Takapuna Normal Intermediate School
Mandarin Course Outline of 2012 by Yu Yuanyuan
Context: Teaching yr 7 and 8 classes twice a week, 1.5 hour/week
Note: Some topics take more time than others, so one topic not necessarily finished in one lesson.
Term/
Lesson
Number
Term 1
1
Lesson Objectives
Cultural and Intercultural
language Component
Activities/Tasks
Topic: Greeting&Self-introduction
Objectives:
Know some basic classroom rules and
understand and react to some basic
classroom instructions;
Learning how to greet in Chinese;
Get to know each other.
Cultural:
Introduction some basic
information about China and
Chinese.
1. Draw a picture to
introduce myself;
2. throw balls to the class
one by one to know students
name;
3. free talk with the students
about some questions they
are interested in;
4. Chart of basic classroom
language (handwritten chart)
Intercultural:
The difference between
names in different culture,e.g
Chinese names start with
surname,while English names
start with given name.
1. take some familiar
cartoon characters to
make dialogues.
2. ask&answer
conversations
None
1. use flashcard to teacher
new words;
2. 拍苍蝇
None
1. paper-cutting and
description;
2. introduce your family in
front of the class with
their works of papercutting.
Cultural:
Introduce the special meaning
of different numbers
Intercultural:
1. Sing the number song
2. ask and tell each other
telephone number.
3. write numbers in
Language: Ni hao; laoshi hao; zaijian
2
Topic: Ask and answer name
Objectives:
Introduce yourself and others
Ask someone’s name
Language:
Wo jiao/shi..; ta jiao/shi..; Ni jiao shenme
mingzi?
3
4
5
Title: Family members
Objectives:
Learn 6 basic address of family members;
Introduce names of family members
Language:baba,mama,jiejie,didi,meimei,ge
ge
Wo jiao…,wo mama jiao…,wo baba
jiao…;….
Title: Introduce your family
Objectives:
Introduce family members with photo of
the family;
Basic paper-cutting
Language: zhe shi…,ta jiao…
Title: Numbers ( 0-10)
Objectives:
Count numbers from 0 to 10 in mandarin;
Sing the number songs;
Identify and write Chinese Characters 1-10;
Identify the special meaning of some
Chinese numbers;
Ask and understand someone’s telephone
number.
6
7
Language: ling,
yi,er,san,si,wu,liu,qi,ba,jiu,shi, wo de
dianhuahaoma shi…;ni de dianhuahaoma
shi shenme?
Title: Numbers (0-100)
Objectives:
Learn some more numbers;
Tell the rules to say more numbers in 100.
Language: more numbers,da,xiao
Title: Ask and answer ages
Objectives:
Learn how to ask one’s age and how to
answer.
Language: ni ji sui?/ni duo da?;wo…sui.
8
9
10
Title: Chinese zodiac
Objectives:
Identify the 12 animals of Chinese Zodiac;
Say what their birth sign is;
Say what their birth signs are of their
family members;
Know how to figure out the age according
to one’s zodiac or the opposite way.
Language:
shu,niu,hu,tu,long,she,ma,yang,hou,ji,gou,
zhu, nishu shenm?,woshu…,…shu…
Title: Brief introduction to Chinese
pictograph characters and date expression
with “日&月”
Objectives:
Know something about chinese pictograph
characters;
Learn how to express date in mandarin.
Language: 日，月,水，山 etc.
Title: Birthday
Objectives:
Recognise and say the
date(year,month,date);
Tell what their birthday is in mandarin;
Wish someone a happy birthday;
The different implications of
numbers between Chinese
culture and western culture.
Chinese.
None
1. number translation
2. number guessing with
giving clues “da”&”xiao”
Cultural:
Different ways to ask ages
according to the age of the
person
Intercultural:
It is common to ask someone’s
age in China,which is different
from western culture.
Cultural:
The way to record age in
Chinese Zodiac;
The story of 12 Zodiac sign
animals.
