Chinese for Beginners (Coursera)

Offered by Peking University,
Chinese for Beginners (Coursera)

Nowadays, there is an increasing number of people who are interested in Chinese culture and language. And it is useful to know about the language when coming to China for travel or business. This is an ABC Chinese course for beginners, including introduction of phonetics and daily expressions. After taking this class, learners can have a basic understanding of Chinese Mandarin and make basic conversations of daily living such as exchanging personal information, talking about daily arrangements and food, asking about price, introducing the city and the weather, telling your hobbies etc.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Selected topics and situations come from real life scenarios and can be used for everyday communications. In addition to the dialogues, the selection of reading materials and practice activities will make the content as rich and varied as possible, in order to stimulate the learners’ interests. This is an elementary course on Chinese speaking. The learners don’t need to study Chinese characters, so it is easier to follow and complete this course.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Who Are You?
When we first meet someone, we need to learn about each other. In this module, we are going to learn some ways to introduce yourself, including name, nationality, identity, and discussing your family. We are also going to study Chinese Mandarin phonetics.

WEEK 2
When Do You Go To School?
How do you plan your daily life? In this module, we are going to learn how to describe our daily schedule, including numbers, time, periods, and some corresponding actions.

WEEK 3
What Do You Like to Eat?
Food is our most important need. In this module, we are going to talk about Chinese main courses, fruits, vegetables and meat, as well as drinks. Have you seen or tried any of these Chinese dishes? Maybe you have already learned to say them in Chinese!

WEEK 4
I Like Shopping!
Shopping! Shopping! Some people love to go shopping, while others feel it is a headache. Still, shopping is an essential part of our life. In this module, we are going to learn how to express our color and size preference, how to ask about price, and how to bargain. Do you know what the most popular color is in your country? How about in China?

WEEK 5
Do You Live in a Big City?
Do you live in a big city or a small town? How do you get to work or school every day? In this module, we are going to learn how to give directions and how to speak about transportation. This module is valuable in case you need to talk about directions with a Chinese friend or you need to go somewhere when you are in China.

WEEK 6
How About the Weather?
Weather can influence our daily life and personal health. In this module, we are going to talk about temperature, seasons, and personal health. China is a very big country and the weather can be quite different across regions and seasons; we will learn to talk about all sorts of weather.

WEEK 7
What is Your Hobby?
What do you like to do in your spare time? We have so many choices nowadays and lead such colorful lives. In this module, we are going to talk about weekday pastimes, sports, TV programs, and some other activities related to the internet, reading, music, and travel!

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

First Step Korean (Coursera) Coursera
Yonsei University

First Step Korean (Coursera)

This is an elementary-level Korean language course, consisting of 5 lessons with 4 units, and covers 4 skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. The main topics include basic expressions used in everyday life, such as greetings, introducing yourself, talking about your family and a daily life and so on. Each lesson covers dialogues, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, quizzes and role-plays.

Jun 15th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Religious Transformation in Early China: the Period of Division (Coursera) Coursera
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Religious Transformation in Early China: the Period of Division (Coursera)

This sequence of four courses will propose a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of Chinese cultural history conceived of as a succession of modes of rationality (philosophical, bureaucratic, and economic). The focus will be on the moments of paradigm shift from one mode of rationality to another. For each of these moments, cultural facts and artifacts—thought, literature, ritual—will be examined in relationship to changing social, political, and economic systems.

Jun 15th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Conjunctions, Connectives, and Adverb Clauses (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Irvine

Conjunctions, Connectives, and Adverb Clauses (Coursera)

This is the second course in the Learn English: Advanced Grammar and Punctuation specialty. In this course, you will learn about a lot of different ways to join ideas to make more complex and interesting sentences. You'll learn about two types of conjunctions, many other types of connectives, and adverb clauses. You'll also learn about how to punctuate all of these expressions and the types of sentences they create. All of this is grammar you must know to have a high fluency in English.

Jun 8th 2026
4 Weeks
Social Science Approaches to the Study of Chinese Society Part 1 (Coursera) Coursera
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - HKUST

Social Science Approaches to the Study of Chinese Society Part 1 (Coursera)

This course seeks to turn learners into informed consumers of social science research. It introduces concepts, standards, and principles of social science research to the interested non-expert. Learners who complete the course will be able to assess evidence and critically evaluate claims about important social phenomena. It reviews the origins and development of social science, describes the process of discovery in contemporary social science research, and explains how contemporary social science differs from apparently related fields. It describes the goals, basic paradigms, and methodologies of the major social science disciplines.

