Functional Mandarin I helps learners with no prior background in Mandarin to acquire basic written and verbal skills in the language, such as vocabulary, grammatical knowledge and speaking confidently. Students are exposed to a variety of instructional activities including listening exercises, dialogue practice, group discussion, role play and problem-solving.

In Functional Mandarin II, students maintain and further their Mandarin skills, experiencing gains in vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and verbal confidence. Conversational practice exercises are present to help learners communicate effectively and appropriately in varied situations.