1. use some familiar
cartoon characters to
make dialogues
2. ask&answer
conversations
Cultural:
The origin of Chinese ancient
characters.
1. watch the video and
learn some interesting
Chinese characters;
2. learn“日&月”and add
number together to
express date in Chinese.
Cultural:
Chinese way to celebrate
birthday, e.g, the special
activity of the first birthday of
the baby.
1. Decorate birthday card
with Chinese sentence“
祝你生日快乐”on it；
2. sing birthday song in
Chinese
3. make chinese knots;
1. animal bingo
2. 拍苍蝇;
3. check zodiac sign from
the zodiac sheet ;
4. go fishing (animal cards)
5. ask&answer
conversation to practice
the sentences
Learn to sing birthday song in mandarin;
learn to make Chinese style birthday
present —chinese knot.
11
Term 2
1
2
3
4
Language: nian…yue…ri;sheng ri; zhu ni
sheng ri kuai le
Title: Review
Objectives:
Review words and sentences that have
been studied this term.
Language: words and sentences that have
been studied this term
Title: Review Dictation
Objectives:
Review what have learned last semester by
doing dictation
Language: words and sentences that have
been studied last term
Title: colors
Objectives:
Name some colors in chinese;
Know the culture in some colors and
compare the implication of color between
different cultures;
Express which colors they like
Language:
hongse,huangse,baise,heise,lanse,chengse,
lvse,zise,wo xi huan....
Title: colors and Peking Opera
Objectives:
Talk about some general information about
Peking Opera;
Learn the meaning of the colors in Peking
Opera facial masks;
Try to design a peking opera mask which
could show a certain personality.
Language:
hongse,huangse,baise,heise,lanse,chengse,
lvse,zise
Title: Chinese celebrations
Objectives:
To say the date of some chinese
celebrations;
Learn to sing some chinese songs related
to some celebrations;
Know the customs of some chiese
celebrations such as new year, wedding,
birthday .
4. collect students birthday
None
1. 卡片接龙;
2. number guessing game
None
1. Review what have learned
last semester by doing
dictation
Cultural:
The implication of some colors
in Chinese
Intercultural:
The different meanings of
some color between different
cultures
1. show some cultural
pictures and also videos
with colors in it to tell
the meaning of the color
in Chinese culture;
2. psychological test about
color to practise telling
the favorite color in
mandarin;
3. sing the color song.
Cultural:
Basic cultural information
about Peking Opera;
The implication of personality
by colors in Chinese Peking
Opera Facial Masks.
Intercultural:
The comparison between
Peking Opera Mask and the
local Mori Facial Mask
1. show a clip of Peking
Opera performance;
2. Show some typical faces
in Peking Opera and
analyze the personality
related to the color;
3. Self-design a Peking
Opera mask with
different color and
pattern to show a
certain personality.
Cultural:
Culture behind some popular
celebrations include New year,
birthday and wedding in
China, including dress, food,
behaviors etc.
Intercultural: some special
way to celebrate is very
different from students’
1. tell stories behind the
celebrations;
2. show pictures and
videos of Chinese
celebrations;
3. sing some popular songs
about the celebrations,
such as
“gongxigongxi”,”shengri
Language: yi yue yi ri, shengri, hunli
5
Title: Chinese Traditional Festivals
Objectives:
To know the date and culture about the
three famous chinese traditional festivals,
middle autumn festival, dragon boat
festival, Chinese Valentine’s day;
Tell the story behind the festivals;
Act out one of the stories.
Language: duanwujie,wu yue wu ri, zhong
qiu jie, ba yue shiwu ri, qi xi, qi yue qi ri,
zongzi, yuebing
6
7
8
Title: Chinese food
Objectives:
To know the basic information of chinese
food, such as different schools in different
areas,the flavor of different styles;
Recognise and name some chinese food
items;
Use chopsticks;
Try some chinese restaurant to experience
traditionald chinese food.
