Exploring Mandarin Chinese

Lesson Overview

This 300-minute lesson is designed for Year 1 students in Australia to begin exploring the Chinese language (Mandarin) and Chinese culture through activities that align with Australian Curriculum standards. It incorporates fun, interactive, and hands-on learning to engage young students' natural curiosity and set a foundation for language acquisition.

This lesson corresponds to the Australian Curriculum: Languages – Chinese (Foundation to Year 2). Specifically:

• Strand: Communicating and Understanding
• Content Descriptions:
  • Recognising and experimenting with sounds, characters, and tones.
  • Interacting in simple guided exchanges with teachers and peers.
  • Observing connections between language and culture.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this session, students will:

1. Identify and pronounce basic Mandarin Chinese greetings and numbers 1–10.
2. Recognise the importance of tone in the Chinese language.
3. Write a few simple Chinese characters using correct stroke order.
4. Explore aspects of Chinese culture, including favourite foods and festivals.

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Materials Needed

• Flashcards with Chinese characters and pinyin (汉字 & 拼音)
• Visuals like posters or slides showing Chinese cultural elements (e.g., the Great Wall, Chinese New Year)
• Sticky notes, markers, coloured pencils, and butcher’s paper
• Bilingual storybooks (Chinese-English)
• Access to pre-recorded native Mandarin audio clips
• Chinese props (e.g., red envelopes for New Year, chopsticks)
• A projector or interactive whiteboard

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Breakdown of Activities

Session 1: Warm-up & Introduction (30 minutes)

Objective: Spark interest in Mandarin Chinese and its cultural importance.

1. Greeting Song (10 mins)

   • Teacher plays a simple Mandarin greeting song (e.g., "Ni Hao" song).
   • Students learn and practise saying "Nǐ hǎo" ("Hello") and respond "Nǐ hǎo ma?" ("How are you?"). Pair students to rehearse.

2. Why Learn Chinese? (5 mins)

   • Display a map showing China and Australia. Highlight how many people in the world speak Mandarin. Discuss examples of Chinese influence in Australia (trade, food, festivals).

3. Language is a Puzzle! (15 mins)

   • Show students some Chinese characters and explain that the language doesn’t use the English alphabet but uses symbols. Give simple examples like 人 (person) and 火 (fire) to intrigue them.

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Session 2: Learning Sounds and Tones (90 minutes)

Objective: Develop initial listening and speaking skills with a focus on pronunciation and tonal awareness.

4. Guess the Tone Game (30 mins)

   • Introduce the four Mandarin tones with examples (e.g., mā–mother, má–hemp, mǎ–horse, mà–scold).
   • Play "Guess the Tone" by saying a word and having students hold up a corresponding tone card (pre-labelled with tone marks and colour-coded). Small prizes for correct answers can add excitement.

5. Counting from 1 to 10 (20 mins)

   • Teach Mandarin numbers 1–10 (yī, èr, sān, sì, wǔ, liù, qī, bā, jiǔ, shí). Use both voice and flashcards.
   • Call on students to practise saying numbers aloud while performing simple actions (e.g., clap three times for sān).

6. Interactive Listening (20 mins)

   • Play audio clips of Mandarin spoken by a native speaker. Students close their eyes, repeat after the speaker, and practise tones collectively as a class.

7. Review Game: Mandarin Simon Says (20 mins)

   • Incorporate learned phrases (e.g., point to a friend and say nǐ hǎo, hold up five fingers for wǔ).

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Session 3: Writing Chinese Characters (60 minutes)

Objective: Gain familiarity with Chinese character formation focusing on proper stroke order.

8. Stroke Practice Warm-Up (15 mins)

   • Introduce basic strokes (e.g., 横 héng–horizontal, 竖 shù–vertical). Students practise on paper while teacher demonstrates on the board.

9. Character Spotlight (45 mins)

   • Teach three basic characters:
     • 人 (person)
     • 大 (big)
     • 口 (mouth)
   • Guide students to write these characters step by step on practice sheets. Use fun explanations, e.g., "Big person" (大人) is like a person with their arms wide open!

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Session 4: Exploring Chinese Culture (75 minutes)

Objective: Develop awareness of Chinese culture through storytelling and hands-on activities.

10. Storytime with a Twist (20 mins)

    • Read a simple bilingual storybook (e.g., one about a child celebrating Chinese New Year). Pause to explain Chinese traditions, such as giving red envelopes (hóngbāo).

11. Creative Workshop: Designing Red Envelopes (30 mins)

    • Provide red paper, gold pens, and drawing tools. Students design their own red envelopes and insert “pretend money” inside for good luck.
    • Discuss how Chinese New Year is celebrated and wish each other Xīnnián kuàilè!

12. Intro to Chopsticks Challenge (25 mins)

    • Show how to use chopsticks, and let students practise picking up small items (beans, cotton balls). Talk about popular Chinese foods such as dumplings and noodles.

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Session 5: Reflection & Goodbye (45 minutes)

Objective: Consolidate learning and share takeaways.

13. What Did We Learn? (15 mins)

    • Hand out sticky notes to students and have them write or draw one new word, phrase, or cultural fact they learned. Stick these onto a class butcher’s paper “Learning Wall.”

14. Mini Performance: Class Greeting (15 mins)

    • Divide students into small groups to perform a simple greeting conversation in Mandarin, e.g.:
      • Student A: Nǐ hǎo!
      • Student B: Nǐ hǎo! Nǐ hǎo ma?
      • Student A: Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxie. (I’m very well, thank you.)

15. Song Goodbye (15 mins)

    • Revisit the Mandarin greeting song and learn a goodbye version (e.g., Zàijiàn!). Encourage group singing as a class.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For students who need extra support: Pair them with peers for buddy practice and provide visual aids like tone cards and stroke order charts.
• For advanced learners: Challenge them to learn additional vocabulary or write their names in Chinese characters where possible.

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Assessment

• Observe pronunciation, particularly their ability to identify and use tones correctly.
• Check writing exercises for correct stroke order.
• Evaluate participation and comprehension through group activities like "Simon Says" and the chopsticks challenge.

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Conclusion

By weaving together language learning with cultural exploration, this lesson immerses Australian Year 1 students in the joy of Mandarin and its global significance. Through interactive games, hands-on crafting, and stories from Chinese traditions, students are encouraged to connect deeply with this exciting new subject!