllable will be repeated by native speakers.

The course contains a lot of exercises, so students will be able to strenghten their listening skills and lay the necessary foundation for further language learning.

Upon completion of this program the learners will:

— know the fundamentals of the pronunciation of Chinese sounds and syllables;

— know the rules of pronunciation in different tones;

— know the rules of reading the syllable combinations and tone changes;

— be able to distinguish the sounds and syllables of the Chinese language by ear;

— be able to write down the Chinese syllables using the pinyin transcription;

— pronounce sounds and syllables of the Chinese language according to the pronunciational standards of the Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua)

— change the tones in accordance with the rules of Putonghua;

— have skills of elementary reading and writing of the words using the pinyin transcription.

Сourse program

Module 1

1.1. Why Learn Chinese?

1.2. What Kind of Language Are We Learning?

1.3. What Constitutes a Chinese Syllable?

1.4. What are the Tones and How Do You Remember Them?

1.5.  How to Transcribe Chinese?

1.6. Will the Chinese Stop Using Characters?

1.7. Simple Vowel Sounds a, wu, yi

1.8. Consonant Sounds m, f

1.9. Consonant Sounds n, l

1.10. Consonant Sound h

Module 2

2.1. Semi-Voiced Consonant Sounds b, d, g

2.2.  Aspirated Consonant Sounds p, t, k

2.3.  Vowel Sounds yu, e

2.4.  What is Stress in Chinese? Combination 1+1

2.5.  Consonant Sounds s, sh, r

2.6. Affricates ch, c, z, zh

2.7.  Syllables with the Semi-vowel -i

Module 3

3.1. Soft Consonants j, q, x

3.2. Falling Diphthongs

3.3. Adding the Third Tone

3.4. Combinations 1+3 and 3+1

3.5. Endings n, ng

Module 4

4.1. The Fourth Tone. Rising Diphthongs

4.2. Combinations with the Fourth Tone

4.3. Syllables with the Medial i

Module 5

5.1. Syllables with the Medial u

5.2. Syllables with the Medial yu

5.3. Adding the Second Tone

5.4. Combinations 1+2, 2+1, 2+2, 2+3, 2+4, 3+2, 4+2

5.5. Tone Changes for the Third Tone

Module 6

6.1.  The Neutral Tone. Combinations 1+0, 2+0, 3+0, 4+0

6.2. Changing the Tone of a Numeral yī (一)

6.3. Changing the Tone of the Negation 不 (bù)

6.4. Erization

6.5. Reading Three Syllable Words

6.6. Reading Four Syllable Idioms

6.7. Reading Some Simple Phrases

6.8. Reading a Poem

6.9. Reading a Story