the compilation ideas and course design of easy steps to chinese for kids
TRANSCRIPT
Chinese Textbook Series with an International Vision
for Primary and Middle Schools
——The compilation ideas and course design The compilation ideas and course design of of Easy Steps to Chinese Easy Steps to Chinese
Key Key pointspoints
Positioning of the series Introduction to the authorsComponents of the series Plan for using the whole
series Subseries 1: For teenagers Subseries 2: For kids Summary: Teaching
concepts Market feedback
It is suitable for non-Chinese speakers, ranging from primary school students in Grade one to high school students in Grade 12.
1. Positioning of the series
Students can study this series from Book 1 for total beginners or choose any volume corresponding to their own level of Chinese proficiency.
The primary school stage focuses on cultivating students’ interest, helping them lay a solid foundation and giving them extensive exposure to the Chinese language and culture.
The middle school stage, directed at the IB and AP Chinese tests, helps to intensify students’ integrated language skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing.
▰ Authors: Yamin Ma; Xinying Li ▰ Lead author: Ms. Yamin Ma
B.A. of British Language and Literature (from China) and M. ED. in Curriculum Design and Development (from Canada).
Ms. Ma had been teaching English as a second language in both China and Canada.
Ms. Ma has more than 20 years’ experience in Chinese teaching and is now teaching in an international middle school in Hong Kong.
This series Easy Steps to Chinese for non-Chinese speakers is published by Beijing Language and Culture University Press.
2. Introduction to the authors
3. Components of the series (1) For teenagers A total of 8 books, suitable for students from Grade 5 in primary school to high school Including: Textbook, Workbook, Teacher’s book, Posters, Picture Flashcards, Word Cards
(2) For kidsA total of 8 books for 4 levels, suitable for primary school students from Grade 1 to Grade 4 Including: Textbook, Workbook, Picture Flashcards, Word Cards
Both series are going to be equipped with CD-ROMs and iPad products.
Books 1-2 of Easy Steps to Chinese (for teenagers)
Books 1-4 of Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids
For Grades 1-4 in primary school
For Grades 5-6 in primary school
Books 3-8 of Easy Steps to Chinese (for teenagers)
For Grades 7-12 in middle school
4. Plan for using the whole series
With one volume for each semester, the series covers all the With one volume for each semester, the series covers all the academic years in primary and middle schools. A continuous academic years in primary and middle schools. A continuous learning of it will result in very good effects.learning of it will result in very good effects.
5. Subseries: Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids
Easy, substantial and interesting
Primary school Chinese textbook series with an international vision
a. Teaching objectives Having finished the 8 volumes in four levels, students can:
master Chinese pinyin and lay a solid phonetic foundation grasp about 600 words get exposed to about 500 Chinese characters learn profoundly about 8 cultural points (including festivals, Beijing
opera, kites, paper-cuts and calligraphy, etc.)
Suitable for non-Chinese speaking students from Grade 1 to Grade 4 in primary school
communicate in simple Chinese learn about 60 Chinese songs relevant to the texts
There are two full-coloured books a and
b (each with a CD) at each of the four
levels.
Each textbook is supported by:
A full-coloured workbook
Large-size word cards (for teachers to
use in the classroom)
Colorful picture flashcards (for students
to review after class)
b. Textbook components
textbook
workbook
picture flashcards
word cards
CD-ROMs and iPad products
With written characters, sounds, animations, videos and games integrated together
Comprehensively training language skills like listening, speaking, reading, singing and writing
For an all-round, three-dimensional and interactive learning effect
in the process of development…
c. Concepts of design and compilation 1) Equal emphasis on listening and speaking, aided by the abilities to recognize and write Chinese characters
The design of the courses and textbooks emphasizes the development of listening and speaking skills, while the abilities to recognize and write Chinese characters play an assisting role.
2) Adopting a communicative approach
Language and communication skills are developed through various forms of exercises, especially classroom activities.
