Dear all
Re. the idea of two separate exams: there is also the major problem
(which we also face at HE level) of how you decide who is a native
speaker and who is not, as there are so many gradations on this amongst
Chinese in the UK.
Despite being a bit of an outsider on this list, as I teach at
university rather than school, I hope you don't mind me adding some
comments to this really useful discussion.
My personal feeling is that the current school syllabus sounds ok, but
(esp from the evidence Oliver has provided) it should be easier for
non-natives to get higher grades. This will inevitably mean that the
native Chinese speakers almost always get an A*, but they in reality
will be (perhaps unfairly) discriminated against by employers and
probably most university admissions tutors anyway -- someone with a
Chinese name getting an A* in Chinese will be treated with some
sceptism, much as someone called Francois would be who had got the same
in French.
I'm not saying that this is a good thing, but I think it is realistic.
In time, taking Chinese A-level will probably become less attractive to
Chinese native speakers (as happens with other languages). There should,
I believe, be a totally different exam for them to take (perhaps along
the lines of the baccalaureat??) -- Chinese native speakers should most
certainly be encouraged to learn about their own culture/language, but
language A-levels should not be designed for this.
Frances
**********************
Frances Weightman MA PhD
Dept of East Asian Studies
University of Leeds
Leeds LS2 9JT
0113-343 3560
-----Original Message-----
From: Mandarin Chinese Teaching
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of MTATE
Sent: 30 September 2005 13:20
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: GCSE
Anne,
They do have two seperate exams in Australia and also in New Zealand,
I think. We brought this suggestion up at the meeting with Edexcel,
DfeS, British Council, etc earlier in the year. Edexcel's concern is
that there used to be two exams and they were asked to make it into
one. So, it's almost as if this whole exam business has gone around in
a big circle. They took the suggestion on board, but I'm not sure that
they are actually seriously considering doing anything about it!
I think it would be the best way forward too, but financially for
Edexcel it would be a disaster. Think how many native speakers are
taking the present exam. About 97% possibly. Now think about how many
non-native speakers are taking it. It wouldn't be financially viable
for Edexcel to make a seperate exam. It's just a theory, but there may
be some mileage in this.
Michelle
----Original Message----
From: [log in to unmask]
Date: 30-Sep-2005 11:52
To:
Subj: Re: GCSE
How about two exams -one for native speakers and
one for non native speakers ?
I have heard that this happens in some parts of
Australia. Does anyone know anything about this ?
Anne Martin
----- 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
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