Overview
An HSK 1 course (Mandarin Chinese) is a 40-hour part-time short course for Mandarin beginners.
By completing an HSK 1 course, you learn at least 150 words and become able to understand and use simple Chinese phrases to make conversations on self-introduction, convey gratitude and apology and talk about numbers, time and date, weather, etc. You will also learn to read and write pinyin (Chinese Phonetic Alphabet).
This course is delivered by the Confucius Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine (CITCM) which promotes Chinese culture and medicine by providing a range of workshops and courses.
Location
London South Bank University student union is located at 103 Borough Rd, London SE1 0AA.
If you are visiting our Southwark Campus, you may wish to use our downloadable campus map (PNG File 466 KB). For information on accessibility, see our DisabledGo access guides. See our location page for more details.
Entry Level Requirements
Want to start your course this September? call 0800 923 8888 for entry requirements.
There are no formal entry requirements for HSK level 1.
We consider applications from those who have gained relevant skills through a wide range of vocational qualifications or responsible experience.
Choose your country
Select country here:
Missing English and Maths qualifications?
If you do not have the required English and Maths qualifications needed to satisfy the entry requirements for this programme, we have courses available at our partner College that you can take to upskill in these areas. Find out more at South Bank College.
Advanced entry
If you have already completed some studies at another university, we may be able to consider you for advanced entry. Please see our advanced entry page for more information.
LSBU students are eligible for a discount and pay £144 for the course, while the external full price is £288.
Further information is available on the CITCM website.
Apply directly to the Confucius Institute ci4tcm@lsbu.ac.uk, include your name and contact number.
Email enquiries: ci4tcm@lsbu.ac.uk
Telephone enquiries: 0207 815 7294
You are able to start studying in January, April or October.
For further details, please see the CITCM website.
Prepare to start
You will be given details about the course prior to starting and welcomed to the University.
This course is 10 weeks in duration, designed for complete beginners.
Topics:
- The phonetic system (Pinyin)
- Greetings
- Name and age
- Numbers and currencies
- Countries and nationalities
- Occupations
- Date and time
- Weather
- Location and transportation
- Food and drinks
- Situation description of where, when, how, what
- Explain willingness (would like) and ability to do something (can)
Learning outcomes:
- Master over 150 words and 40 grammatical structures
- By the end of this course, students should be able to attempt the HSK Level 1 Exam, which is equivalent to A1 of the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR)
Careers
LSBU Employability Services
LSBU is committed to supporting you develop your employability and succeed in getting a job after you have graduated. Your qualification will certainly help, but in a competitive market, you also need to work on your employability, and on your career search. Our Employability Service will support you in developing your skills, finding a job, interviewing techniques, work experience or an internship, and will help you assess what you need to do to get the job you want at the end of your course. LSBU offers a comprehensive Employability Service, with a range of initiatives to complement your studies, including:
- direct engagement from employers who come into an interview and talk to students
- Job Shop and on-campus recruitment agencies to help your job search
- mentoring and work shadowing schemes.
The HSK qualification is an international examination scheme which gives employers evidence of your linguist abilities in Mandarin Chinese. We offer HSK certificates levels 1 to 6 - see further information on the CITCM website.
Teaching and Assessment
You will receive:
- Four hours of contact teaching per week
- Eight hours of self-study per week
- There is no coursework but you will be given exercises and worksheets to help you with your self-study
Student feedback
"HSK level 1 was a very friendly introduction to Mandarin. We learned about Chinese culture as well as the language, and the teacher is excellent. After sitting my level 1 exam, I looked forward to beginning level 2.
Christina Higgins,
"HSK level 1 and 3 at CITCM, is a very exciting and fun way to learn Mandarin. The teaching is excellent and prepares you well for your HSK exams as well as teaching you about Chinese culture.
Farah Adam,
The HSK Mandarin course offered by the Confucius Institute makes learning another language fun and accessible for everyone. Lessons are well-structured, progression is intuitive and I enjoyed level 1 so much that when I finished I signed up for level 2 straight away. This course is very highly recommended!
Tasnim Patel,
I find that the classes are informative, helpful in understanding Chinese culture and traditions.The teacher encourages the class to work well together and we all seem to progress. I feel the class is helping me understand acupuncture more and I am glad I started the course.
Barbara Thurogood,