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Advice for teachers -
Chinese Second Language

Teaching and learning activities

Unit 1

Unit 1 – Area of Study 1: Interpersonal communication

Theme: The individual
Topic: Personal identity
Sub topic: Family

Outcome 1

Exchange meaning in a spoken interaction in Chinese.

Examples of learning activities

  • Read a short story that introduces a Chinese family, take notes and highlight the differences observed between Australia and countries where Chinese is spoken.
  • View a short clip on YouTube about a traditional family in a country where Chinese is spoken. Reflect on how it differs from a family in Australia.
  • Listen to a conversation between an Australian student and a student living in China about their own family.  In Chinese, answer prepared questions about the conversation.
  • Listen to a student from a country where Chinese is spoken talking about his/her experience with an Australian family. Reflect on how this information correlates to other material on the topic by discussing it with a classmate.
  • Summarise all the findings discovered on this topic in a table, a graph or Venn diagram.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Read an email from a friend who describes their Chinese family. Write them a reply and respond to their questions.
  • Read source material about customs and traditions of Chinese families on the internet. Extract information and make comparisons with information about Australian families from online sources.
  • Note vocabulary used in any material viewed, heard or read relating to family. Discuss any words or phrases that are not readily translatable into English.
  • Write six to eight questions to ask someone who has researched family relationships. Swap questions with a classmate and answer their questions based on research material.
  • Prepare a three-minute speech to give to the class about a Chinese family, the relationships among family members, noting major similarities and differences between Australia and countries where Chinese is spoken. Create PowerPoint slides to support the speech in Chinese. Respond to questions from other students about this topic.
  • Interview another student in the class using prepared questions. Discuss specific aspects of a Chinese family that have been researched. Concentrate on the customs and traditions of a Chinese family and its daily routines.
  • Produce an article of 200 characters outlining some aspects of customs and traditions of Chinese families.
  • Read journal entries written by students in Australia and countries where Chinese is spoken to gain an insight into the character of Chinese families.
  • Find a blog on the internet written by someone who has been overseas and done a homestay with a Chinese family. Annotate it to identify key points that represent individual experiences.
  • Watch a video or film about families in countries where Chinese is spoken. Take notes about their lives.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

Read an email from a friend who talks about their Chinese family. Write them a reply and respond to their questions.

  1. Create a workbook to record information, notes and details gathered throughout the area of study. Develop a glossary of key terms and concepts.

  2. Read a series of personal emails, practising reading for detail and for gist. Practise reading the comprehension questions before reading the emails and then again afterwards.

  3. Take notes on email writing, paying attention to the kind of writing required for the text type, audience and purpose, and note specific grammatical structures and conventions that are required for an appropriate reply.

  4. Draft the email, paying attention to the inclusion of detail, content and answers for the task.

Unit 1 – Area of Study 2: Interpretive communication

Theme: The Chinese-speaking communities
Topic: History and culture
Sub topic: Famous people

Outcome 2

Interpret information from two texts on the same subtopic presented in Chinese, and respond in writing in Chinese and in English.

Examples of learning activities

  • Read an article about ‘A Famous Person in Chinese History’ and extract vocabulary for a class glossary for the topic.
  • View a documentary about a famous person in Chinese history. Discuss the significant factors which made this person famous and write a short paragraph in Chinese about your views.
  • Listen to an interview and read an article about a famous person in a Chinese-speaking community. Answer questions about each one. Write a 150–character summary of all the views expressed in both texts.
  • View an artist’s portrait or photograph of a selected famous person and answer questions about it.
  • Search the internet for more information about the famous person and write key facts in dot form in English and Chinese.
  • Write five questions that you would like to ask the famous person if you ever met them. Swap your sets of questions with a classmate and answer their questions based on research material.
  • Work in pairs preparing a two -minute role play as a news reporter and the famous person.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Write an informative article of 200 characters, based on two texts you have studied, for publication in a school magazine on the topic of a famous person.
  • Respond to two or three texts on the famous person in both Chinese and English.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

Informative article of 200 characters for publication in a school magazine on a selected famous person

  1. Read an article about a famous person and record key information on a fact sheet.
  2. Conduct further research on the internet about the famous person to discover any material that can be added to the fact sheet.
  3. Listen to a podcast about this famous person. Identify key vocabulary and expressions associated with the famous person.
  4. Read samples of informative articles in order to highlight the elements that fulfil the text type and writing requirements of the task.
  5. Plan a draft of the writing topic under the following headings:
    a. topic for each paragraph
    b. subordinate ideas to be used in each paragraph
    c. vocabulary and phrases needed
    d. grammar elements to be used to maximise effect of ideas and vocabulary
    e. introduction and conclusion needed to properly support the main ideas.

Unit 1 – Area of Study 3: Presentational communication

Theme: The Chinese-speaking communities
Topic: Arts and entertainment
Sub topic: Film

Outcome 3

Present information, concepts and ideas in writing in Chinese on the selected subtopic and for a specific audience and purpose.

Examples of learning activities

  • Watch a film featuring a famous/popular Chinese actor, or extracts from a film, and take notes under the headings: plot, main characters, actors, themes or ideas.
  • Search on the internet for critiques of the film, identifying the key vocabulary used.
  • Read one or two articles about one of the Chinese-speaking actors in the film. Answer comprehension questions.
  • Listen to a recording of a journalist interviewing a Chinese film director about his/her film. Answer questions and then write a profile of the director.
  • View a video of an interview with a Chinese-speaking actor and write a short summary of the interview.
  • Discuss a Chinese-speaking actor’s life journey and what made him/her famous with a classmate.
  • Read an extract from a biography of a Chinese-speaking film director. Take notes on their films and the major influences in their work.
  • Interview another student in your class about their views about a Chinese-speaking director and their work.
  • Write in Chinese an autobiography/fact sheet about a director.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Using information from spoken, written or visual texts, create a three to four minute video about a favourite film, actor or director from Chinese cinema.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

Create a three to four minute video about a favourite film, actor or director from Chinese cinema

  1. View one or more films from a country where Chinese is spoken.
  2. Take notes under headings: plot, main characters, actors, soundtrack, special effects, themes or ideas.
  3. Search on the internet for critiques of the film, identifying the key vocabulary used.
  4. Conduct research about the chosen film, actor or director and collate relevant information for inclusion in the video.
  5. Decide which elements are to be included in the final video. Discuss the outline with the teacher.
  6. Plan the structure of the video to be filmed. Write it up as a series of dot points.
  7. Research the particular elements to be discussed.
  8. Write a script.
  9. Draw a storyboard.
  10. Film.
  11. Edit as necessary.
  12. Show video to the class.