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Conversation

This class is primarily taught by Ms. Chang and meant for students who have learned about 400 Chinese characters and, ideally, are competent in pinyin or zhuyin.  In terms of HSK level, it is probably HSK 2.  What we primarily work on is the fluency and proficiency in colloquial Chinese expression.  Frequently, students who are learning Chinese more in a second language fashion don't get enough opportunity to practice spoken Chinese, even in immersion school.  So, we try to find interesting conversational scripts for the students to work on.  What the students need to do is to practice reading the script to fluency by reading it 10, 20, 30+ times........

 

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Storybook

This is primarily for students who have good colloquial Chinese and know around 800 characters or more.  It would be good to know pinyin or zhuyin well.  I chose Aesop's Fable (伊索寓言）for the course material since it packs a lot of room for discussion despite its simple story line and simple language.  These classes are for Ms. Chang to check and verify student's proficiency level and point out room for improvement.  She also engages the students in discussions of the wisdom pointed out in the story.  Students need to listen to the recording and practice reading it to fluency at home, BEFORE the class.  We have developed a simple yet powerful online playback and recording function for the students to practice and compare their own read-aloud to the recording.  Read the story 10, 20, 30+ times to get the most out of this class!

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36 Stratagems

These are primarily meant for students between HSK level 3 and 4.  I picked 36 Stratagems 三十六計 for its rich cultural heritage and discussion possibilities. Parents need to be aware that these stories focus on the use of cunning and deception both on the battlefield and in court.