3) Full consideration of children’s characteristics in learning a foreign language
In consideration of primary school students’ characteristics like activeness and strong curiosity, various intuitive means are adopted to cultivate their interest in learning Chinese, such as listening, speaking, reading, writing, singing, drawing, handiwork and games.
..
d. Features
1) Intuitive: The instructional guidance before the Table of Contents is intuitive and practical
(The intuitive design also facilitates teachers’ instruction)
2) Systematic: The topics are coherent, continuously repeating and practising what has been learned before.
Book 1a: Each lesson repeats a proper amount of the content learned in the previous lessons in the same volume.
Book 1b: The content of 1a reappears in the exercises here. (The content learned in the previous volumes is repeated in the later volumes.)
3) Fun: A good many of adorable images loved by kids are used in the books..
4) Comprehensive: Language is taught through interdisciplinary knowledge.
Mathematics Mathematical knowledge is combined with the writing of Chinese characters.
Mathematics By solving mazes and choosing numbers, students learn mathematical knowledge and get familiar with Chinese characters as well.
Art Motor skills are developed through various means, such as drawing and colouring, so as to lay a foundation for their learning of writing Chinese characters later on.
Art Paper-folding and sticker-pasting among other methods are adopted to help students learn about Chinese culture.
Music There is a song in each lesson to increase kids’ initiative and help them review the focal points in the specific lesson.
5) Interactive: It is advocated that students be continuously involved in the instructional process.
Class or group activities Every kid is supposed to spontaneously participate in the various forms of classroom activities.
Handiworks Such handiworks as colouring, sticker-pasting and paper-folding are adopted to help students learn about Chinese culture.
From the presentation of the compilation ideas, course design and
features of the subseries for teenagers and kids, we can see the
following teaching concepts which are embodied throughout the
whole series of Easy Steps to Chinese:
1. To learn in practice
2. Instruction revolving around student activities
3. To learn language by learning different subjects and thinking
4. To learn in group communicative activities
5. Meaningful instruction (objectives/texts/exercises/tests)
7. Summary
Amazon.co.uk reviews of Easy Steps to Chinese:
Fantastic!
An absolutely brilliant book for beginners trying to learn Chinese on their own, and with little or no previous knowledge.
The workbook has over 150 colour pages of clear tasks and exercises to work through.
The textbook comes with an audio CD and has information-guided with the CD- and exercises as well.
Very easy to use and beginner friendly, it explains everything and builds your confidence in manageable bites.
Though it may appear to be aimed at a younger audience, it is also perfectly suitable for adults trying to learn the language. It is child friendly of course, and like I said, you do not need a teacher or Chinese speaker to learn.
I cannot speak highly enough of it, and recommend it to anyone trying to learn Chinese.
Great!
8. Market feedback
Feedback from teachers and parents:
Ms. Li Jingming, as a teacher in Upper Canada College
and a parent, tells a personal story of using Easy Steps to
Chinese:
“My son once threw a Chinese book on the floor, crying ‘I don’t
wanna learn the stupid Chinese! So boring!’ Easy steps to
Chinese was the first Chinese textbook he liked, and he finished
learning all the six volumes of it. In the HSK test, he got a full
score for every part.
Soon he will be a student in Cornell. He often says to me, ‘My
Chinese is the best in my class. Mom, thank you for having
found such a good book!’”
Feedback from experts:
CLASS invited the distinguished foreign language teaching advisor Ms. Janice Dowd (Tao Jielin) to to use Easy Steps to Chinese for learning Chinese..
Chen Junbo, a representative in the North American Office of OCLCI, commonly known as Hanban ， said: “I have made a careful study of Easy Steps to Chinese (ESC) and found that of all Chinese textbooks, this series is the closest to the AP Chinese test.”
The book, sold in more than 30 countries in the world, is widely used by primary and middle schools, Chinese institutions and Confucius Institutes overseas.
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