Course Overview
This three credit basic language and culture course is designed for students who have no Chinese background and who have never studied Mandarin before. By passing this course, students will develop four basic language skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese as well as to have basic knowledge in Chinese culture. The course will include communicative classroom activities and on-line practices to enable students to have a good command of the Chinese pronunciation system and basic grammar knowledge. At the end of the course, students will be able to conduct simple daily conversations and to read and write short sentences. This CINT1210 addresses practical needs in real-life situations. Each class is based on a few scenario(s) that contain the most commonly used expressions. In addition, the course covers many aspects of the Chinese culture. Verbal, non-verbal and multimedia materials will be employed to help enhance all four language skills.
Prerequisite(s)
- Students who do not speak Mandarin and do not have previous knowledge of Chinese language.
Credits
3.0
Registration requirements
Departmental approval is required to register for this course. You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Domestic fees
$572.64
International fees are typically 3.4 times the domestic tuition. Exact cost will be calculated upon completion of registration.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Respond to the most frequently used daily conversations.
- Communicate in Mandarin in the listed scenarios:
- Say greeting and farewell in person.
- Introduce yourself, friends and family members in person and in writing.
- Ask and tell about date and time.
- Ask for and give directions.
- Borrow and return things.
- Express holiday wishes in person and in writing.
- Shop in a Chinese store.
- Tell about personal favorite foods and hobbies.
- Read Chinese sentences with Pinyin given.
- Recognize 200 common Chinese words.
- Write 100 most common Chinese characters.
- Utilize the Chinese culture knowledge to interact in a Chinese social life.
Effective as of Spring/Summer 2013
Related Programs
Basic Mandarin and Chinese Culture (CINT 1210) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs accepting international students.
- Indicates programs eligible for students to apply for Post-graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
School of Business + Media
- Accounting
Bachelor of Accounting Full-time/Part-time
- Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration Full-time/Part-time
- Global Business Studies
Associate Certificate Part-time
Course Offerings
Fall 2026
Below is one offering of CINT 1210 for the Fall 2026 term.
CRN 38134
Dates
Sep 09 - Nov 25 Loading
- CRN 38134
- $572.64 Domestic fees
Class meeting times
Duration
12 weeks
Instructor
TBD
Course outline
Course outline TBD — see Learning Outcomes in the interim.
Important information
- Please contact Eva Wong (Eva_Wong@bcit.ca) for registration approval. Blended or Hybrid courses have both synchronous online and in-person components. Class dates, times, and location (if applicable) are noted on the course page. Often, lectures, discussions, and assignments are completed online, while mid-term and final exams are completed in person on campus. Mid-term exam on Oct 15, 2025 Final exam on Nov 26, 2025
Confirmation
Required
To proceed with registration and add this course to the cart, please confirm:
No approval yet? Request approval You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Status
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.