Language: chaomian, chaofan, baozi, jiaozi,
chunjuan, tangyuan,kuaizi...
Title: Food& drinks
Objectives:
Learn some chinese words of food in daily
life;
Tell what I eat and drink for the three
meals ;
Order some food and drinks in Mandarin;
Ask for the price of something.
Language: shui, niunai, cha, kafei, ji dan,
mianbao, mifan, miantiao, qiaokeli,
rou,woyao…,duoshaoqian
Title: Fruit&vegetables
Objectives:
Learn some chinese words of fruit and
vegetable in daily life;
Tell what fruit or vegetables you like and
dislike;
Know how to say different juices
Language: putao, pingguo, xiangjiao,
culture, such as the one year
old birthday celebration,
which raise some comparison
and interest of the students.
Cultural:
Culture behind the three
typical Chinese traditional
festivals, include date in Lunar
Calendar, the story behind,
the traditional food, people’s
behavior.
Intercultural:
To experience the different
culture of Chinese festivals
and compare the difference
compared with some similar
festivals in your own culture
Cultural:
The multiple style of Chinese
food and the spirit of Chinese
food; Chinese eating tools.
Intercultural:
The different ways to cook
and eat between different
cultures.
kuaile”,”jintian ni yao
jiagei wo”
1. show video of the stories
behind the festivals;
2. show picture of the
customs of the festivals;
3. Act drama based on the
stories.
1. show the ppt which tells
the different school of
Chinese food in different
areas and introduce
some specific
information of each
school one by one;
2. Teach some common
words for Chinese food
3. Show them how to use
chopsticks and play a
game to practice.
Cultural:
The main food in china, rice in
south area and noodle in
north area;
The popular culture of making
and drinking tea.
Intercultural:
The culture comparison
between tea in china and
coffee in western culture.
1. 拍苍蝇；
2. meal design and
listening practice;
3. Menu & bill design and
the restaurant activity.
None
1. 拍苍蝇；
2. Survey about the fruit
and vegetables like and
dislike.
9
10
mihoutao, boluo, chengzi, juzi, ningmeng,
xigua, taozi, lizi, fanqie, huanggua
Title: Chinese pronounciation system—
Pinyin system
Objectives:
Know how chinese people get help from
pinyin before they acknowlege chinese
characters;
Learn Pinyin system and distinguish the
different sound from English;
Sing pinyin song;
Know how to read pinyin and write Pinyin
according to the sound.
Language: Pinyin system
Title: Review
Objectives:
To briefly review what have learned during
the 2 terms.
None
1. Show the map of
Chinese pinyin system;
2. sing pingyin song;
3. Doing exercises to help
recognize pinyin.
None
1. Review：knowledge
competition（group
work）；
2. Exam（individually）
Cultural:
The strong family concern
behind the complicated titles
of Chinese family members.
Intercultural:
Compare how does family
mean between eastern culture
and western culture.
1. show the family tree of
the extensive family and
learn some more
Chinese words;
2. learn the Chinese rap
about different family
titles.
3. introduce you family
with the language we
have leant, e.g,age,
name,zodiac etc.
1. Present the Chinese
words and sentences;
2. survey the pets your
classmate have
Language: What have learned during the 2
terms.
Term3
1
2
3.
Title: Extensive Family members
Objectives:
Learn some more words for family
members;
Make it clear about the relationship
between the extensive bigger family;
Take about some of your family members;
Sing the chinese rap”family song”.
Language: yeye,nainai,
waigong,waipo,bobo,shushu,jiujiu,ayi,gugu
Title: Pets
Objectives:
Learn some more words for animal pets;
Review the 12 animals we have learnt and
tell some more colloquil way to say the
animals;
Talk about what pet do you have.
Language: mao,yu,niao,wugui, zhizhu, yazi,
laohu,laoshu,tuzi,houzi, niyou chongwu
ma? Wo you.../wo meiyou...