Jun 8th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Teaching Tips for Tricky English Grammar (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Irvine

Teaching Tips for Tricky English Grammar (Coursera)

This is the third course in the Teach English: Intermediate Grammar specialization. It will be useful to ESL teachers or those interested in learning to teach English language, but it is not an introduction to teaching course. You will learn about some specific problems students have learning intermediate grammar. You will learn why students have trouble with this tricky grammar and find out new ways to help students conquer it.

Jun 15th 2026
4 Weeks
TOEFL Speaking and Writing Sections Skills Mastery (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Irvine

TOEFL Speaking and Writing Sections Skills Mastery (Coursera)

This course prepares non-native speakers of English to take the speaking and writing sections of the TOEFL iBT exam. This course explains the difference between the integrated tasks and independent tasks in the speaking and writing sections of the iBT and provides effective strategies for tackling each task. For each type of prompt, you will learn how to best plan your responses, which is a key step to providing well-formed and organized answers.

Jun 15th 2026
4 Weeks
TOEFL Reading and Listening Sections Skills Mastery (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Irvine

TOEFL Reading and Listening Sections Skills Mastery (Coursera)

This course prepares non-native speakers of English to take the reading and listening sections of the TOEFL iBT exam. This course takes a close look at every type of listening and reading question that you may encounter on the test and provides effective strategies for tackling each type. Expanding your vocabulary, a critical part of improving your overall skills in English, is another focal point of this course.

Jun 15th 2026
4 Weeks
Adjectives and Adjective Clauses (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Irvine

Adjectives and Adjective Clauses (Coursera)

Being able to adeptly use adjective clauses in speaking and writing is useful for upper level English learners. Adjectives and adjective clauses are very common in English, so students need to be able to understand them when they see them or hear them. Students often struggle to bring complexity to their speaking and writing and adjective clauses can be a great way to do this.

Jun 15th 2026
4 Weeks
Writing your World: Finding yourself in the academic space (Coursera) Coursera
University of Cape Town

Writing your World: Finding yourself in the academic space (Coursera)

Throughout the world, writing serves to express, record and even create meaningful moments. In academic spaces, writing becomes the bridge between ourselves and the world of ideas. In this course, we provide practical insights into how to write an academic essay. We show you how to develop the academic skills needed to be a competent academic writer. You will have an opportunity to engage with texts written by academics, and to see how some of the ideas in these texts are used by students in constructing an academic essay.

Jun 8th 2026
4 Weeks
Mandarin Chinese 3: Chinese for Beginners (Coursera) Coursera
Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Mandarin Chinese 3: Chinese for Beginners (Coursera)

Mandarin Chinese 3: Chinese for beginners is a beginner's course of Mandarin Chinese in continuation of Mandarin Chinese 2: Chinese for beginners. It uses lectures, short plays, interactive exercises and cultural tips to help learners build a fundamental capability of oral Chinese in real-life situations. At the end of the 5-lesson course, the learners will reach the following proficiency: 500 words; 60 language points; handling 15 real-life situations.

Jun 15th 2026
5-12 Weeks
English Composition I (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University

English Composition I (Coursera)

You will gain a foundation for college-level writing valuable for nearly any field. Students will learn how to read carefully, write effective arguments, understand the writing process, engage with others' ideas, cite accurately, and craft powerful prose. Course Learning Objectives: summarize, analyze, question, and evaluate written and visual texts; argue and support a position; recognize audience and disciplinary expectations; identify and use the stages of the writing process; identify characteristics of effective prose; apply proper citation practices; discuss applying your writing knowledge to other writing occasions

Jun 8th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Mandarin Chinese 2: Chinese for Beginners (Coursera) Coursera
Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Mandarin Chinese 2: Chinese for Beginners (Coursera)

Mandarin Chinese 2: Chinese for beginners is a beginner's course of Mandarin Chinese in continuation of Mandarin Chinese 1: Chinese for beginners. It uses lectures, short plays, interactive exercises and cultural tips to help learners build a fundamental capability of oral Chinese in real-life situations. At the end of the 5-lesson course, the learners will reach the following proficiency: 300 words; 40 language points; handling 10 real-life situations

Jun 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks