Thanks very much, Anne and Michelle.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "MTATE" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 10:09 PM
Subject: Re: GCSE


> Anne & Gina,
> 
> In my experience vocab not found in the core list has appeared in the 
> listening exam, which can catch pupils out.  For example - I used to 
> just teach that reading was 'kan shu' or 'du shu', as they are the ones 
> I was taught and are widely used.  But in the listening exam a few 
> years ago they used 'yue du'.  In the same set of pictures that pupils 
> had to choose from was a picture of art, which I had taught as 'mei 
> shu'.  In the listening they used 'yi shu', which is of course also 
> art, but I hadn't taught that one.  The word 'shu' confused pupils, as 
> they thought it was book, not knowing that art was 'yi shu'.  They were 
> also waiting for 'hua hua' to come up!  So the majority of them 
> selected reading when they heard 'yi shu'.  I have learnt my lesson and 
> now try to teach as many variations of words as I can, though this 
> takes time and such words do not appear on that list!  Can't win, it 
> seems, on the listening.
> 
> Great news that Edexcel have given their word that they won't use 
> extra vocab on the reading and writing papers, though.  That's a 
> relief!
> 
> Michelle
> 
> 
> ----Original Message----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Sep 30, 2005 17:02 
> To: 
> Subj: Re: GCSE
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Gina
> I queried the list of core vocab with edexcel and 
> they confirmed that is is the core vocab for both reading and for 
> writing -about 
> 1,000 characters . They told me that only characters listed in the 
> core vocab 
> will be used in the exam. 
> Regards
> Anne
> 
> 
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: 
>  Gina Edens 
>  To: [log in to unmask] 
>  
>  Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 10:56 
>  AM
>  Subject: GCSE
>  
> 
>  I think Oliver's point about the boudaries 
>  compared to Japanese is very important one.  I also agree that the 
>  syllabus for Chinese is OK as it does list grammar required and 
> there is a 
>  core vocabulary but this will only get a student a C grade (I 
> believe - I am 
>  still quite new to this so I may be wrong.)  Would a comprehensive 
>  vocabulary and character list (one for reading, another for writing) 
> be 
>  useful?  As  a beginner teacher in Mandarin I find it very hard to 
>  prioritise characters for reading and writing.  I am constantly 
> aware 
>  that when characters come up in the exam that students don't know, I 
> will be 
>  the only one at fault for not having covered them in my lessons.  I 
> don't 
>  want my lessons to become a mad race to cover hundreds and hundreds 
> of 
>  characters at the expense of pupils' enjoyment, cultural studies, 
> etc.  
>  But at the moment as I have little guidance I am inclined to cram my 
> schemes 
>  of work with what is really an unreasonable amount of characters 
> (which I 
>  struggle with, let alone the students!!)
>   
>  We have just had our open morning and parents 
>  were far more interested in Mandarin than Japanese.  I wonder how 
> this 
>  will change, however, when we have our first cohort take the GCSE in 
> 2008 and 
>  parents compare our Japanese results of nearly 100% A* most years 
> with 
>  possibly very deflated Mandarin results unless changes are made.  I 
> am 
>  worried to say the least!!
>   
>  Gina Edens
>  Whitgift 
> School