Learning Chinese - Writing It Right through Pictures and Phrases

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Learning Chinese by writing

Pupils hold up beautifully decorated written work.

This is the seventh article in Schoolbag's series of 10 features on the new primary school Chinese Language curriculum. Read the previous ones here.

An earlier version of this article was published in Lianhe Zaobao on 1 May 2007. For a Chinese version of this article, click here.

How can you write if you know neither the words nor what to write about?

The ability to pen your thoughts is vital to mastering any language, including Chinese. But before a child can do so, he or she must be able to recognise the characters that make up the language, as well as understand how to use them in speech and writing.

That is why the new Chinese Language curriculum seeks an appropriate balance in its emphases on reading, writing, listening and speaking. Far from neglecting written composition, the curriculum provides a firm grounding in the skills needed to write in Chinese, be it letters to loved ones or sharing personal stories in essays.

Picturing your thoughts on paper

In Primary 1 and 2, pupils learn to write simple phrases and complete sentences based on pictures they see in class. Their activity books feature an exercise called "Words of the Mind", which spurs pupils to respond to a picture using vocabulary that they have heard or read.

For instance, a teacher might show a picture of a family, with the theme: "My family and I". He/She then guides the class using questions that encourage them to describe the picture in various ways and jot down phrases related to the subject. If pupils do not yet know how to write a particular Chinese character, they can use pictures, symbols or hanyu pinyin to express what they want to say. As they create their responses, the pupils discover that writing is in fact not as hard as it seems.

Using hints to stimulate their imagination, the teacher also helps the pupils realise that there's no need to worry about having nothing to write about. From greeting cards to short essays on everyday topics, pupils will find that they have both something to say, plus the ability to say it. The confidence and skills acquired from "Words of the Mind" exercises will be invaluable in Primary 3, when pupils are expected to pen full paragraphs and essays.

Daily practice through simple diaries

Children enjoy thinking about, questioning and voicing their feelings. As parents, what can you do to encourage these interests and nurture effective writing habits? Well, parents can get their children to pen their thoughts about things they see or events they experience in a "single-sentence diary".

Learning Chinese by writing

"Pictures help pupils to learn to write" .

A simple entry could be a heartfelt response to the school day, such as:
8 February - My Teacher praised my writing in class this morning. I feel so happy!

While parents can help suggest ideas of what to write about, it's best to let the child decide what he or she wants to say in the diary. Like the "Words of the Mind" exercise, it's perfectly alright to use pictures or hanyu pinyin to represent characters they have not learnt before. For instance, a child could draw the sun to indicate "qing" (clear day) or a smiling face for "xiao" (smile). When they eventually learn the actual character, it's also much easier for the children to remember, as they can easily associate the character with the picture they drew.

It's simple, short and even surprising, as a single-sentence diary can unlock your child's creativity and curiosity. Try it at home and you can help your child develop a lively interest in writing and sound writing habits, as he or she puts into practice the new words they learn each day.

How you can use the single-sentence diary to strengthen parent-child interaction

  • Create a space at home for the child to display his or her single-sentence diary. The diary doesn't have to be an exercise book. You can set up a white board or use notepads that your child can stick on the refrigerator with magnets.
  • Have regular discussions with your child about the sentences they wrote and don't forget to praise them when they write well.
  • Motivate your child to write with warm words and rewards. Besides verbal encouragement, parents can pen their praise or attach stars or stickers under the child's diary entries. Imagine how happy your child would be to read lines like "You did well!" or "Mommy is proud of you!" after their daily effort.

    • Contributed by:

    Xu Yonghua
    Teacher
    Si Ling Primary School

    Wong Yeow Choon
    Chinese Language Curriculum Planning Officer
    MOE

    Learning Chinese by writing

    "What should I write about today?" .

