Full course description
Please complete this form to express your interest, and we will contact you about the next steps for registration.
Date: 2026
Modality: Online - self-paced
Duration: Approximately 30 hours of learning time required. Access to the course until the end of 2026.
Price: Free
Short course structure and topics covered:
This course equips primary school teachers with the skills and confidence to begin using and teaching Chinese in their classrooms. Participants will learn basic Chinese expressions and vocabulary that can be easily integrated into everyday routines and activities. At the same time, they will explore key language teaching pedagogy, giving them practical strategies to create engaging and effective learning opportunities for their students.
Participants will also examine the essential building blocks of the Chinese language and discover a range of adaptable classroom activities and resources. They will be supported to guide their students in communicating about everyday topics in Chinese and to reflect on cultural similarities and differences between Chinese and their own backgrounds. By the end of the course, participants will have a practical toolkit of language, pedagogy, and resources to confidently begin their Chinese teaching journey.
Self-paced course
Module 1 | Introduction Module – Background to Chinese teaching, curriculum and pedagogy
Module 2 | The Building Blocks of the Chinese Language
Module 3 | Greetings
Module 4 | Classroom Objects
Module 5 | Names
Module 6 | Numbers and Age
More modules to be added in 2026
School visits available on request.
We're happy to visit your school or class to help you get started and provide practical support for setting up a Chinese language programme.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, participants will:
- Gain the skills and confidence to begin teaching Chinese in their own classrooms.
- Build a foundation in basic Chinese expressions, vocabulary, characters, pinyin, and tones.
- Apply key approaches to language teaching, including Ellis' Principles, iCLT, and task-based learning.
- Use simple Chinese in everyday classroom routines and activities.
- Design tasks that help students communicate about familiar topics such as greetings, names, and age.
- Guide students in reflecting on cultural similarities and differences between chinese and their own backgrounds.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for all primary school teachers, whether native or non-native Chinese speakers, as well as teachers introducing Chinese at Year 9 level. No prior experience or knowledge of the language is required.
If you have any course enquiries, please email chinese.clec@auckland.ac.nz.
By enrolling in a Short Course at the University of Auckland you agree to the Short Course Terms and Conditions