Page 7 - 來學華語課本第五冊

I. Editorial Philosophy
1. Volumes 5 and 6 of Let’s Learn Mandarin enable overseas adult learners, whose interest in
Taiwanese culture has been piqued following study using Volumes 1 to 4, to gain a deeper and
broader understanding of Taiwanese culture via instruction that combines culture and language.
2. Learners who have not previously used Let’s Learn Mandarin need only attain the TOCFL A2
language proficiency level to be able to use these volumes for continuing to enhance their language
capabilities and cultural knowledge.
3. The lesson material drawn from Taiwan’s traditional culture and cultural aspects frequently
apparent in its modern society stresses the integration of tradition with innovation to enhance the
practicality of lesson content.
4. The “Taiwan Benchmarks for the Chinese Language” (TBCL) developed by the National Academy
for Educational Research comprise the editorial basis of these volumes.
5. A chapter format has been adopted for the lesson texts to accord with the presentation of general
cultural topics and boost the reading comprehension and paragraph expression capabilities of
learners.
6. The lessons herein have been written in a thematic unit format for flexibility in course arrangement.
Each unit includes content for two thematically related yet distinct topics. Teachers can provide
instruction according to learner needs or choose a unit of comparative interest to learners.

II. Textbook Structure
1. Textbook: Volume 5 of the Let’s Learn Mandarin series contains 5 units, each of which comprises 2
lessons, for a total of 10 lessons.
Unit 1: Housing and Architecture
Unit 2: The Joys of Taiwan Travel
Unit 3: Beliefs and Culture
Unit 4: Eating in Taiwan
Unit 5: The Beauty of Craftsmanship
2. Text: Each lesson text is presented in the form of short passages principally rendered in traditional
characters and also in simplified characters. The characters of the text are accompanied by
Mandarin phonetic symbols. This is followed by a rendering of the text in Hanyu Pinyin and then
in English. It is hoped that upon reaching a certain level of proficiency, learners will cultivate the
ability to read the characters without relying on Hanyu Pinyin for an understanding of text content.
3. Vocabulary: Each vocabulary item is presented in Mandarin phonetic symbols, Hanyu Pinyin with
tone markings, Traditional Chinese characters, part of speech, and English translation. Volume 5
presents 534 words and proper names in all, primarily from TBCL vocabulary Level 4 and Level 5.
4. Grammar/Sentence Patterns: Volume 5 presents a total of 30 grammar items and exercises
principally drawn from TBCL Level 3, Level 4 and Level 5.
5. After-class assignments: Each lesson includes assigned activities pertaining to the lesson topic, in
which students independently search for and identify relevant content, then compare it with the
culture of their own country and discuss it to express their views on the topic.
6. Supplemental resources: Links to websites and videos pertaining to the topic are provided so that
learners can further understand the current situation in Taiwan via these real-life social resources
and not just written descriptions, and get to see the real Taiwan with their own eyes.
7. A glossary index is appended hereafter.

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