Useful Links

Websites for learning Chinese, and for finding information about Chinese history and cultural aspects. Teachers and students of Chinese will find these websites (in English or Chinese) useful and interesting to browse.

Teaching and Learning Resources

BBC - Real Chinese
A lively introduction to Mandarin Chinese in 10 short parts. Click on the topics in order to see the slideshow and hear the language. You'll also find useful phrases with tips on pronunciation and grammar, cultural notes and a short challenge to check what you've learnt.

成语 All the questions you want to ask about ‘Idiom’
http://www.chiculture.net/0610/html/index.shtml "A large collection of idioms with explanation."

China Sprout
"Zhongwen.com contains the complete text of Amazon's best selling, best reviewed Chinese-English dictionary."

CKC Chinese Input System –An alternative Chinese Input Method for both Simplified and Traditional scripts!
Coded with numbers, CKC is an easy-to-use Chinese Input System as users are only required to learn a few rules before using it. With its short learning curve which significantly increases efficiency, CKC has soon became popular after launching in China five years ago.
Please click here for free download

Games for language learning, in simplified and traditional scripts, including
別字擂台 - "透過「別字擂台」，希望大家能寓學習於遊戲，找出常犯的錯別字。"
字句查尋 - "透过「别字擂台」，希望大家能寓学习于游戏，找出常犯的错别字。"
http://cqchess.hkflash.com/quiz.asp?qid=big5_pinyin

Learn Cantonese
"This site contains over 200 pages of print friendly Chinese reference sheets, tests and revision aids. It is aimed to help you speak, read and write Hong Kong Chinese."

Learning Chinese On-line
"This page helps you to learn Chinese. No matter where you are"

On-line Chinese Tools
"These pages hope to provide tools to assist people in learning and using the beautiful Chinese language. From the novice Chinese language student to the advanced programmer."

Specialist Schools Trust Chinese Network
"This site provides a 'virtual staffroom' for Mandarin teachers and encourages the exchange of ideas, expertise and news, as well as materials and resources."

Chinese Language and Culture

新年知多少 - 香港教育局教育電視出版

農曆新年是中國人最重要的節日，有關新年的故事和習俗，可說是多彩多樣；不過隨?社會的改變，很多故事和習俗已經不再流傳。本節目主要介紹一些今天仍然流傳的新年故事和習俗，讓小朋友認識這些故事和習俗的意義，加深對中國文化的了解。節目內容包括：

年獸故事
新年習俗：大掃除、賣懶、貼福字、貼揮春、貼窗花、吃團年飯、守歲、給壓歲錢、買年花、拜年
賀年食品：年糕、煎堆、油角、餃子
新年活動：舞獅、花車巡遊、煙花匯演

China the Beautiful
"Classical Chinese Art, Calligraphy, Poetry, History, Literature, Painting and Philosophy"

Chinese New Year - Games and Crafts
Activity Village – with art and craft activities for primary-aged children.

China Online FAQ
"This site is a collection of Chinese characters in GIF format." Also contains other information about Chinese language and culture.

DimSum – The British Chinese community website
Dimsum.co.uk is the site for the Chinese diaspora.

Languages of China –
www.chinalanguage.com "The Chinese languages are the languages of the Han people, the major ethnic group of China, including both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China."

Learning Chinese
"The China Internet Information Center offers broad access to up-to-date news about China, with searchable texts of government position papers and a wealth of basic information about Chinese history, politics, economics and culture." Also has language learning resources.

RTHK Radio and Television Hong Kong
"A leading public broadcaster in the new media environment" – in Simplified, Traditional Chinese and English.

Royal Academy of Arts
For a list of resources and information related to Chinese Arts at the Royal Academy, click on
http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/search.html?q=Chinese

The Chinese Outpost
"The Chinese Outpost's "Introduction to Mandarin Chinese" tutorial aims to give you a broad foundational grasp of the principles behind Mandarin Chinese, without going into the granular details you might find in introductory linguistics courses, or that might show up on pop quizzes ." Also has language learning resources.

China Town Online
http://www.chinatown-online.org.uk/
Information and resources about Chinese New Year.

Institutions and Organisations supporting Chinese complementary schools

英国中文教育促进会
http://www.ukapce.org.uk/

中國文化研究院 - The Academy of Chinese Studies
"中國文化研究院於1998年3月正式註冊，是為推廣中國文化而成立的非牟利機構。"

Goldsmith College - supporting multilingual learning
http://www.gold.ac.uk/clcl/multilingual-learning/

CILT Primary Languages website – the national gateway to advice, information and support for primary languages, with specific section on community languages
http://www.primarylanguages.org.uk/teaching__learning/community_languages.aspx

The National Centre for Languages
CILT, the National Centre for Languages, part of CfBT Education Trust, with specific information on community languages:
http://www.cilt.org.uk/community_languages.aspx

The National Resource Centre for Supplementary Schools -
The NRC is a support network for supplementary schools
http://www.continyou.org.uk/community/supplementary_education/

Accreditation

Asset Languages
Asset Languages is the assessment scheme for the Languages Ladder. This national accreditation scheme accredits 25 different languages including Cantonese and Mandarin.

Edexcel
GCSE Chinese - http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gcse/gcse09/mfl/chinese/Pages/default.aspx
GCE Chinese - http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce08/lang/chinese/Pages/default.aspx
IGCSE Chinese - http://www.edexcel.com/quals/igcse/igcse09/lang/chinese/Pages/default.aspx

AQA
GCSE Chinese (Mandarin) - http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/newgcses/languages/new/chinese_overview.php
http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/newgcses/languages/new/chinese_assessment.php?id=08&prev=8
Entry Level Certificate (Mandarin) - http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/elc/languages/chinese_noticeboard_new.php?id=09&prev=09

IB Chinese - some background information on the International Baccalaureate in Mandarin Chinese
http://www.thechinesestaffroom.com/articles/09-10-25/international-baccalaureate-ib-and-mandarin-chinese-facts

Suppliers of Chinese books