Our up-skilling course is for secondary language teachers who wish to acquire a third or fourth language. The course takes into account the fact that delegates already have advanced language learning skills, understand grammatical structures and wish to fast-track their learning. This CPD course is for language teachers with no previous knowledge of Mandarin Chinese.

This course focuses on:

• confidence in basic conversational Mandarin
• pronunciation, pinyin (standard romanisation) and the tone system
• speaking and listening skills
• reading and writing Chinese characters
• grammatical structures
• acquiring vocabulary and structures aligned to the Key Stage 3 curriculum
• teaching resources currently available

Delegates will also receive one year’s subscription to The Chairman’s Bao [TCB]. This will be used by delegates as 'homework' between their 3 day-training sessions: the materials can also be used once delegates have completed the course, to 'brush up' on Chinese skills. TCB is the most comprehensive online Chinese news-based learning resources for beginners to post-advanced level of study. A summary of the key benefits include:

• 1,600 news-based lessons each year and a library of over 2,500 lessons across HSK levels 1-6+
• Full synchronisation across platforms – website, iOS and Android apps
• Interactive live dictionary (activated by highlighting/clicking words)
• Stroke order animation and character writing testing tools
• Simplified and traditional characters
• Clear grammatical explanations and idioms
• Graded spoken audio and keywords
• Support with reading, writing and listening
• Learn about Chinese culture, history and more.

We also offer a level 2 course as a follow-up to the above or for those teachers who already have a basic knowledge of Mandarin.

Presenter profile

Dr. Theresa Munford: BA (Hons) Chinese Durham University: diploma in Chinese Nanjing University: PRC, PhD Chinese History Australian National University: PGCE Secondary Roehampton Institute.

Prior to teaching in schools, Theresa worked and studied in Asia for many years: she has taught Mandarin across the age ranges, and has mentored and trained teachers at Primary and Secondary level. A regular speaker at conferences for teachers of Chinese, Theresa has helped develop resources and has been involved in the steady growth of Chinese as a school curriculum subject over the last decade.

She believes strongly that Mandarin Chinese is an accessible language; that the spoken language can be taught efficiently and effectively; and that technology has enabled non-native speakers to attain levels of literacy in Chinese that in the past would have required many years of study.

Feedback from teachers on Theresa's course

This has been a lovely course - thank you.
The course content and Theresa were both excellent.
Excellent idea to have link-global on-line classroom as part of the package.
A very thorough, enjoyable and brilliant course.

Cost: £475 (for 3 days) which includes lunch and resources