1. I have not had any experience to teach a group of GCSE students from Y9 (beginners) at school because our pupils start to learn mandarin Chinese from Y7. However, I teach the private students who may start from Y8 to Y10 and exam result were A* grades (half hour a week, but do a lot of homework include school holiday). So I think it is impossible to expect our pupils to achieve A* grades in 2 years, particularly there are 29 pupils in some classes.
2. My students in FE College only do 2 years' 2 hours a week course. They were beginners and so far almost got A* grades except one who is nearly deaf (lost 90% hearing, do speaking and listening by lip reading).
3. Also, my students in FE College some did Asset Language Breakthrough after 10 weeks learning, but I only suggested them to do reading and writing because they can practise a lot at home. The exam results were quite pleasant - all top grades. I did not try speaking which will course me a lot of extra work. Before in my school the Y9 pupils after 2 years learning did 4 skills Asset Breakthrough exams which coursed both students and teachers exhausted. So now after 2 years learning in Y9 in our school, pupils may take Asset L, R and W exams.
X. Pan
Mandarin Chinese Teacher
Oxford High School
________________________________
From: Mandarin Chinese Teaching on behalf of Charlotte Cotton
Sent: Thu 2012-1-19 19:09
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: how long to get to GCSE Mandarin?
Just in from a governors meeting at our local comp where I was surprised to hear that Year 9s have been offered Mandarin as one of their options. I am thrilled they are offering it to this catchment but worried that they honestly think a GCSE is possible in two years. I do not want them offering something they cant deliver....They say offering it to year 9s is to 'assess interest' but as I am now going in to see the Head and Deputy tomorrow I want as many up to date facts as possible. Please help with your experiences. I am going in at noon tomorrow!
1. I have not taught GCSE since 2010 when it was all four skills. Since then I haven't found anyone near here who is doing the GCSE so have been teaching at a lower level to get the Asset Languages Breakthrough levels. My understanding is that some schools do the Asset Langs levels using either the OCR books by Dragons in Europe or the Jinbu books, work their way up through the levels (how many before going over to GCSE?) and then take the GCSE. Is this the way everyone does it now? Starting which year? Year 7 preferably! But any success starting later?
2. Chat on this forum a year or so ago was that in a school setting it takes five years of three hours a week with lots of homebased e-learning from Language Global or similar to reach GCSE level. Do teachers still think this is the case?
3. If I was advising the school, would you suggest Jinbu 1, Jinbu2 and Edexcel Bird's Nest Stadium book to finish? Or the OCR Dragons in Europe books first?
4. Now that you can do two skills for GCSE, is there a faster route? I would have thought Breakthrough for speaking and listening and going up through the levels and then the GCSE would be ok but is this any faster in practice?
Looking forward to a summary of your experiences so I can advise the school.
Thanks
Charlotte Cotton
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