Lecture Notes: Chinese Language Class

Classroom Language

• Basic classroom commands and greetings:
  • Stand up
  • Hello, students/teacher
  • Goodbye, students/teacher
  • Please sit
  • Good morning/afternoon
  • Thank you/You're welcome
  • Sorry/That's alright
  • Very good
  • Please be quiet/listen/look/open the book
  • Do you understand? / Understand / Don't understand
  • Have you finished? / Finished / Not yet
  • Can I go to the toilet?

Course Outline

• Textbooks & Resources: Each term, a new booklet will serve as the textbook and activity book.
• Online Resources: Continue using Education Perfect for vocabulary enhancement.
• Topics for Term 1 & 2:
  • Revision from last year
  • Classroom language
  • Counting 1-99
  • Talking about family and pets
  • Body parts and appearances
  • Transportation and time
• Assessment: Speaking assessment at the end of Term 1.

Pinyin and Tones

• Pinyin System: Romanisation of Chinese sounds.
  • Example sounds: b p m f g k h, an en ang eng ong, ai ei ao ou, etc.
• Tones: Four tones distinguish meanings of words with the same sound.

Basic Strokes and Writing

• Numbers: Addition method if starting with 1, multiplication first if greater.
• Dates: Format: Year > Month > Day > Day of the week
  • Practice writing dates for holidays like Chinese New Year, Christmas, etc.

Family Vocabulary and Structures

• Review: English meaning of family-related words from last year.
• Radicals: Exploration of radicals like " " meaning, associated with family.
• Sentence Structures:
  • Subject + Verb + Object
  • Yes/No questions using verbs/adjectives in question.
  • Translate sentences into Chinese.

Animals and Measure Words

• Review: Matching animals to measure words learned last year.
• Radical and Pictograph: Understanding radical meanings and pictographs like "chng".

Describing Appearances

• Sentence Structures:
  • Person + body part + adjective
  • Structures to describe height, hair length, etc.
  • Practice describing using visual aids.

Transportation and Time

• Vocabulary: Related to transportation and extensions like early morning, ferry, tram.
• Radicals: Associated with transportation terms.
• Talking About Time: From broad to specific (Year > Month > Day > Time).

Writing Practice

• Exercises: Translate sentences into Chinese, describe family tree, daily routines.
• Speaking Practice: Ask and record classmates' answers about family and pets.

These notes encompass the foundational elements of learning Chinese as covered in the lecture, including classroom language, course structure, important vocabulary, sentence structures, and cultural insights on radicals and pictographs. They serve as a comprehensive guide for understanding and practicing essential Chinese language skills.