Chinese

Course summary

China has moved beyond being perceived as a market of a billion people to being a major global power with economic and political influence. Thus, an ability to operate in Mandarin Chinese opens doors to many varied careers, from finance to diplomacy to environmental consulting. This, combined with the richly fascinating history and culture of the country, makes it a very attractive choice. Mandarin is offered at Standard Level for those continuing from GCSE and at ab initio for those who did not continue after Year 7. Standard Level builds on the basis provided through GCSE but stretches students as they learn to manipulate the language more naturally. Tenacity and diligence are needed to acquire and retain the characters required for this level of language but, having studied GCSE, girls will be aware of the levels of commitment required to succeed in this regard. The themes of study at Standard Level, as for all languages at IB, are Identities, Experiences, Human Ingenuity, Social Organization and Sharing the planet. Topics are both broad-ranging and fascinating. In line with the spirit of the IB, all topics are discussed with China at their core as students are learning not only the language but also the issues affecting China and the culture of the country. Comparisons of issues and how they affect China and the West are expected. Examples of topics tackled are immigration; urban/rural divides; local culture and art; and family relationships. As with other IB languages, the course uses a variety of different sources and text types which gives students great confidence in their ability in the language and the flexibility to use it in many situations. The course tests all four skills. The ab Initio course covers the same themes of study as the Standard Level course and it takes students from beginner to high GCSE level. It is assessed in all skills. Students will require diligence and commitment to acquire vocabulary - specifically Chinese characters - at a relatively quick speed.