Discussion of GCSE: CA Chinese Mandarin Exams plus A2 RBE in theory & practice

1. Discussion of GCSE: CA Chinese Mandarin Exams plus A2 RBEin theory & practice Xiuping Li getwish88@yahoo.co.uk 23/02/2013

2. ELC Chinese (Mandarin)http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/elc/languages/chinese_noticeboard_new.php?id=09&prev=09 FCSE Chinese (Mandarin)http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/fcse/fcse_chinese.php GCSE Chinese (Mandarin)http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/newgcses/languages/new/chinese_materials.php?id=08&prev=08 AQA: ELC  FCSE  GCSE 欢迎

3. 2013 AQA Exam Timetable • ELC: the deadline for final entries is 21 February the deadline for submission of work is 15 May • FCSE: the deadline for final entries is 21 February • the deadline for submission of work is 31 May until 2013, and 15 May from 2014 onwards. • GCSE: final entries: 21 February submission of Speaking and Writing CA: 7 May Listening: 22 May 2013 pm Reading: 22 May 2013 pm

4. GCSE(General Certificate of Secondary Education)

5. Possible Qs to be discussed • What is the specification like?(full picture) • What are the contexts /or topics? • Any prescribed textbooks or materials? • What does the exam board wants/requires for CA? • What should we give/submit for CA? • How to prepare students to give of their best? (any shortcuts?)

6. Q1.Specification at a Glance – Short Course Unit 1: Listening Examination – 40% Either Foundation Tier: 30 minutes (+5 minutes reading time) or Higher Tier: 40 minutes (+ 5 minutes reading time) Unit 3: Speaking Controlled Assessment – 60% (internally assessed) Two tasks submitted for moderation Chinese (Mandarin) Short Course in Spoken Language PLUS Unit 2: Reading Examination – 40% Either Foundation Tier: 30 minutes or Higher Tier: 50 minutes Unit 4: Writing Controlled Assessment – 60% (externally assessed) Two tasks submitted for marking Chinese (Mandarin) Short Course in Written Language PLUS PLUS PLUS

7. Q1. Short Course • Spoken Language - Speaking/Listening • Written Language – Writing/Reading • *These can be combined to make a Full Course qualification

8. Q1.Specification at a Glance – Full Course Unit 1: Listening Examination – 20% Either Foundation Tier: 30 minutes (+5 minutes reading time) or Higher Tier: 40 minutes (+ 5 minutes reading time) Unit 3: Speaking Controlled Assessment – 30% (internally assessed) Two tasks submitted for moderation Chinese (Mandarin) Full Course Unit 2: Reading Examination – 20% Either Foundation Tier: 30 minutes or Higher Tier: 50 minutes Unit 4: Writing Controlled Assessment – 30% (externally assessed) Two tasks submitted for marking

9. Q1. Full Course • Listening/Reading tests: • - set and marked by AQA • - two tiers: (F: C- G); (H: A*- D) • Speaking (two tasks)(untiered: A*- G) • - Teacher marks tasks • - AQA moderates tasks • Writing (two tasks)(untiered: A*- G) • - AQA marks tasks

10. Q1. Full Course • Controlled Assessment Speaking/Writing: -choice of using AQA-set tasks (see Appendix E, & F) or adapted or teacher devises own task • opportunity for students to speak and write about their personal interests • - untiered tasks covering grades A*- G

11. Q2. contexts /or topics Lifestyle • Health • Relationships and Choices Leisure • Free Time and the Media • Holidays Home and Environment • Home and Local Area • Environment Work and Education • School/College and Future Plans • Current and Future Jobs

12. Q3. Any prescribed textbooks? • Flexible, get most suitable ones • Free choice of core TB + supplementary/or(reference)materials where appropriate/necessary to contribute /or serve the purposes • Gram. Voc. List; Online exemplar tasks (inc. commentaries),handbook, FAQs

