Mandarin - IB

Exam board: International Baccalaureate (IB) and HSK4

Specification: Language B (Standard Level Diploma) and HSK4

Entry requirement: Grade 7 at GCSE Chinese

Why study Mandarin?

Our Mandarin pathway can be taken as a fourth option, studied alongside three full A Levels. 

Students on our Mandarin pathway build upon the linguistic knowledge they have already acquired at GCSE by developing their global perspectives and critical cultural understanding. 

Meanwhile, as part of our course students also sit the internationally recognised HSK4 qualification, giving them an enviable passport to apply for study abroad and job opportunities in Chinese-speaking countries. 

Our Mandarin pathway also gives students the opportunity to take part in a 10-day trip to China, enabling them to apply their learning in authentic situations and deepen their cultural understanding.

Studying Mandarin at sixth form will help applications to Oxbridge and Russell Group universities stand out from the crowd.

What will I study?

You will develop the ability to communicate in the target language through the study of language, themes and texts. In doing so, you also develop conceptual understandings of how language works. 

Communication is evidenced through receptive, productive and interactive skills across a range of contexts and purposes that are appropriate to the level of the course. 

Meanwhile, a mix of classroom and independent study towards the HSK4 qualification will help bridge the gap between GCSE and IB Mandarin.

How will I study?

You will benefit from working in small groups, so you will have plenty of opportunities to practise and receive high quality personalised feedback.

Our syllabus is organised into five prescribed themes: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization and sharing the planet. Within each theme, you will:

· Acquire knowledge of vocabulary and grammar (the what of language), reinforced and extended by understanding audience, context, purpose, meaning and variation (the why and how of language). 

· Study towards the HSK4 qualification - we have carefully designed our curriculum so that vocabulary and grammar for HSK4 are also taught in lessons as you study towards the IBDP.

· Develop a global mindset

· Be exposed to a variety of authentic text types

· Describe situations, narrate events, make comparisons, explain problems, and state and support their personal opinions on a variety of topics

· Produce a wide variety of oral and written texts for audiences, contexts and purposes associated with academic and personal interests

How will my work be assessed?

HSK4 - external assessment (October of Year 13)

·  Computer-based assessment sat as part of a day trip to London

IB Mandarin - Internal assessment (February of Year 13):

· Individual oral assessment—productive and interactive skills (a presentation by the student and a follow-up discussion based on a visual stimulus linked to one of the prescribed themes of the course, and a general conversation with the teacher based on at least one additional theme of the course)

IB Mandarin - External assessment (May of Year 13):

· Paper 1: productive skills—writing (a written response to a task)

· Paper 2: receptive skills—with separate sections for listening (demonstrating understanding of three audio passages) and reading (demonstrating understanding of three written passages)