This beginning-level course introduces students toýthe speaking, listening, reading, and writingýskills necessary for basic communication inýMandarin. Designed for students with no previousýcourse work in Mandarin, this course focuses onýreading and writing with the pinyin (phonetic)ýsystem; learning and practicing the radicalýsimplified characters and related compounds;ýbuilding vocabulary and practicing basicýsentence patterns in communicative contexts; andýpronunciation. Students will be expected toýachieve approximately the mid-novice level basedýon guidelines published by the American Council onýthe Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).ýFinally, awareness of the cultures, behaviors, andýtraditions of the Chinese-speaking world will alsoýbe emphasized. Global marker.