Learning and Teaching Mandarin Chinese: A Collection of Lesson Plans

Learning and Teaching Mandarin Chinese: A Collection of Lesson Plans
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Newbie Mandarin Lesson Plans

Some say that Chinese is one of the hardest languages to learn, especially at the beginning. That’s why it is very important for your students to learn properly and at a pace appropriate for them right from the start. Having numerous elementary Mandarin Chinese lesson plans in stock is a must for any Chinese teacher who is teaching newbies.

From lessons on Mandarin pinyin pronunciation to lessons about how to say Chinese numbers, there is a lot for new learners of Mandarin to study. Things like dates, the basics of pronouns and commonly used adjectives and verbs should all be covered. Words for common nouns like animals, places and things should also be taught. If you are a Chinese teacher of beginning Chinese students, these lesson plans are great starting points for those learners looking to establish a foundation in Mandarin quickly. You have to start somewhere, and everything from greetings to useful survival Chinese is covered in these class ideas.

Mandarin Chinese Grammar Lessons

What can be said about grammar in Mandarin Chinese? It is far different from English, and the focus should be more on word order and sentence structures than memorization of grammar rules. This way, your students can begin to understand naturally how certain Mandarin Chinese grammar structures work. As a Chinese teacher, you should remind your students to not let the grammar of their native tongue influence their understanding of Chinese grammar patterns. Work on getting them to understand how the whole of a sentence works rather than tediously focusing on words one by one, as Chinese word order is far different from English.

Lessons on how to teach Chinese word order, the three words for “can” (能neng2，会hui4，可以ke3yi3), common Mandarin sentence structures, how to teach “all” (都dou1; 所有 suo3you3) in Chinese, and the differences of the words for “think” (认 为 ren4wei2, 以为 yi3wei2, and 觉得 jue2de) are all great grammar lesson plans. Other lesson plans on grammar structures like ‘qilai’ (起来), on comparisons, and on the difference between ‘cai’ (才) an ‘jiu’(就) will also be helpful for your Chinese language students. These lessons listed below are for upper elementary to advanced learners of Chinese.

Culture Based Mandarin Chinese Lessons

You can’t learn a language without understanding the culture of that language. This is especially true of Mandarin Chinese. Teaching your students words and stories that have to do with Chinese traditional holidays will provide them with great conversational topics when talking to native Chinese speakers. Through these lessons, your students will be able to talk about various activities on Spring Festival (春节chun1jie2) and about why moon cake is consumed during the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 zhong1qiu1jie2).

Moreover, more advanced lessons, such as one on Chinese idioms will truly be a cultural and language lesson for your students. Idioms are commonly used in the Chinese language and are often difficult for Chinese second language learners. Many Chinese four character idioms have a story, and you can also tell these stories to your students to enforce it in their memory. Other lessons like calligraphy writing and “bad luck” numbers are great culture based Chinese lessons. The lessons listed below suit students of all levels.

Activity Based Mandarin Chinese Lessons

Students learn by being active. What is the best way to learn the Chinese vocabulary and language for cooking? It is to actually cook! Activities are especially helpful for teaching children Chinese. Take your students outside and have them write characters in the sand! You can also use TV programs to teach your students Mandarin Chinese. By using activities, your students will be able to learn new words and tough Mandarin Chinese grammar concepts naturally.

The lessons below suit all levels, but be sure to tailor the difficulty to the level of your students. And if you have young students, make dumplings instead of barbecue. It’s much safer.

References

  • Author’s Own Experiences