The Year 3 children at Broomfields CP are just starting to learn Mandarin.this is what the class teacher and language specialist has to say....
"In Year 3 at Broomfields Junior School, we have started learning Mandarin Chinese! So far, the children have learnt a song with greetings and actions in, they can answer the register as if they were Chinese pupils, we can introduce ourselves and are now learning to introduce family members. At the end of September we learnt about the Mid-Autumn 'moon' festival and made storyboards of the legend of Chang E and Hou Yi. We have had a go at writing Chinese characters and are starting to recognise how they are made up of the different 'radicals'.
The children are so keen to share what they've learnt with friends and people at home and we will soon be ready to send some pictures and videos of the children's work to our link school in Xi'an. As a French language specialist myself, it is exciting to be learning a new language, alongside the children!
One top tip for assessment which I used this week with family member flashcards: The children each had a set of cards. They memorised their position on the desk then turned them over. When I called out the phrase 'This is my brother' for example, in Chinese, which meant they had to listen for a specific word, the children picked the card they thought was correct and held it close to their chests. At my command, all children showed their cards and were so proud to have chosen the correct one - instant visual assessment of a listening skill!"