top of page
Writer's pictureMu Mei Hsueh

Week 3.2: What should your students know before they start IGCSE Mandarin?

Updated: Nov 20


Before you start teaching IGCSE Mandarin Chinese, it is important to consider the level of knowledge, understanding, and skills that your students already have. When you are planning, knowing your students’ areas of weakness or strength helps to identify any skills or topics that require special attention.

Your learners will arrive at the course having acquired certain levels of skill across Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.  They will also already have acquired knowledge concerning vocabulary for certain topic areas and grammatical usage.

In the next lesson we are going to look at assessing your learners’ existing knowledge and skills.


In this lesson we are going to consider the underpinning knowledge and skills for Topic B Personal and Social Life for Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing, vocabulary and grammar that your students should already have. 


Write a list of the knowledge and skills for Topic B: Personal and Social Life

  1. Consider the requirements for Topic B: Personal and Social Life for Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing, vocabulary and grammar. 


  2. Write a list of the knowledge and skills that students should have previously gained. What knowledge and skills do you hope that your learners will have at the start of their studies of this topic?

(The above information is cited from the Introduction to the Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese (Foreign Language) (0547) Course)


My Work


I feel that the ACTFL (The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Proficiency Scale is similar to this topic, so the Novice level is a good fit for students beginning the IGCSE Mandarin course.


Listening

  • Novice Low: Understands some key words and very simple phrases when spoken slowly, especially related to identity, family, and daily activities.

  • Novice Mid: Recognizes familiar words and phrases about routine topics (e.g., family members, favorite activities).

  • Novice High: Can catch key details in short sentences about personal life and simple social contexts, especially repetitive phrases.


Reading

  • Novice Low: Recognizes a few common characters or symbols directly related to identity and social life (e.g., numbers, family terms).

  • Novice Mid: Identifies familiar characters and words about personal information (e.g., age, family members).

  • Novice High: Understands simple phrases and sentences about personal and social life, especially with visual support.


Speaking

  • Novice Low: Uses single words or phrases to introduce themselves, express likes/dislikes, and name basic items.

  • Novice Mid: Responds to simple questions with single words or very short phrases; can ask and answer basic questions about identity and routines.

  • Novice High: Uses simple sentences to describe family, daily routines, and interests, combining phrases learned in class.


Writing

  • Novice Low: Copies familiar characters or words related to identity and social life, such as names of family members or hobbies.

  • Novice Mid: Writes short, isolated phrases or lists about personal preferences and basic family details.

  • Novice High: Writes simple sentences about familiar topics, like family or daily routines, using repetitive structures.


Vocabulary

  • Novice Low: Knows a few vocabulary words related to identity, like family members and basic objects.

  • Novice Mid: Familiar with common vocabulary about personal and social life, including actions (e.g., eat, sleep) and hobbies.

  • Novice High: Has a wider vocabulary for describing family, routines, and activities with common nouns and adjectives.


Grammar

  • Novice Low: Understands simple word order (subject-verb-object) for basic phrases.

  • Novice Mid: Knows sentence patterns for describing identity, preferences, and routines.

  • Novice High: Has a basic understanding of sentence structures for simple descriptions, using possessives (e.g., 我的, 你的) and simple question forms (e.g., 你喜欢…吗?).





0 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page