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Created by Dr. Sik Lee Dennig of Cantonese Alliance
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TasksVocabularyGrammarDeliveryCultureNotes
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Beginning1• To introduce oneself, family, and friends
• To engage in simple conversations about daily life
• To conduct simple transactions
• To ask for directions: Chéng mahn dím heui LOCATION a?
• To order common food and drinks at chàhlàuh (dim sum), chàh-chāantēng, and restaurants		• Self introduction (e.g., birth place, language(s) spoken, address, hobbies)
• Common vocabulary for everyday activities (e.g., telling time, weather, food, and drinks)
• Directional words (e.g., chìhnmihn, gaaklèih, and deuimihn)		Basic Grammar: Basic word orders are emphasized (e.g., "PP + VERB" and "MODIFIER + ge + NOUN")
• Topic-Comment and the topic marker
• SVO
• The basic structure of the Noun Phrase (ge and noun classifiers),
• The basic structure of the Verb Phrase (major aspect markers, common verbs)
• Simple adjectives
• Common sentence-final particles
• Yes-no questions
• Question words
• Prepositional phrases
• basic adverbial constructions		• Speech may be slow
• Pronunciation errors are expected, especially with tones and vowel length

• interacting in a culturally appropriate way in simple interactions (e.g., understanding the routine at a dim sum restaurant)
• using proper terms of address and expressions of thanks
• being able to name common food and practices at major festivals		• See "Beginning Conversational Cantonese Curriculum"
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Intermediate1• To engage in longer conversations about a variety of topics
• To give directions and instructions
• To be able to tell simple and short stories
• Expanding general vocabulary about a wide range of topics (e.g., education, traffic, and crimes)• To expand the Noun and Verb Phrases (e.g., adding the relative clause to a noun phrase)
• To expand the variety of sentence structures:
- The passive structure
- Combining sentences with subordinators and coordinators
- Comparative structures that involve complex verbs
- A greater variety of comparative structures
- Focusing devices (e.g., the jēung construction)
- The resultative structure		• Comprehensible to native speakers accustomed to interacting with learners.• to be able to understand the cultural meanings associated with specific products
• to extend such understanding to a more global level (e.g., the Mid-Autumn Festival being associated with the Harvest Moon, which is celebrated around the world; seeds are consumed at Chinese New Year throughout China, but the type of seed preferred depends on what is plentiful in a region
• See "Intermediate Conversational Cantonese Curriculum"
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Advanced1• To narrate and describe with details in major time frames• Precise vocabulary for talking about current events and significant Cantonese topics such as history, identity, and popular culture.• To understand story grammar in Cantonese (e.g., how to create the setting, characters, plot, and conflict resolution)
• To connect sentences are connected to form paragraphs by using a variety of devises. Examples:
- Appropriate connectors
- The use of the perfective marker to highlight the climax of an event
- Alternations among different types of anaphora to maintain textual cohesion
• Comprehensible to native speakers not accustomed to interacting with learners.• The history of the Cantonese language and people
• The early immigration history of Chinese Americans
• Popular culture and identity
• Asian American identity and issues
• See Cantonese Through Films at https://cantonese-alliance.github.io/film.html
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Professional• To express and support opinions and discuss topics at a more abstract level• Formal, professional vocabulary• Formal, complex structures• Fluent with near-native pronunciation.• Being able to use cultural references and expressions freely when discussing issues.
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*1 represents starting this level; 2 represents "on level"; 3 represents transitioning to the next level.
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Comparing the above Cantonese scale with two established scales in the U.S. and one in Europe.*
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CANTONESEFSI/ILRACTFLCEFR
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Beginning 1-30/0+Novice Low/Mid/HighA1
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Intermediate 1-21Intermediate Low/MidA2
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Intermediate 31+Intermediate HighB1
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Advanced 1-32/2+Advanced Low/Mid/highB2
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Professional3/3+SuperiorC1
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Professional4/4+DistinguishedC2
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Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Proficiency LevelsThe American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guideline 2012Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
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* https://strommeninc.com/what-are-ilr-and-cefr-levels/
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Time needed to reach major levels
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https://goeastmandarin.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-chinese-mandarin/
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http://onlinecourse.ncolctl.org/fundamentals/lesson3/5C.html
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