Course Description

This level is for learners who can manage the basics and want to speak Cantonese the way people actually use it. Lessons move from short exchanges to longer conversations, in which you describe experiences, tell anecdotes, give opinions and react naturally to what others say. Much of the work at this level goes into the features that make Cantonese sound natural: the full range of sentence-final particles and the shades of attitude they carry, colloquial vocabulary and common expressions, verb complements, comparisons with 過, and the shift between polite and casual speech. Listening practice uses natural-speed conversation, television, films and podcasts, so that you become used to the speed, rhythm and contractions of real speech. You can also develop your reading and writing in two directions: written colloquial Cantonese, as used in messages, social media and some popular publications, and standard written Chinese, including how it is read aloud in Cantonese. Topics cover work, travel, food, family, news and popular culture, and can be shaped around your own interests and reasons for learning. By the end of this level, you will be able to hold everyday conversations comfortably, express and defend opinions, and tell a story in a way that sounds natural to native speakers. You will follow much of everyday conversation and simpler television programmes, and read and type messages in written Cantonese. The level corresponds roughly to CEFR B1–B2.