Learning a second language is like climbing up stairs that like a spiral: we don't cover all the vocabulary in one category at once. Instead, we start with a few basic and common vocabulary in one category, and go move on to a different area. In the next period, we revisit the first category, review the prior basic words, and then add more complicated/sophisticated words.
This week is a short week and we had two sessions for each class. The 7/8 grade class worked on extended vocabulary on family members and did written practice on listening comprehension, and character writing. The 1/2 and 3/4 graders reinforced their vocabulary for common animals and people. The 5/6 grade class learned and practiced ways to inquire about price of merchandise, as well as commenting on the price (cheap and expensive).
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Last team project done by the 3-4 grade students was the story "Little Tadpole Looking for Mom". The entire class put out one performance with some students taking supporting roles instead of performing in Mandarin.
This time the 3-4 grade Mandarin class learn to do team work in a different way: the 15 students are put into two teams and each person has something different to learn and remember within their team. The students learn new words through performing verbally, as well as making pictures to recreate the situation in their song: "拔萝卜” (pull out theradish). The current 7-8th graders have learned about how name their family members (grandparents, parents, and siblings) in Mandarin 2 years ago. As we continue our story about a humorous individual and her friends and families, we had the natural opportunity this week to accumulate more vocabulary on family members.
This time, we talked about cousins and how they are differentiated within different generations. They are also different in Mandarin, depending on which side of the family each cousin is from. This time, the students learned about cousins from mom's side. It is a large group of words comparing to what English uses, but it also gives clear information on where one person belongs on a family tree. As we deepen and broaden our journey in Mandarin language, we will have opportunities to draw more extended family trees. The beginning of this semester is built on top of the 5-6th grade's Mandarin classes from the prior semester. We are learning how to make simple purchases with a merchant.
It is not a common practice, but bargaining is a daily occurance in Chinese people's lives. The 5-6th graders are starting to see how it is down through a conversation video, and pair conversation practice. |
AuthorI'm the 1st - 8th Grade Mandarin language and culture teacher at Summers-Knoll School in Ann Arbor, MI. Archives
June 2016
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