Chinese Level 1

Year at a Glance

Theme 1: Personal and Family Life

Greetings and Introductions

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Use appropriate forms of address to peers and adults when making introductions.
  • Use appropriate gestures and expressions of greeting and leave-taking.
  • Ask and respond to simple questions about someone else’s identity and well-being.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Differentiate between informal and formal exchanges.
  • Comprehend phrases related to a person’s state of well-being.

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Demonstrate attention to accuracy of register in introducing self and expressing greetings.
  • Present rehearsed and spontaneous greetings and introductions.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Recognize and distinguish between various culturally-authentic gestures and levels of formality of greeting and leave-taking.
  • Demonstrate understanding of hand-shaking, body language, and greetings, including those used in telephone, computer, and letter-writing situations.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

  • Discuss the use of morning and evening greetings.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Examine customs of greeting and leave-taking between the United States and China.
  • Contrast the use of formal address in Chinese and English.

Communication Across Communities

  • Recognize the importance of greetings in China.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • Subject pronouns
  • Formal and informal expressions
  • Basic verbs
  • Expressions for greeting and leave-taking

 

Physical Descriptions and Personality Characteristics, Feelings, and Emotions

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Use a variety of adjectives to ask and answer questions about the physical appearance of people and objects.
  • Ask and answer questions about a description, mood or emotional state.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Comprehend spoken and written descriptions of physical appearance, personality traits and emotions.

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Describe physical and personality attributes using a variety of appropriate adjectives.
  • Present descriptions, both rehearsed and spontaneous, of people and/or objects.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Discuss cultural generalizations and stereotyping based on physical appearance.
  • Discuss characteristics of well-known people from Chinese-speaking countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

  • Identify well-known Chinese-speaking people studied in other disciplines.
  • Identify well-known Chinese Americans.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Distinguish between verbs, nouns, adverbs, adjectives and structural particles, and compare to English usages.

Communication Across Communities

  • Describe well-known people in Chinese-speaking countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • Descriptive adjectives
  • Question and answer formation

 

Family Members

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Ask and answer questions pertaining to family members and relationships, including pets.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Identify family members and relationships based on spoken and written descriptions.

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Describe family relationships.
  • Describe family members and pets.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Identify characteristics of the family unit in various Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Explain the importance of the family in Chinese-speaking societies.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

  • Compare the role of the extended family in China and in the U.S.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Compare and contrast families in the U.S. and in China.
  • Contrast ways to express possession.

Communication Across Communities

  • Use print and Internet resources to access information about families in China.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • Pet vocabulary
  • Use of measure words with objects and pets
  • Possessive adjectives
  • Intensifiers
  • Aspect markers and other indications of ongoing and completed actions

 

Clothing and Colors

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Ask and answer questions pertaining to clothing and colors.
  • Ask and answer questions to elicit a description of clothing and colors.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Identify clothing and colors based on spoken and written description.

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Use descriptive adjectives and articles to describe clothing.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Discuss standards and styles of dress in China.
  • Discuss the influence of climate and geography on dress in China.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

  • Discuss the use of color (e.g., in clothing, art, architecture).

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Compare standards and styles of dress in Chinese and American cultures.
  • Compare ways of expressing possession

Communication Across Communities

  • Identify differences in sizes and appropriateness of clothing.
  • Describe clothing available on the Internet and through catalogues and/or advertisements from Chinese-speaking countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • Colors and other descriptive adjectives

Theme 2: School Life

Numbers and Time

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Ask and answer questions about age.
  • Ask and answer questions about street addresses and telephone numbers.
  • Ask and answer questions about time and scheduled activities.
  • Ask and answer questions about the cost of school supplies.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Interpret a time schedule (bus, train, class, movie listing, or TV guide).

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Explain a schedule of activities.
  • Present information about ages, phone numbers, addresses, and class schedules.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Discuss the way numerals are written in Chinese.
  • Discuss a typical day’s schedule in China (meal name and times, etc.).
  • Discuss the metric system.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

  • Explain the use of the metric system.
  • Do simple mathematical computations in Chinese.
  • Discuss temperatures.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Discuss the concept of "ten thousand" to form numbers over 10,000.
  • Discuss the use of the metric system.

Communication Across Communities

  • Interpret a time schedule in Chinese.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • School-related scheduling vocabulary

 

Days, Months, and Calendar

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Ask and answer questions about days of week, dates, and months.
  • Ask and answer questions about birthdays and celebrations.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Identify dates of events and celebrations.
  • Comprehend simple announcements that include dates.
  • Understand written numerical information as used in newspapers, announcements, letters, brochures, etc.

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Prepare and present a weekly activities calendar.
  • Present important dates and celebrations.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Identify holidays and/or celebrations in the Chinese-speaking world.
  • Relate different products to celebrations such as special foods, decorations, etc.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

  • Make connections with historical events from China that involve or relate to the United States, such as Chinese New Year.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Recognize that the Chinese calendar starts on Monday.
  • Recognize that the order in saying and writing dates is different in Chinese.

Communication Across Communities

  • Use community resources to identify cultural celebrations within the student’s own community.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • Phrases for asking and telling the date

 

Classes, Schedules and Supplies

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Ask and answer questions related to class schedules and school subjects.
  • Ask and answer questions about school supplies, furnishings, and rooms.
  • Ask and answer questions related to a typical school day and routine.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Understand simple instructions related to classroom commands or procedures, and basic computer technology.
  • Comprehend a class schedule, opinions of classes, and locations in the school.

