LOTE 

LOTE (Mandarin)

Here comes the Year of the Horse! 马年大吉 (mǎ nián dà jí)

Over the past two weeks, JPPS students have been exploring the Chinese (Lunar) New Year in their LOTE (Mandarin) lessons. Learning was approached through the Victorian Curriculum lenses of language learning: communication, community, cognition and culture. Students celebrated this most significant Chinese festival through singing, dancing, storytelling, hands-on craft activities and mini inquiry projects.

Year 6 students learned how to write traditional blessing phrases for red couplets and conducted a mini investigation into why certain foods are eaten during Chinese New Year celebrations.

Year 5 students created red couplets featuring the single characters ‘马’ (horse) or ‘福’ (good fortune).

Year 4 students enjoyed experimenting with a “magic colouring” sheet featuring the character ‘马’ and making ‘sparkling firecrakers’.

Year 3 students were busy making red envelopes, decorating them with their own handwritten ‘年’ characters.

Foundation to Year 2 students, who have just begun their LOTE learning journey, enthusiastically participated in a “lion dance experience”. The LOTE classroom was filled with giggles and laughter as these young learners immersed themselves in the celebration.

Across all year levels, students learned Mandarin greetings for Chinese New Year, explored important traditions associated with the festival, and practised writing related characters such as ‘马’ and ‘年’. Background learners were further challenged to write set phrases or short sentences. 

Through these experiences, students developed a deeper understanding of both the language and the cultural significance of Chinese New Year.

Ms Jessie Wu

JPPS Languages