Program Type: Foreign Language
Program Level: Kindergarten, Lower School, Middle School
Location: Chicago, IL
Website URL: http://www.alcottschool.net

Curriculum Description:

This course is designed to introduce students to the Chinese language and culture where the target language is used. Therefore, in the Chinese classroom books about the Chinese language, culture and traditions, and stories are displayed for student use, i.e. reading in class and borrowing to read at home. There are also multi-media resources such as DVD, CD, videos, pictures, charts and other visual aids supplementing classroom instruction and curriculum presentations and stimulating student interest. Reference materials demonstrating the essential components of the target language for language learning and samples of student work are also displayed to assist with class activities and individual studies. Besides discussion, presentations, demonstration and instruction, other class activities will include games, songs, dances etc.

Core Content:

Students are beginning to learn the Chinese writing and pronunciation and to recognize basic language patterns. Classroom instruction and activities are centered around basic communication skills, i.e. listening and speaking, reading and writing in the target language. Students are exposed to the target culture, the people as well as the target language through demonstration, presentations, videos/ audios (e.g. documentaries or movies) and background introduction and discussions.

Content Mastery

Level 1

Follow the Chinese phonetic system “pin yin” with fairly appropriate pronunciation

Tell the four different tones

Recognize written forms of “pin yin”

Use simple forms of address

Use general greetings

Introduce themselves, e.g. name, age and nationality

Introduce family members, e.g. name and age

Follow simple classroom commands

Respond to simple questions with prompt

Name some body parts

Name some colors

Identify classroom objects

Write basic strokes of Chinese characters

Say and write numbers 1 – 100

Level 2

Use the Chinese phonetic system “pin yin” with fairly correct accuracy

Identify and differentiate tones

Produce tones with certain accuracy

Produce positive and negative sentences

Respond to and ask simple and some special questions

Copy and write written forms of essential characters correctly

Talk about family members

Respond to classroom commands

Identify common professions and occupations

Use numbers 1 – 1000 to solve mathematical problems

Use names of countries and nationalities

Identify common food and drink items

Level 3

Communicate in typical situations such as touring, dining out and leisure activities

Identify date, month, year and telling time

Describe and express ideas and emotions, e.g. compare & contrast, describing people and the weather, etc.

Develop skills of more general application (e.g. analysis and drawing inferences) to compliment core subject of study.

Class Materials/Resources:

Textbooks – Happy Chinese, Ni Hao and etc.

Multimedia – DVD, CD and video

Posters

Flashcards

Note: if this information is incorrect or out of date please contact us so we can fix it