Chinese Language
Vision
Pupils be competent in their Mother Tongue Language and understand their culture.
Approach
In adherence to the new curriculum, we adopt a thematic-based teaching approach to foster our pupils’ interest in Chinese Language (CL). In this way, vocabulary taught can be used on a daily basis, allowing them to express themselves better.
In alignment to the school’s belief in fostering Joy of Learning, various strategies such as story-telling, hands-on activities, role-play etc. are employed to make learning a fun and memorable experience for pupils. We strive to build pupils’ confidence and motivation to learn the language from a young age.
We aim to develop pupils’ linguistic skills in Chinese Language, in terms of listening, speaking, reading and writing in a structured manner. Pupils are guided to achieve progressive learning outcomes throughout their years with us. These outcomes will be viewed holistically and conveyed to both parents and pupils not only through summative assessments, but also via formative assessment in daily lessons.
In line with MOE’s syllabus, the teaching and learning of CL is conducted via the modular approach, where all pupils will take Core modules from Primary 1 to Primary 6. The Bridging modules at lower primary will give pupils who enter primary school with little exposure to CL additional support in the early primary years to help them catch up. These will focus on building pupils’ listening and speaking skills, giving them a friendly start to CL and helping them to cope well with the core curriculum. At middle primary, pupils who need additional support will be introduced to the Reinforcement modules. Throughout the six years, pupils who have shown the ability and interest will go further to take up the Enrichment modules.
Programmes
MTL Learning Journeys
We firmly believe in providing authentic learning experiences for our pupils. As such, pupils from different levels go on learning journeys out of school conducted in MTL. During these learning journeys, pupils will be given the platform to interact with teachers and peers in their MTL, and gain new knowledge and contextual vocabularies in MTL too. In addition, Habits of Mind: Gathering Data Through All Senses is also inculcated into our pupils, where they are encouraged to observe their surroundings and experience their trips in details using their five senses.
MTL Fortnight
The objectives of the Fortnight activities are to develop pupils’ appreciation and promote their interest in the learning of the Chinese Language and its culture. We hope our pupils understand Chinese customs and practices beyond the classroom settings.
During the MTL Fortnight, the CL department creates an interactive environment for the learning of the Chinese language and its culture by organizing a variety of activities. Pupils will be exposed to Chinese culture through traditional Chinese arts and games such as Traditional Kites, Chinese Painting, and Chinese Knots etc.
Pupils will also put up performances and participate in competitions during the MTL Fortnight to showcase their talents and understanding of the Chinese language and its culture.
P4 MTL Cultural Camp
Every year, our Primary 4 pupils will be exposed to activities related to the Chinese Culture such as playing traditional Chinese instruments, making traditional Chinese artwork etc. These sessions are interactive and outstanding work will be put up in the form of performances or exhibition during the MTL Fortnight.
Cultural Performance Exposure Scheme
This scheme allows pupils to watch Chinese cultural performances at public theatres so that pupils can experience and appreciate Chinese culture in an authentic atmosphere. Such experiences expose pupils to traditional folklores and motivate them to learn about the Chinese culture.
Extensive Reading Programme (ERP)
To inculcate the love of reading among Chinese pupils, the CL teachers partner our parent volunteers in conducting weekly reading sessions for our pupils. Pupils will be exposed to storybooks in various themes and are engaged in post-reading activities to reinforce learning. This provides a good platform for pupils to interact with adults other than teachers, and help build their confidence in speaking MTL.
ICT in Chinese Language
ICT tools are employed during Chinese lessons to engage our pupils who are digital natives. A myriad of apps such as SLS, iMTL portal, Nearpod, Kahoot etc. play an important role during our lessons to provide real-time assessment and facilitate collaborative learning. These tools are also used for self-directed learning at home.
