Chinese: Second Language Learner 7–10 Sequence / Levels 7 and 8 / Communicating / Reflecting
Content description
Reflect on personal experiences and observations of using and learning Chinese language in familiar contexts, and use these reflections to improve communication
Elaborations
discussing appropriate language choices across cultures, for example, when meeting people for the first time or interacting with older people (such as a parent’s friend); how presentation of the residential address in Chinese and English reflects certain values in the different cultures
reflecting on their own English language use in response to their observations of Chinese speakers, for example, the words they use (slang, complex terminology), how they speak (tone, accent), and how they vary their language in different contexts and with different people
engaging with Chinese speakers through organised school activities (such as Skyping students at a Chinese school or welcoming visitors to own school), recording moments when difficulty is experienced in communication and reflecting on the cause of this difficulty
reflecting on aspects of their own identity, including what their membership of diverse groups says about who they are and what they consider important, for example, 我是澳大利亚人和日本人；我是老大；我参加学校的足球队
noticing how relationships with others — for example, friendship groups (我的朋友是 Lisa 和 George, 我们都很聪明), ethnic group (我是德裔澳大利亚人) — influence language choices and preferences for learning content
selecting information to share with a particular audience (for example, students from a sister school in China), asking: Why do I think this information is important to represent who I am? Why do I think my audience would find this information interesting and relevant?
comparing expressions of identity encountered in Chinese texts and interactions with their own sense of identity, for example, 他是美籍华人
observing interactions between Chinese speakers, and discussing the context and language use (for example, a family eating out in a restaurant, noticing seating arrangements, the background environment and how dishes are ordered and presented) and how this compares to their own experience
discussing how language and gesture are used to communicate in English and how these features would be understood when interacting with Chinese people; identifying how their communication styles may need to be altered when conveying ideas in Chinese
