EarlyYearsandMandarinWehaveMandarininourschoolcurriculumfromages4-18withallpupilsinreception,Year3,Year6andYear7learningChinese.WedoiGCSE,Pre-UandHSKIVatKeyStages4and5.OurphilosophybehindourLanguagescarouselprogrammeinprimaryschool,learningFrench,SpanishandMandarininrotationistoprovideasenseofunderstandingofthewiderworld,languageandculture.Wehaveplannedourreceptioncurriculumwithavarietyofkeyskillsandtoreflectknowledgethattheyalreadyhaveintheirownlanguage.Thisschemeisinitssecondyearandworkingverywell.
ChinesethroughplayReceptionhavelearntcoloursthroughplay:usingthemagicbagtoassessunderstandingandthroughLego.Wesplittheclassandbuiltanobjectusingeachcolourandpupilinturn.WehavealsousedPlay-dohtobuildobjectsandhavewrittenChinesecharactersinthesandpit.
Setting up a creative Early Years Chinese curriculum
23June2017,IOEConfuciusIns5tuteAnnualChineseTeachingConference
Chinesethroughmusic
Wehavemadeupourownsongstowellknowntunes–suchasthefoodsongtothetuneof‘Londonbridgeisfallingdown’verse1:葡萄,苹果,橘子,桃子verse2:米饭,鸡蛋,面包,面条‘Iamhappy’byPharrellWilliamsbecametheanimalsong:狗 狗狗 猫 猫 猫 猫 兔子 兔子鱼 鱼 鱼Somegreatsongswerecomposedbyourworkshopparticipants!OurreceptiongirlshavesunginChineseNewYearassemblyandrememberwordsexceptionallywellthroughsong.
ChinesethroughartWaterpaintingwithbrushesboughtinBeijingmarketandfingerpaintingalwaysgoesdownwell.
Chinesethroughdrama,mimeanddanceWeactouttheChinesezodiacanimalstory,usingabluefabricriverandall12softtoys(Beaniebabiesworkwell).OnepupilistheJadeemperorwithacrownandhelpstheteachernarratethestorybyputtingitintothefirstperson.Miminghelpsrememberwords,forexample,actingout狗(wagtail),兔子(bunnyears).ThroughConfuciusClassroomfunding,wehireaprofessionaldanceratNewYeartodoaprogrammeforeachprimaryclass,aimedattheirlevelwithlion,fanandparasoldancing.
ChinesethroughAppsPlickersisgreatwayofassessingthepupilsforvocabulary.TheydrawthepictureontheirindividualcardandthenholduptherightpicturetothetopwhentheteachersaystheChineseword.Kahootworkswellandisverypopularwithalllevelsofpupilsandreceptionpupilswereabletopickouttherightcharacterbasedonthestorytellingwhichwedidforeachcharacter.
ChinesethroughstoriesMakingupstoriestoremembereachcharacterwasfun–quotesfromreceptionincludethat狗hasaflicky,hairytailandabackleg,兔子hasapersonontherightfeedingtherabbitandthecharacteronthelefthasbunnyears,legsandafluffytail.猫wasdescribedashaving3sticksthatlooklikewhiskersandthesquareisthewindowwherethecatsitsallday.仓鼠isahamsterhouse,andpawsholdingfood.Thestorieswillbedifferenteachyear,buthelpwithmemory.Wehavedevisedthestoryof‘HappyLion’whocomestoChesterfromChinatostayatourschool.Ontheway,hemeetslotsofanimalfriendsandsays,你好and再见and我
叫toeachanimal.Storiesareeasytowriteandfeedtheimaginationofreceptionpupils,realisingthatChinaissofaraway.
PleasefeelfreetocontactusatTheQueen’sSchool,Chester–wewouldbeveryhappytowelcomeChineseteacherstoseewhatwedo.
