In view of China’s economic rise, the use of the Chinese language has become more diffused and important. Mastering Chinese is beneficial to the students’ future development. Language learning not only helps them to open up their horizon and cultivate their respect and tolerance for another culture, it also helps them to have a curious and explorative mind, preparing them to become a member of the global village with an international perspective.
In first grade Chinese is presented in an elementary level. With no textbook used, the students will learn Chinese by topics, such as numbers, self-presentation, body parts, colors, family, school, food and drinks, fruit and vegetables, animals, transportation etc. They will also be introduced Chinese writing, learning to input Chinese characters on the computer keyboard and gain an understanding that Chinese learning is practical and interesting through topics related to everyday life.
For Grade 2 and above, the students’ language ability will be further strengthened on the basis of one year’s elementary Chinese studying. They are not only expected to become more fluent in their spoken language, but also to be able to recognize and write more Chinese characters.
Youth Chinese Test (YCT) is an international standardized test of Chinese proficiency for those whose mother language is not Chinese, if they want to use the Chinese language for work or study purposes. This textbook is based on the YCT, with the principle of combing test-taking and language-learning. Each lesson ends with a YCT test, which helps the teachers examine the result of students’ learning. The classes also incorporate online reading with www.ezhishi.net (Level A).