Vrouw staande voor een Chinese stad
Vrouw staande voor een Chinese stad

Language course Chinese for beginners (A2 part 1)

If you can already order something in a restaurant in Chinese or say what you will be doing tomorrow, and you can understand the gist of a Chinese news report, this Chinese A2 part 1 course will help you to further develop your knowledge of the language so that you are on your way to level A2.

    General

    Entry level

    This course is the first part of A2-level Chinese. In order to participate in this course, we expect you to already have certain knowledge and skills; for example, you should be able to have simple conversations in Chinese about personal topics, and know how to ask directions and make an appointment with someone. You should be able to recognise about 200-250 Chinese characters.

    If you completed the preceding Chinese A1 part 3 course at In’to, you will automatically be able to progress to this course. If you did not complete this particular course, we will invite you to take part in a telephone intake so that we can determine whether this course is appropriate for your language level.

    After completing this Chinese language course, you will be able to:

    • have simple, short conversations on personal topics;
    • broadly follow everyday conversations on familiar topics;
    • broadly understand short, simple texts (brochures, advertisements);
    • write short, simple messages or e-mails;
    • read short sentences with the characters covered in class.

    The course focuses primarily on verbal communication, as well as reading, listening and writing skills. You will also learn more about Chinese culture.

    To receive a Radboud in’to Languages certificate, you need to attend 80% of the classes.

    This course will help you on your way to level A2.

    Why take a group course at In’to?

    • You notice rapid progress thanks to the fast pace
    • You learn by doing with plenty of interactive exercises – also in our online courses
    • You practise speaking a lot and learn how to really use the language
    • You learn about the culture and the nuances of the language so that you can really connect
    • Learning from and with each other in a group is effective and fun
    • Our teachers are your best motivation: they give you feedback and share both their knowledge and their love for the language and culture 

    Would you prefer individual classes, or a shorter, more intensive course? Check out our tailor-made courses.

    Starting date

    07 October 2026, 7:45 pm
    This course ends on 2 december 2026. Each session takes 1.5 hours.
    Costs
    €340
    Discount
    50% (RU students), 10% (RU & Radboudumc staff and alumni; WUR students and staff)
    Educational method
    Combination of on-site and online
    Main Language
    English
    Number of sessions
    8
    Intake
    Yes
    Maximum number of participants
    16

    Factsheet

    Type of education
    Course
    Level
    Beginner
    Result
    Certificate

    Contact information

    Do you have a question? Or would you like to discuss which course best suits your needs and starting level? Feel free to contact us. We are happy to help you out.

    Contact us

    024-361 21 59
    info [at] into.ru.nl (info[at]into[dot]ru[dot]nl)

    This course takes place from 7 October until 2 December. There is no class in the week of 19 October because of the autumn break.

    Class day and time: Wednesdays from 7.45 - 9.15 pm. 
    Number of participants: min. 5 - max. 16

    The course consists of 8 classes:
    - 3 classes on campus in Nijmegen (class 1, 5 and 8) and
    - 5 online classes via the Virtual Classroom (class 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7). Find out what to expect from our online courses.

    Approach and content 

    Chinese is spoken as much as possible during classes, with English as the supporting language, as are the materials used. This means you can take this course if you do not speak Dutch. 

    You should count on about three to four hours of individual study per week.

    What do the classes cover?

    Conversation

    • Keeping pets 养宠物
    • Introducing your favourite city 介绍你最喜欢的城市
    • If you are unwell, how do you ask for a sick day? 如果你生病了怎么请病假
    • Going to the doctor 看医生
    • Borrowing a book from the library 从图书馆借书

    Grammar

    • Verb+ guò - have done
    • Yīnwèi因为…suǒyǐ所以…  - because…so that is why…
    • Verb+ le  adj.+le
    • Yàoshi要死…de huà的话 - if
    • The difference between gàn and zuò
    • Complement result Verb+cuò 
    • present continuous tense: zhèngzài正在
    • shì…de的 – to emphasise how who where
    • Verb+de 

    Chinese culture

    • Places of interest in Beijing 北京名胜古迹
    • Chinese hospital 中国的医院
    • Chinese eating culture 中国吃文化

    The stories of Chinese characters 汉字故事

    Course material

    • Contemporary Chinese 2 (in English), ISBN: 9787513807319
    • Contemporary Chinese 2 Character Book (in English) (not mandatory), ISBN: 9787513807333

    The course material can be purchased at Roelants bookstore. Course material is not included in the course fee.

    Costs

    • Regular fee: € 340,-
    • RU students: € 170,- (50% discount)
    • RU and Radboudumc staff & alumni : € 306,- (10% discount)
    • WUR students & staff: € 306,- (10% discount)

    Would you like to make use of your discount as RU alumnus, or as WUR student or employee? Please enter this information in the ‘reference’ field on the registration form, or email us once you have registered at info [at] into.ru.nl (info[at]into[dot]ru[dot]nl).

    Determine your level with a free intake

    If you did not complete the previous level with us, you may find it useful to have a free telephone intake before you register. That way, you can be sure that the course is a good match for your level. Contact our Service Centre to schedule an intake.

    Registration

    Important information about registration

    • For Radboud University students and staff: in order to register for a course, you must turn your EduVPN on. This also applies when you are on campus.
    • For anyone not affiliated with the University: please use the second button.

    Registration for RU staff/studentsRegistration for other participants

    This course starts every year in January/February, April/May and October. If you would like to take this course, but is it fully booked or your desired start date has not yet been listed, let us know that you would like to be kept informed, and we will let you know when you can sign up for new dates.