13. Q4.What does the exam board wants/requires for CA?Similarities Speaking 30%, 60Mark Writing 30%, 60Mark 2 tasks (task sheet for each) Task title & bullet points in E 3 stages: Stage 1 general Teach/Learn Stage 2 prepare for the tasks Stage 3 produce final version TPF: Task Planning Forms (if used, 40 words, C or E) CRF: Candidate Record Forms (one per student) Annual deadline : 7 May *2 opinions,3 timeframes,De, Ex • 2 tasks (task sheet for each) • Task title & bullet points in E • 3 stages: Stage 1 general Teach/Learn Stage 2 prepare for the tasks Stage 3 produce final version • TPF: Task Planning Forms (if used, 40 words, C or E) • CRF: Candidate Record Forms (one per student) • Annual deadline : 7 May *2 opinions,3 timeframes,De, Ex

14. Q4.What does the exam board wants/requires for CA?Differences Speaking Writing Submit:2 pieces of work per student; AQA marks The title is the task: no need to respond to each bullet, theresponse be relevant to title 100-250 characters across both tasksD-G, 200-300A*-C, traditional character√; Dic.√ 60mins,per task one session No upper limit of No. words. 3 Assessment Criteria: Content15; Range of Language 10; Accuracy 5 • Submit: 2 tasks, 1 recorded • Both tasks: a form of dialogue • Centre marks for moderation • Response: Must to each bullet point, ‘!’ as last element • Stage3:only TPF & task sheet NO dictionary or references • Timings: 4-6 mins. from 1ST Q • 4 Assessment Criteria: Communication 10; Range & Accuracy of Language 10; Pronunciation and Tones 5; Interaction and Fluency 5

15. Q5. What should we give/submit for CA? Speaking: Centre Declaration Sheet,1 per centre (per student) • One recorded task • The Task Sheet for all tasks used • The unpredictable questions for all tasks used • A Task Planning Form (TPF) for the recorded task – optional • A Candidate Record Form (CRF) • Two Centre Mark Forms (SR and SU) * See the separate forms later NB: Students must not submit the same task for Speaking and Writing.

16. Q5. What should we give/submit for CA? Writing: • Two pieces of work per student • The tasks sheets • Task Planning Forms (if used) • Candidate Record Forms (one per student) * See the separate forms later NB: Students must not submit the same task for Speaking and Writing.

17. Q6.How to prepare students to give of their best?Speaking: Do’s Don’ts Use the same ‘!’ Record background noise favour microphone to you Let students announce Nos,.. Ask too challenging Qs Interrupt students (correct M) Provide information Answer your own Qs Miss out any bullet Qs Pause during the recording Mark too harsh or generous • Clarify the requirements • Write task sheets in English • Encourage gram. structures May write‘!’TS teacher copy in C • Refer to Marking Criteria • Complete all forms, sign/date • Enter the breakdown of Marks on CRF • Produce clear recordings & submissions • Keep between 4-6 mins

18. Q6.How to prepare students to give of their best?Writing: Do’s Don’ts strays into other areas (eg My School Routine, but long digressions on work experience or future career) 1/2 (eg the title is School and Future Career but the candidate only mentions ‘school’). Write less thanD-G 100-250 A*- C 200- 300 characters across both tasks Use too brief structures • Produce 2 different tasks • Remember ‘The title is the task’ • Remember ‘The title can be anything’ • Ensure the content response be fully relevant to the task • Ensure points of view minimum 2 • Convey clearly and develop • two or more tenses • Use complex structures

19. Please see CA marking band tables • Speaking: (see separate table) +(see Spec. p9-11) • Writing: (see separate table)+ (see Spec. p12-13) • Forms: CRF, CDS, TPF

20. GCE(General Certificate of Education)http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce08/lang/chinese/Pages/default.aspxEdexcel A2 Chinese:6CN03 Unit 3: Understanding, Written Response and Research: 18/6/2013 (pm)*Focus on Research – based Essay

21. Q? 1.What does ‘research’ mean? 2.What is teacher’s role? 3.To control or to be controlled?

22. Practical steps: • Teacher: Investigate and confirm all the relevant information of exam board (eg spec.; research-based essay guide; past papers, sample essays with commentaries, assessment criteria) • Teacher: introduce the 14 topics • Students: understand the key requirements & act as planned (extensive reading, choose a topic, write essay plan and draft), be aware of Ref. plagiarism • Teacher: guide (resources) and give comments • Students: start action early, practice and mock • T and S review & update methods to be best fitting

