How we teach
At Church Hill Mandarin School, our teachers provide tailored lessons based on the learning needs and individual abilities of pupils in their class. Pupils will develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Mandarin. When reaching an appropriate level, each student will be individually assessed and can take an internationally recognised qualification called ‘YCT’ (Youth Learner Test). The YCT has four levels which will give students a solid foundation in preparation for the Mandarin GCSE.
Curriculum
Foundation Mandarin Class
Pupils will learn the basics that relate to daily life through singing, storytelling and acting. By completion of the foundation class, pupils aim to be able to sing some Chinese songs, read out Chinese poems, write character strokes and some simple characters.
Level 1
Pupils will learn the topics of self and family. At this level, pupils start to read short passages associated with these topics. At the end of the academic year, pupils aim to be able to talk about themselves and their family. In addition, be able to write some key vocabulary and some basic sentences in Mandarin characters.
Level 2
Pupils will build on their knowledge acquired at level 1, leading on to the next topic of family and friends. Pupils will start to use complex sentence structures in both spoken and written work, increasing their basic vocabulary. By completing this level, students attain basic communication skills and knowledge, improving an understanding of some of the cultural differences between China and the UK.
Level 3
The topics for Level 3 are school and free time. At this level, pupils learn to express their opinions and provide reasoning, resulting in a comprehension of more complex sentence structures. At the end of the academic year, the aim is to be able to hold a reasonable conversation based on the topics learnt previously in conjunction with being able to write 50-80 Chinese characters in a letter or email. Pupils will continue to expand their cultural awareness of Chinese customs and traditions.
Level 4
Pupils continue with wider topics exploring the surroundings which include local area, fashion, and relationships. Upon completion of this level, pupils will aim to be able to write an essay between 80-120 characters based on the various topics and knowledge they have built up previously, expanding their conversational skills.
Level 5
Pupils will learn the topic of media and technology. This includes discussing the advantages and disadvantages of using the internet and other technology in daily life. By the end of this level, pupils should be able to talk about past events, express opinions with more complex sentence structures, and write up to 150 characters relating to the topic.
Level 6
By level 6, pupils will have good abilities of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Having acquired solid foundation skills of the language. Extending their previous knowledge through learning topics such as travel and famous people. By the completion of this level, students will have the capability to begin the Chinese GCSE course.
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GCSE Class
Upon completion of the six levels, students will be in the GCSE class. Students will revise and extend their knowledge of the topics covered in the previous six levels. Students are prepared for the examination on an individual basis and given extra support where needed to achieve their highest potential grades.
A combination of learning
A combination of western and eastern teaching methods is used to ensure that learning is as fun and interesting as possible. Classes include a variety of activities such as Chinese calligraphy, storytelling, role play and cultural studies, learning about seasonal Chinese festivals and customs. Pupils will use various books to assist in their Mandarin development.
Student Reviews
I love learning Mandarin. It is such an amazing language. It makes me think and it is just fascinating with all the characters and possible meanings in sentences.
Vivian, 17
I enjoy Saturday school as during the week I am tired. But on the weekend I have nothing to do, so it is a good use of time learning a new language.
Niamh, 12
I like our Chinese school because we get to do lots of art activities, songs and drama.
Rachel, 6
Parent Reviews
Ariana started learning Mandarin as an hour long after school club at her school. Ariana enjoyed the sessions so much that she started attending the Saturday school that covers grammar, reading and writing. She intends to continue with Mandarin as she thoroughly enjoys the classes and thinks the lessons are a lot of fun!
Neda
My three children have been coming to Chinese school every Saturday for a few years. They look forward to it every week. All the teachers are warm and enthusiastic, and the sessions for the younger children are fun and engaging, where they learn the language through play, songs, dialogue and craft activities. It is wonderful to see their progress over the years and their continued enjoyment of learning the language.
Jia
Both of my boys have loved their Mandarin classes since joining at age 4. The teachers are incredibly supportive and make learning fun. They learn to read, write and sing in Mandarin and love showing off their creative projects when they get home. As parents, we really appreciate the regular contact with the teachers and the headteacher and look forward to attending school performances and Chinese celebrations. We are so glad that we found this school.