Title: Body parts
Objectives:
Learn to name different body parts;
Give directions with up, down, left ,right in
mandarin;
Intercultural:
Pets could be part of the
family which is quite different
from that in China.
None
1. Sing the body parts song
to help them remember the
words;
2. Game: I say you
touch(teach say some body
part to ask the students to
Language: tou, erduo, jianbang, jiao,shou,
duzi,toufa,yanjing,bizi,zuiba,
shang,xia,zuo,you
4.
Title: Appearance description
Objectives:
Learn to describe someone’s appearance
with the adjectives,include colors that we
have learnt;
Recognise and write the characters 大，小
Learn to describe animals’ appearance;
Know something about “the journey to the
west”
Cultural:
One of the famous classic
books “the journey to the
west”, the characters and
stories in it,e.g Monkey king
Language:
da,xiao,gao,ai,chang,duan,pifu,mao,weiba
5.
6.
Title: Taiji
Objectives:
Know some basic knowledge about Taiji;
Learn several basic movements of Taiji;
Learn some chinese instructional phrase
during learning Taiji.
Language: qian,hou,zuo,you,zhuan
Title: Stationary
Objectives:
Identify some stationary items;
Know how to say some stationary with
description of color;
Know how to borrow stationary from
others in mandarin and how to reply.
Language: bi, qianbi, xiangpi, chizi,
qianbidao, shu, shubao, benzi, shuibei,
zidian, de, ni you...ma?, wo you/ wo mei
you
7.
Title: Countries
Objectives:
Recognize some national flags;
Know the chinese name of several
Cultural: Chinese Kungfu, Taiji,
how it helps to keep healthy,
the spirit of Taiji.
None
touch as fast as they can,
and then they can play with
each other)
3. Game: I direct you
draw(the whole class direct
the one with eyes covered to
draw one of the body parts
the teacher says on the
white board )
1. sing “liang zhi lao hu”
2. show some photos to
introduce three pairs of
opposites.
3. Introduce “the journey
to the west”,present the
photos of the four main
characters with the
appearance description
beside,ask students to
get information from the
description.
4. students’ turn to
describe some
characters.
5. self-description and
guessing game.
1. Show the video of
general introduction of
Taiji;
2. Outdoor activity: learn
some basic movements
of Taiji together.
1. use the stationary in the
classroom to teach
vocabulary;
2. try to say the stationary
with color;
3. game: information
hunt(every student write
their stationary with
color description on
several pieces of paper
and mix together, group
work to hunt for ten
pieces of stationary)
1. use national flags to ask
students to recognize
and then tell them the
Chinese names of the
countries;
Learn to ask and answer the position of
somewhere;
Know some famous places of different
countries;
Ask and anwer what your favorite country
is;
Ask and anwer your nationality and also
your family’s.
Language: xinxilan, aodaliya, feiji, samoya,
yingguo, faguo,yidali, meiguo,
jianada,nanfei, yindu, zhongguo, hanguo,
riben,xinjiapo, feilvbin, ...zai
nali?,...zai...,...cong nali lai?
counries;
2. use the world map to ask
students where is some
country with the Chinese
sentence “… zai na li?”
3. List some famous
landmarks to ask where
are they with the
Chinese sentence”…zai
nail?”
4. Suvey 1: to ask each
other which country do
you like best?
5. suvery 2: to ask each
other where their
parents come from
6. Find your way: Gap map
game
1. check their name on
internet in advance;
2. practice writing on normal
paper with normal pens;
3. Show how to use the
brush pen and practice by
themselves.
1. Introduction of Middle
Autumn Festival, include
the story, food ,customs
etc.
2. Drama of Chang’e flying
to the moon.
3. Knowledge test of
Middle Autumn Festival
and get mooncake as
award.
8.
Title: Chinese Calligraphy
Objectives:
Know how to write names in chinese
character;
Know how to use brush pen to write
chinese characters
Cultural: Chinese traditional
way of writing characters and
the reasons behind.
9.
Culture Activity:
Middle Autumn Festival Activities
The customs about Middle
Autumn Festival.
