Dear Li-Chun,
No problem, you can contact me any time.
By the way, here is my colleague Julian’s
view about 100% target language: he thinks it is challenging but feasible, if
the students are good mature students with no behaviour problem, then with a
lot of mine and body language, you may be able to achieve it. But you must
teach the instructions before you use it in class and consolidate it by daily
use in class and building up more little by little, then eventually you should
be able to achieve 100% target langue in class.
Hope this helps.
Linying Liu
Head of Mandarin at Kingsford Community
School
Mandarin Network Coordinator for
Specialist Schools Trust
From:
Mandarin Chinese Teaching
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Li-Chun Tsai
Sent: 26 September 2007 09:33
To:
[log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: GCSE Mandarin
Many thanks for your prompt reply - it's very helpful of
you.
Personally, I share the same view as yourself.
However, we're being trained to use 100% Target Language i.e.
Mandarin. Somehow I find that it's not very easy to use 100%
Mandarin if the children don't have any prior background in Mandarin
Chinese. I'm interested in looking into this area for my
academic work.
Thanks again for your useful info.
Would you mind if I come back to you if I need more
info.
I'll share my finding with the Web when I have
more solid findings.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, September
24, 2007 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: GCSE Mandarin
Dear Li Chun,
I agree that we should use as much target
language as we can in the classroom, but as to 100% Mandarin, to be honest, I
have not been able to do so, and I doubt the feasibility for the following
reasons:
1. to discipline the students, it is more
effective to use English, the language they understand;
2. to explain the grammar or structure, it
is more effective to use English;
3. to talk about culture and other things,
for beginners, it is not possible to understand if you speaks Chinese.
So I would say for common classroom
language, yes, it is good to use Mandarin.
As to GCSE papers and syllabus, if you
contact Edexcel on 0870 240 9800, you will be able to order them.
Hope it helps.
Linying Liu
Kingsford Community School
From:
Mandarin Chinese Teaching
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Li-Chun Tsai
Sent: 24 September 2007 09:48
To:
[log in to unmask]
Subject: GCSE Mandarin
Dear colleagues,
I’m doing a PGDE in Mandarin Chinese at the moment.
I’m looking into the area of using 100% Mandarin Chinese
technique to teach secondary school children.
I’d be most grateful to hear your professional opinions about the
followings:
- How feasible is it
to use 100% Mandarin Chinese in the class to teach children that are
native speakers of English (i.e. none of their parents speak any Chinese
dialects at all) at secondary school level?
- If yes, what methods
do you use? If not, what are the difficulties?
- How many characters
(scripts) do students have to master in order to pass GCSE exam?
- Where can I find
some past exam paper for GCSE Mandarin?
- Does any know where
I can get details of the GCSE Mandarin syllabus?
Many thanks in advance.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Li-Chun
