“Current Affairs in Mandarin”

Abstract

The “Current Affairs in Mandarin” project takes an innovative approach to the use of audio-visual media for language learning, providing students with a uniquely authentic and immersive learning experience. At the same time, it has generated a growing collection of standalone resources that, over time, have developed into a compelling archive of student achievements as well as an invaluable repository for building specialist vocabulary for students and practitioners within the field of languages in the social sciences. As a collaboration between various departments across the institution, it also stands as an exemplar of connectedness and collaboration within large higher education institutions. Now, in its fifth year, the project continues to be developed and further improvements are pursued. Details of the project will be explored in this chapter. The results of evaluative research into students' perspectives on their project experiences will also be presented and discussed.