Languages and literacy
Build a Chinese character
Explain how component parts can offer meaning or approximate sound clues in Chinese characters, then write the whole character in a grid.
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Mandarin Teacher
Michael van Wyk
I regard Mandarin, Japanese and French as distinct subjects, each with different starting points, rather than one course arranged at three speeds.
Explore the collectionA little about me
Mandarin is the language I teach within a wider Modern Foreign Languages offer. I regard Mandarin, Japanese and French as distinct subjects, each with different starting points, rather than one course arranged at three speeds. Their language demands and learning aims need to be considered on their own terms.
Small option groups can make provision difficult to sustain. I keep that practical constraint in view without allowing it to flatten the subjects. Shared departmental expectations need to support planning while preserving a distinct route in each language.
When I look at learning material, I check whether its examples and demands belong to Mandarin. A prompt that works in French may not transfer neatly to another language. Careful planning starts with the subject being taught and the learners who have chosen it.
How I approach a lesson
Before selecting material, identify which language and starting point it assumes.
Take option-group size into account while keeping language aims distinct.
Use shared departmental expectations without flattening differences between languages.
Templates I'd use with my class
Explore these templates and decide what fits your own setting.