EarlyYearsandMandarinWehaveMandarininourschoolcurriculumfromages4-18withallpupilsinreception,Year3,Year6andYear7learningChinese.WedoiGCSE,Pre-UandHSKIVatKeyStages4and5.OurphilosophybehindourLanguagescarouselprogrammeinprimaryschool,learningFrench,SpanishandMandarininrotationistoprovideasenseofunderstandingofthewiderworld,languageandculture.Wehaveplannedourreceptioncurriculumwithavarietyofkeyskillsandtoreflectknowledgethattheyalreadyhaveintheirownlanguage.Thisschemeisinitssecondyearandworkingverywell.

ChinesethroughplayReceptionhavelearntcoloursthroughplay:usingthemagicbagtoassessunderstandingandthroughLego.Wesplittheclassandbuiltanobjectusingeachcolourandpupilinturn.WehavealsousedPlay-dohtobuildobjectsandhavewrittenChinesecharactersinthesandpit.

Setting up a creative Early Years Chinese curriculum

23June2017,IOEConfuciusIns5tuteAnnualChineseTeachingConference

Chinesethroughmusic

Wehavemadeupourownsongstowellknowntunes–suchasthefoodsongtothetuneof‘Londonbridgeisfallingdown’verse1:葡萄,苹果,橘子,桃子verse2:米饭,鸡蛋,面包,面条‘Iamhappy’byPharrellWilliamsbecametheanimalsong:狗 狗狗 猫 猫 猫 猫 兔子 兔子鱼 鱼 鱼Somegreatsongswerecomposedbyourworkshopparticipants!OurreceptiongirlshavesunginChineseNewYearassemblyandrememberwordsexceptionallywellthroughsong.

ChinesethroughartWaterpaintingwithbrushesboughtinBeijingmarketandfingerpaintingalwaysgoesdownwell.

Chinesethroughdrama,mimeanddanceWeactouttheChinesezodiacanimalstory,usingabluefabricriverandall12softtoys(Beaniebabiesworkwell).OnepupilistheJadeemperorwithacrownandhelpstheteachernarratethestorybyputtingitintothefirstperson.Miminghelpsrememberwords,forexample,actingout狗(wagtail),兔子(bunnyears).ThroughConfuciusClassroomfunding,wehireaprofessionaldanceratNewYeartodoaprogrammeforeachprimaryclass,aimedattheirlevelwithlion,fanandparasoldancing.

ChinesethroughAppsPlickersisgreatwayofassessingthepupilsforvocabulary.TheydrawthepictureontheirindividualcardandthenholduptherightpicturetothetopwhentheteachersaystheChineseword.Kahootworkswellandisverypopularwithalllevelsofpupilsandreceptionpupilswereabletopickouttherightcharacterbasedonthestorytellingwhichwedidforeachcharacter.

ChinesethroughstoriesMakingupstoriestoremembereachcharacterwasfun–quotesfromreceptionincludethat狗hasaflicky,hairytailandabackleg,兔子hasapersonontherightfeedingtherabbitandthecharacteronthelefthasbunnyears,legsandafluffytail.猫wasdescribedashaving3sticksthatlooklikewhiskersandthesquareisthewindowwherethecatsitsallday.仓鼠isahamsterhouse,andpawsholdingfood.Thestorieswillbedifferenteachyear,buthelpwithmemory.Wehavedevisedthestoryof‘HappyLion’whocomestoChesterfromChinatostayatourschool.Ontheway,hemeetslotsofanimalfriendsandsays,你好and再见and我

叫toeachanimal.Storiesareeasytowriteandfeedtheimaginationofreceptionpupils,realisingthatChinaissofaraway.

lketchell@thequeensschool.co.uk

PleasefeelfreetocontactusatTheQueen’sSchool,Chester–wewouldbeveryhappytowelcomeChineseteacherstoseewhatwedo.