Mandarin
Senior
Mandarin Chinese is the most commonly spoken language in the world, with over 900 million speakers worldwide.
With China’s booming economy, the country has become increasingly influential globally. Having an understanding of the Chinese language and culture grants learners an advantage in the areas of business and travel, while also providing a unique, interesting and challenging academic experience.
Students may choose to study Mandarin from Year 8 onwards. Mandarin lessons in Kingswood include a wide range of activities in teaching, making use of songs, games and interactive language activities, where students will be able to learn and use the language in genuine social and cultural context. By studying Chinese you will become familiar with the fascinating culture and language of this historic and diverse country, as well as giving you the confidence to engage in communication with local people when visiting China for either business or pleasure.
KEY STAGE 3
Students follow the Jinbu 1 and Jinbu 2 textbooks (jinbu means progress in Mandarin) covering a range of topics. They will be able to talk about many different topics, including family, occupations and hobbies and be able to express their own opinions by the end of year 9.
We offer Mandarin Plus workshops after school for year 9 students who are keen to do more speaking and writing practice to stretch themselves and to further advance their Mandarin skills.
GCSE
GCSE pupils follow the AQA specification. Students will acquire the ability to read and respond to articles written in the Chinese language, listen to native speakers and learn to use a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures on a variety of topics. You will also learn the language through strong cultural elements, such as exploring the different Chinese festivals and trying your hand at Chinese calligraphy.
Pupils will learn the language by practising new vocabulary and set phrases through reading, listening, speaking and writing tasks.
At this level there is a great emphasis on vocabulary learning, so a commitment to regularly reviewing the work covered in lessons is essential.
Students will regularly have the opportunity to practise speaking with our language assistant from China.
We are keen for students to experience Mandarin learning and Chinese culture through different elements. Some examples of activities we offered in recent years include:
- Exploring and learning about different Chinese festivals and customs
- Trying their hand at some traditional Chinese art forms such as calligraphy and paper cutting
- Chinese food experience
- Mandarin speaking competition
- Interacting with guest speakers
A-level
Chinese A-level exams are targeted at native and near-native Chinese-speaking students who want to challenge themselves in deepening their understanding of the Chinese language through looking at topics such as culture and social issues.
At Kingswood, we provide support and guidance for students whose native languages are Cantonese or Mandarin Chinese as they prepare for the A-level exams. We are keen to provide opportunities for students to continue to excel in their mother language while studying in the UK.