    我手写我心

    家长也许担心新课程对语文四技的进度要求不同，无法为孩子打下稳固的华文基础。然而低年级的学习重点固然是放在听说、识字、写字与阅读的训练，可是也没有忽略写作这一环节。

    在一、二年级的阶段，我们希望学生能根据图意写几个意思完整的、简单的句子，并能在生活中作简单的书面表达，如写贺卡等。学生一旦建立了写的信心，从三年级起在学习写段和写篇时就会乐在其中了。

    书写心理词汇 展开联想的翅膀

    在低年级进行写作教学时，教师会先指导学生如何通过写词写句来发散思维。写作是一个尝试通过积累的文字创造意义的过程。小一小二的活动本里安排了一个称作"心理词汇"的项目，目的就是要鼓励孩子围绕文字主题或图画，把联想到的词全部都记下。这些词语应该都是孩子曾经听过或者读过的；如果遇到不会写的字，他们可以用其他方法表达，如图象、符号、汉语拼音等。

    [图片说明：林景小学学生"心理词汇"的作业样例]

    其实，"心理词汇"帮助学生卸除心理障碍，让他们不再觉得写作是一件困难的事。它更主要的目的在于为高年级写作搭建桥梁。小一、小二的学生先学习如何生产与展现意念，再进行简单的整理，以写出一些句子。他们掌握了创作"心理词汇"的方法之后，就等于打开了往后的写作大门。学生再也不害怕没有内容可写，而且写作能力与兴趣还能相互促进。

    Learning Chinese by writing

    "Drawings help pupils remember the characters for different objects" .

    如何引导学生写心理词汇？以一年级下册第八课《看谁想得多》为例，活动本里提供了一个全家福的图画，图画旁边提供提示语"我和家人"。教师让学生先看看图画，然后通过提问引导学生发挥想象，写出与"我和家人"的提示有关的一连串词语。

    由此可见，想象力在孩子尝试写作时至关重要。教师不会一开始就要求学生写出长长的文章，而是从围绕主题发散思维、积累词语开始。这一个过程除了帮助学生打下稳固的语文基础，也培养起他们用华文写作的兴趣和信心。

    一句话的日记 写出心里的话

    我们都知道孩子爱想象，爱发问，爱表达。配合课堂上的学习，家长可以用什么方式来引导和帮助孩子抒发心中的三"爱"呢？其实做起来并不特别困难，家长可要鼓励孩子把看到的、听到的和想到的东西写成文字。而既然是起步，不妨从最简单的"一句话的日记"开始，如：　　　　　　

    二月八日

    　　　今天早上，老师说我的字写得很美，我真开心！
    　

    Learning Chinese by writing

    It's ok to start off with simple drawings and short phrases.

    一句话日记的形式可以多样化，孩子可以有一本自己的日记本，自己给日记本起一个好听的名字，例如："我的小天地"、"美丽的乐园"等。最好让孩子自己决定写的内容，但如有需要，开始时家长可给孩子提示。与书写"心理词汇"的练习相同，孩子没学过的字可以画图或用汉语拼音代替。如孩子不会写"晴"，就画一个太阳；不会写"笑"，就画一个笑脸。

    听起来是不是很有趣？从今天起就和家里的孩子试试看吧！我们希望通过与家长合作，培养孩子在写作方面的良好态度与习惯，引导孩子愿意在写话中尝试运用所学到的词句，并且更愿意在生活中用华文作简单的书面表达。
    　　　
    用"一句话的日记"创设亲子交流的新情境

  • 在家中开设一个空间，让孩子展示他的"一句话日记"。除了用本子，家长也可考虑在家里设置一个小白板，让孩子把每句话写在上面；或让孩子写在纸上，然后贴在冰箱上。

  • 固定每一、两周之后，和孩子一起用华语交流日记的内容，给予他们肯定和赞赏。

  • 适当地鼓励与奖励孩子，给他们提供持久写作的动力。除了口头交流，家长也可在孩子话语的下面写些激励的话或黏上鼓励的贴纸。想象读到了一句类似"你真棒"、"有你这么好的孩子，妈妈真开心☺"的赞美，孩子将会感觉多么幸福。

    • 许永华（士林小学教师）
    王耀春（华文课程规划员）

    原载于《联合早报学园》2007年5月1日
    修订于2008年10月19日