MANDARIN B – STANDARD LEVEL

MANDARIN B – STANDARD LEVEL

Aims:

• Develop international mindedness through the study of languages, cultures, and

ideas and issues of global significance.

• Enable students to communicate in the language they have studied in a range of

contexts and for a variety of purposes.

• Encourage, through the study of texts and through social interaction, an awareness

and appreciation of a variety of perspectives of people from diverse cultures.

• Develop students’ understanding of the relationship between the languages and

cultures with which they are familiar.

• Develop students’ awareness of the importance of language in relation to other

areas of knowledge.

• Provide students, through language learning and the process of inquiry, with

opportunities for intellectual engagement and the development of critical and creative thinking skills.

• Provide students with a basis for further study, work and leisure through the use of

an additional language.

• Foster curiosity, creativity and a lifelong enjoyment of language learning.

Course description:

The course comprises five themes: Identities, Experiences, Human ingenuity, Social organization and Sharing the planet. These prescribed themes are illustrated with guiding principles and recommended topics, such as health and wellbeing, customs and traditions, communication and media, education and the environment. Standard level Mandarin provides a suitable foundation for further study and/or practical use of Mandarin as well as being a coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study for students who do not progress to further study in the subject. Standard level students will learn to communicate confidently with native speakers on a wide range of general topics.

Requirements:

A genuine interest in the Mandarin language is crucial for this course. You should have studied the language for at least three years and should be keen to develop the level of your language. Literary extracts are included in both courses but are only explicitly examined at Higher Level. You should be prepared to be well organised and to work conscientiously and independently over the two-year period.

Career Path:

In today’s global village, the art of communication is a distinct and saleable asset, whichever career path you choose. Beyond the obvious careers requiring a foreign language as a primary skill such as interpreting and translating, there are many fields where speaking a foreign language is a highly desirable auxiliary skill. These include travel and tourism, publishing, the media and journalism, government services, banking, intelligence and law enforcement, fashion, import/export, law, the performing arts, medicine and research, international marketing and real estate.

5 TERM OVERVIEW

Themes Term 1 - Identities Term 2 - Experiences Term 3 - Human ingenuity Term 4 - Social organization Term 5 - Sharing the planet

Internal Assessment: 25%, oral exam, externally moderated. Individual oral: 12-15 mins + 15 mins of preparation

External Assessment:

75% Examination

• • Paper 1: one piece of writing from a choice of 3 themes. • 1 hr 15 mins (25%) • • Paper 2: Listening and reading (separate sections)

Listening comprehension – 45 min; Reading comprehension – 1 hr (50%)

Contact for further information:

Ms Wang Ting Ting: tingting.wang@tts.edu.sg