Please note that both the US Foreign Service Institute and the Defense Language Institute categorize Chinese as a difficult language for native English speakers to learn. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages says that it takes 4 times longer for students studying Chinese to achieve the same level of proficiency as students studying Level 1 languages (Spanish, French, Latin, etc.). Students selecting Chinese courses may need to take into account additional study time to achieve success.

This course builds on all skills developed in Chinese II. Advanced listening comprehension exercises are more challenging. Reading comprehension exercises are presented in different forms such as advertisements, postcards, diary entries, name cards, letters, etc. Students at this level are exposed to authentic written forms. Regular and extended reading challenges students to further explore meanings of new words and phrases. In Mandarin III more emphasis is placed on students speaking with authentic pronunciation and tones. Topics for third-year learning cover terminology for the human body, hospital visits, dining in restaurants, food and health, shopping and living environments, and cultural traditions.

This course is taught and students are evaluated using simplified characters rather than traditional.

Course Number	0418
Grade Level	9,10,11,12
Pre-Requisite	Grade of C or higher in Chinese (Mandarin) II
Application and/or Audition Date	None
Credits	10
VCHS Graduation Credit	World Language
UC Approval	Yes E Course (LOTE)
Fees	None

Note: Students who intend to take the AP Exam in May should enroll in AP Chinese the year they intend to take the exam. Due to space limitations, students enrolled in AP Chinese will be given priority when signing up for the AP Exam, and there may not be space for students who are not enrolled in AP Chinese.