Title: Weather
Objectives:
Ask about the weather;
Describe the weather;
Recognize the seasons;
Talk about weather variations in china;
Recognize and write the characters for rain
and snow 雨 雪
None
1. show pictures on ppt to
teach the words for the
weather;
2. matching exercise;
3. listening practice(listen
to the weather forecast
and record)
4. Weather forecast
presentation of
Newzealand main cities.
Cultural: Chinese traditional
spirit in legend.
1. Poster of the legend
about Mulan;
Term 4
1
2
Language: tianqi,re,
leng,xiayu,xiaxue,guafeng,jintian,
zenmeyang,du,chuntian,xiatian,qiutian,don
gtian
Title: Chinese Legend: Hua Mulan
Objectives:
3
Know the general story about the Legend
about Hua Mulan;
Talk about the story with friends;
Understand the spirit of Mulan.
Title: Time
Objectives:
Understand and say the time;
Recognise the different timeframes that
chinese people use when telling time.
2. Show the Disney movie
—Mulan.
Cultural:
Chinese ancient way to tell
time in the old days.
Language: xiaoshi, fenzhong, miao, dian,
fen,ke, ban, shangwu, xiaowu,zhongwu,
zaoshang, wanshang, xianzai, xianzai
jidian?
4
5
6
7
Title: Daily activity
Objectives:
Know how to say some daily activities in
Mandarin;
Ask and tell your daily activity.
None
Language: chi zaofan,chi wufan,chi wanfan,
shangke,yundong, shuijiao, kanshu, shang
cesuo,ni zai zuo shenme?,wo zai...
Title: Places
None
Objectives:
Name the school places where we
frequently be in daily life in Mandarin;
Ask and answer someone’s place;
Learn how to say doing sth. at somewhere
Language: sb. Zai
swhere ...;jiaoshi,tushuguan,laoshixiuxishi,
bangongshi,cesuo,caochang,litang,tiyuguan
Title: Sports
Objectives:
Know how to say some typical sports in
Mandarin;
Know how to ask and anwer your favorite
sports
Say when they do some sports
Tell what sports they are good at.
Language: da lanqiu, ti zuqiu, da ganlanqiu,
da wangqiu, da pingpangqiu, da paiqiu,
youyong, paobu, wo xihuan..., wo
shanchang...
Title: job
Objectives:
1. Get the clock to show
how to tell a time in
mandarin.
2. Journey game：two
students as one group
with gap map, they ask
each other position and
time to finish both map.
3. Figure out how long both
of them stay at one
place and make a
journey schedule.
4. Exercise
1. show pictures of daily
activity and teach how to
say in mandarin;
2. Game: Make a phone
call
3. Oral composition with
the pictures of daily
schedule.
1. show the places and
Chinese name with
pictures;
2. Gap map game
3. Sentence making game
Cultural:
Chinese traditional sports like
Taichi, qigong are still popular
in china.
1. show the words of
sports on slide of ppt;
2. 大风吹；
3. words guessing(include
daily activity and sports)
None
1. Present the words for
common jobs and
8
Know the chinese words for several
common jobs;
Introduce your family’s job;
Two ways to ask and anwer one’s job
Language: ni shi zuo shenme de?, wo
shi...,ni zai nali gongzuo?, wo zai...gongzuo;
xuexiao, yiyuan, gongsi, yinhang,
shangdian, jingju, jia;
laoshi, xuesheng, jingcha, yisheng, siji,
gongren, chushi, laoban,dianyuan,quanzhi
mama, yishujia; wo you...
Title: Blind dating Party
Objectives:
Learn how to greet and get to know each
other in Mandarin.
Language: all that have been learnt
working places;
2. Introduce your family’s
job by telling the work
place and ask the rest of
the class to guess;
3. Job guessing game
according to the
belongings they have.
None
1. everybody with get a
piece of self information;
2. they should go around
and get to know each
other and choose their
best parterner.