Bilingual Banter

In Chinese this year, a more structured and systematic Speaking and Listening approach has been implemented across all year levels. The Chinese team has developed a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging and meaningful stories using visual resources created in Canva.

Every morning on Chinese days, students are encouraged to retell these stories with the support of gestures, visual prompts and repeated practice. This approach allows them to recycle familiar language, consolidate vocabulary, and develop new vocabulary and grammar in an authentic and engaging context.

As a team, we have noticed significant improvements in students’ speaking and listening skills throughout the year. It has also been encouraging to see students beginning to transfer the language they have learned through speaking and listening into their writing, demonstrating stronger language retention and confidence.

Looking ahead to next term, we will be integrating our Speaking and Listening and Reading programs with the Health curriculum. The Chinese team is currently working closely with the English team to plan lessons, develop language resources and create meaningful cross-curricular learning opportunities.

We are excited about the opportunities this collaboration will provide and look forward to delivering engaging, authentic and purposeful learning experiences for our students.