By JAYE CHANG
Not much has been discussed about the new Secondary Chinese syllabus introduced in 2021, which is rolled out to the new Sec 1 cohort.
Bigger book size, better paper quality, more user-friendly learning
Other than using a book size that is bigger in dimensions, both in length and in breadth, and non-glossy paper material (so pen ink won't smudge, and pencil ink marked on it can be easily seen) compared to the old one, there are also new sections in the textbook that help in general language learning that are very useful for basic and more-advanced Singaporean student learners alike. Let's take a look at some of them.
Compared to the old textbook, there is also more space (helped by the longer width of the book) at the sides of passages, so students can know take notes more easily and conveniently.
Cultural Station (文化站)
This section gets inserted within chapters and between passages, giving students good and useful knowledge on nuances of the Chinese language and linguistics, sometimes from a cultural standpoint; it helps predominantly-English users who are less familiar with Chinese linguistic nuances and language connotations, get a hang of things better.
For example, in this article, it tells us why the surnames of "Tan", "Chan" and "Chen" are actually the same word in Chinese ('陈'). The difference in their English transliterations is due to the different pronunciations of the various Chinese dialects in Singapore.
In this other example, students are taught how the word/concept of "吃" is used linguistically in the Chinese language (that it can mean more than just 'to eat') - something similar to what we have done with our students at Inspiren since 2018! (see here)
'Different ways of calling the same thing' (词语的不同说法)
Different terms are used for objects and items, in different parts of the Chinese speaking world. There are also more-formal vs more-casual ways of saying the same thing. Hence, it is good to educate students on this knowledge, so they do not get confused when they see different words/terms used by different users, and can co-relate better between real-world usage and passage-usage of terms. Knowing more synonyms and alternative word usages, also helps them in enhancing parahrasing skills, which are sometimes needed in speaking and writing.
General Knowledge Section (生活空间)
There are also useful and interesting general knowledge snippets sprinkled across the textbook, that students can acquire and widen their cultural and international knowledge, which in turn helps to heighten the level of sophistication in their oral communication and especially, their oral examination articulation.
Good Words & Phrases Section (词句百宝箱)
There is also a "good phrases and sentences" section in the new textbook that gives students a quick recommendation of usages of good words and phrases that appeared in the earlier text passages, in ideal sentence structures, while at the same time revising these new words and phrases learnt.
Multiple-pronunciations-of-words section (多音字)
The Chinese language not only contains many words with the same sound (but different writing and meaning/references), but also same words with different sounds (also with different meanings or usages).
The new textbook gives a list, every now and then, of some of the most commonly-used words/characters that have such features, with examples of their different meanings/usages.
This helps A LOT for students who struggle to remember words/characters and their corresponding sounds (especially when they sound different when used in different contexts!)
English-Chinese Terms Reference Table (中英名词对照表)
In Singapore, some terms (for eg. names of people, places and things) are widely known to many in English, but not so much in Chinese, especially for our younger folks.
Hence, it is sometimes good to give students a clear view of what such terms that appear in the passages, correspond to in English, so that they can make associations more quickly and easily, and understand what they are reading better.
At Inspiren, we are already doing a lot of what these new features in the textbook are attempting to do. For example, in our Language Strengthening Programme, we have modules for Basic Action Words and Phrases - where we go through words/concepts like "吃", "打", etc. (which are not just "eat", or "hit"), Basic Terms and Names of Places in Chinese - where we go through the most common places in Singapore and around the world, etc.
We also go through commonly-miswritten words/characters with different sounds (错别字/多音字), and correct common sentence and expression errors (有语病的句子/句式), in our classes.
Find out more about our classes: Inspiren Chinese SG | www.inspiren.com.sgTo see more of such stories: click here