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Prepare and present a class schedule.
  • Describe a class schedule and necessary materials for each class.
  • Identify in which rooms classes are held.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Discuss the courses taken at various grade levels in China, including the quantity of courses and frequency of class sessions.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Compare education systems in the U.S. and in Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Compare a typical school day in the U.S. with those in Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Compare grading scales in the U.S. and in Chinese-speaking countries.

Communication Across Communities

  • Interpret a school schedule of a student from a Chinese-speaking country.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • Vocabulary related to school schedules, rooms of the school and classroom objects
  • Use of specifiers and measure words with classroom objects
  • Vocabulary related to telling time
  • Question formation and interrogative expressions
  • Adverbs of frequency

Theme 3: Social Life

Interests and Leisure Activities

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Ask and answer questions about interests and leisure activities, including likes and dislikes.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Comprehend simple, culturally-authentic announcements and advertisements related to leisure activities.
  • Identify activities being described.
  • Determine whether a person likes or dislikes a particular activity.

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Tell the degree to which a person likes or dislikes various activities.
  • Tell when and how frequently a person participates in various activities.
  • Tell what leisure activities a person does or does not do.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Identify popular sports and leisure activities in Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Discuss the role of leisure activities in a young person’s daily life.
  • Discuss where young people meet during leisure time.
  • Identify and discuss prominent individuals involved in sports and the arts in Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Discuss the impact of geographic location on popular leisure activities.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

  • Compare the sports studied and played in physical education (P. E.) class in the U.S. with sports played in Chinese-speaking countries.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Compare extra-curricular activities in the U.S. and in Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Compare typical customs of socializing for young people.
  • Contrast the use of various verbs and prepositions with sports and activities in English and Chinese.
  • Identify cognates and false cognates for interests or activities.

Communication Across Communities

  • Describe sports and leisure activities in the Chinese-speaking community.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • Infinitives and completed action
  • Adverbs of frequency
  • Negation
  • Vocabulary for likes and dislikes

 

Weather and Seasons

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Ask and answer questions about weather and seasons.
  • Ask and respond to questions about activities and weather during different seasons.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Identify weather and seasons based on spoken and written descriptions.
  • Identify weather and seasons as represented by symbols (e.g., picture of sun, clouds, etc.).

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Describe a variety of weather conditions and seasons.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Discuss the influence of weather on lifestyles and activities in Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Identify varying climates in different geographic locations in China and Asia.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

  • Describe the use of metric system in giving temperatures.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Identify the differences in seasons in the U.S. and Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Identify cognates and false cognates related to weather and seasons.
  • Discuss the influence of the Chinese language on English weather expressions such as typhoon.

Communication Across Communities

  • Interpret a Chinese language weather report.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • Seasonal activity vocabulary
  • Weather expressions

Theme 4: Community Life

Cities, Places, Activities, and Transportation

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Ask and answer questions about a city.
  • Ask about and give directions to a site within a town or city.
  • Ask and answer questions regarding modes of transportation modes in a city.
  • Ask and answer questions about when and where activities and/or celebrations take place.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Identify locations on a map.
  • Identify locations where activities take place.
  • Find a location based on verbal directions.

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Give directions to a city location or activity.
  • Describe a day’s activities, including locations. 

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Discuss the layout and characteristics of cities and towns in Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Discuss cities in China and other Chinese-speaking areas.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

  • Identify geographic locations and/or features of Chinese-speaking countries.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Compare the use of mass transit in Chinese-speaking countries and the United States.
  • Analyze social issues relating to city life in the U.S. and in Chinese-speaking countries (night life, etc.).

Communication Across Communities

  • Identify activities, celebrations and locations in Chinese-speaking cities.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • Vocabulary for giving directions
  • Prepositions of location
  • Question formation and interrogative expressions
  • Commands

 

Shopping

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Ask and answer questions about stores and types of merchandise.
  • Discuss shopping experiences.
  • Ask for or give the description of an item being purchased.
  • Ask and answer questions regarding where items can be purchased and how much they cost.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Identify locations where specific items can be purchased.

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Tell about the purchase or sale of an item.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Discuss products unique to Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Discuss the differences in shopping customs between the U.S. and Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Discuss the differences between Chinese and U.S. monetary units.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

  • Convert Chinese currency to U.S. dollars.
  • Compare merchandise prices in the U.S. to those in Chinese-speaking countries.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Compare the custom of bargaining in Chinese-speaking countries and in the U.S.

Communication Across Communities

  • Identify merchandise available on the Internet, through catalogs, and/or in advertisements from Chinese-speaking countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • Types of stores
  • Adjective placement
  • Courtesy expressions
  • Direct and indirect object pronouns
  • Numbers related to money exchange rate

 

Restaurants and Food

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

  • Ask and answer questions about food.
  • Ask and answer questions about a meal or restaurant experience.
  • Order or take an order for a meal at a restaurant or café.
  • Ask and answer questions regarding items on a menu.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

  • Identify grocery and food items in an advertisement, menu, recipe, etc.
  • Identify locations where specific foods can be purchased.
  • Comprehend written and oral information about items in a market.

Oral and Written Presentation

  • Describe a restaurant meal.
  • Present descriptions and opinions about food.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

  • Discuss the cuisines and eating customs of Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Discuss shopping for food in Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Identify food served at celebrations in Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Discuss typical mealtime schedules.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

  • Discuss the influence of Chinese foods and cuisine in the United States.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

  • Discuss the differences between Chinese and American cuisine.
  • Compare the role of food in celebrations in the U.S. and Chinese-speaking countries.
  • Identify Chinese foods commonly used in the U.S.

Communication Across Communities

  • Demonstrate an understanding of recipes and/or menus from Chinese-speaking countries, either via the Internet or from local restaurants serving Chinese food.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

  • Food vocabulary
  • Expressions for ordering a meal
  • Courtesy expressions