23. Unit 3 Understanding, Written Response and ResearchAssessment: 2 hours 45 minutes Section A: Reading (10 marks) Students will be required to read a piece of authentic Chinese text and to retrieve and convey information from it. To demonstrate that they can do this, they will need to answer a series of questions in Chinese. Section B: Translation (10 marks) Students will be assessed on their ability to transfer meaning from a short passage written in English into Chinese. Section C: Essay writing (30 marks) Students must write an essay in Chinese (250–500 characters) in response to an essay title that links to the reading text in Section A. Section D: Research-based essay (30 marks) Students will write in Chinese (250–500 characters) about an area of interest to them and which they have researched in advance. Students will be free to set their own titles for this activity. All research must link to Chinese culture and/or society and to a specific topic area, film or book chosen from a prescribed list.(see next page)

24. Unit 3 Research-based Essay Topics Write an essay in Chinese of 250-500 characters on ONE of the following 14 topics MODERN CHINESE HISTORY (20th CENTURY) 1911-1976 1. Warlords in China 2. The New Cultural Movement (1915-1924) 3. The relationship between the Nationalist and Communist Parties of China (1921-1949) 4. The Great Leap Forward (1958) 5. The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA 6. The development of ONE of the following cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong or Taipei) in terms of environment, economy, or social issues SOCIETY 7. Han nationality traditions: explaining and analysing the significance of the activities associated with ONE festival OR custom 8. Women’s issues (1911 to the present) 9. Youth issues OR generation gap issues in modern China LITERARY TEXTS – FILMS 10. Nan Hai 13 (Mad Phoenix) – Candidates may use any of the following versions: Film (leading actor: Xie Junhao) OR Stage play (leading actor: Xie Junhao) OR TV series (leading actor: Lin Weishen, Chen Qitai) 11. Han Yan Cui (Mist Over Dream Lake) – (leading actors: Fang Ying, Chiao Chuang) LITERARY TEXTS – BOOKS 12. Lu Xun: Gu Xiang (My Hometown) 13. Ba Jin: Chun (Spring) 14. Lin Haiyin: Cheng Nan Jiu Shi (Memories of Peking: South Side Stories), focusing on one or more of the stories.

25. Essay Plan Ensure the understanding: • The topic is taken from those 14, title is suggested using Q form • Must use Edexcel Essay plan form • Can take an essay plan in to the examination • no more than 70 characters, title & sources information is not included in the essay plan form character count • The plan must not be sent with the question papers, be retained by the centre

26. Requirement on the Q paper Ensure the students follow the instruction: • Please put punctuation marks in the spaces between squares. Do not put punctuation inside the squares. Start a new line to begin a new paragraph. Do not exceed the stipulated word limit (250-500 characters). • Topic or text you have chosen for your essay:___________________________________ Title of your essay: _________________________ • Footnotes/references (引文的出处/参考过的材料)

27. Assessment Criteria Ensure the understanding : A maximum of 30 marks: • quality of language (accuracy, manipulation of language and structures —(5 marks) • organisation and development of material — (10 marks) • completion of task (clarity of thought and expression, relevance, independent judgement) — (15 marks).

28. Resources • Internet: a large source of resources • Textbooks: eg • Xiaoming Zhang: Chinese for A-Level • Yu Bin: Chinese Examination Study Guides, Chinese A2 • Edexcel Chinese for A2 • Li Duanduan, Iiu Irene: Reading into a New China

29. Methods • Skimming & scanning: pen in hand, Q in mind, depth • Qs: Teaching by asking or guided discovery • Bloom’s taxonomy: updated 6 thinking skills (see next slide) • Economic principles: achieve maximum results with minimum efforts and in a limited time • independent or Team work: peer assessment • Active learning: VAK • A4L: seek evidence where, where to go and how best • timely, constructive feedback *writing styles: formal & informal; *gram &vocabulary

30. Methods • Bloom’s taxonomy: 6 thinking skills (http://ww2.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm)

31. Methods: Skimming & scanning:research in depth To answer a research Q: • Narrow the topic small but deep, large but shallow (http://www.acts.twu.ca/library/research_essays.htm) • Develop interest, inspiration

32. Thank you