Mandarin Chinese PPA Cover for Primary Schools

Unit 1 – Tones & Pinyin

In this unit, pupils discover Mandarin and explore the different tones of the language. They will also learn about Pinyin, the official system used to transcribe Chinese characters into Latin script.

Unit 2 – Greetings & Numbers

In this unit, pupils continue revising tones and Pinyin while learning basic formal and informal greetings. They also learn how to say how they are and develop their understanding of Chinese culture. In addition, children learn numbers up to 10 and play games such as Bingo and Guess the Number. Finally, pupils practise their language skills through songs, pair work and role-play.

Unit 3 – Dates & Days of the Week

In this unit, children recap prior learning and learn basic classroom phrases such as please, thank you and you’re welcome. They also learn the Chinese character for the word year, 年, and use it to talk about dates. In addition, pupils learn to write higher numbers such as 2021 and 2022. Finally, children practise the days of the week through songs while developing their vocabulary and pronunciation.

Unit 4 – Colours

Pupils continue to practise prior learning as starter activities or plenaries and begin to learn colours and their related Chinese Characters. They will be working with many creative activities and will be playing many games to consolidate their learning. Children will also learn a song to help long-term memory and reinforce pronunciation.

Unit 5 – Names

In this unit, pupils learn to say what their name and last name is in Mandarin and fully answer the question: 你叫什么名字？(What’s your name?) in Chinese. They will be able to recognize Chinese characters related to names. Children role-play some conversations and play some games such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, 1 pen 1 dice and Super 棒极了 (interactive Chinese Football).

Unit 6 – Pets

In this unit, pupils learn about pets in Chinese and answer the question: Do you have any pets? They practise new vocabulary through games such as Guess the Animal, Beat the Teacher and Hangman. Children also learn about farm animals and create their own farm. They then label the animals using the equivalent Chinese characters. In addition, pupils explore native species from England and China and their natural habitats. Through these activities, they learn about the importance of protecting and preserving wildlife.

Unit 7 – Tones & Pinyin 2

and pinyin, and will practise more pinyin and four tone exercises by learning the names of different countries and Chinese cities/places.  They will also gain a greater understanding of the Pinyin which is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into Latin script. Children will learn some new vocabulary in the target language and their related Chinese characters while consolidating their learning.

Unit 8 – All About Me

In this unit, pupils will learn other ways to greet people both formally and informally. They will say how they are and introduce themselves in Chinese by asking and answering some questions about name, age and feelings. Children will also learn some Chinese characters related to greetings. This unit encourages children to listen attentively to new sounds and practise more Pinyin and four tone exercises by learning the names of different countries and Chinese cities/places. Children work in pairs or in small groups, play games and enjoy their learning.

Other Units

• Unit 9 – Family Members
• Unit 10 – Nationalities
• Unit 11 – Professions
• Unit 12 – Animals & Biodiversity
• Unit 13 – Food & Sustainability
• Unit 14 – The Weather
• Unit 15 – Transport
• Unit 16 – Pinyin & Chinese Characters
• Unit 17 – Clothing
• Unit 18 – Daily Routines & Time
• Unit 19 – Global Issues
• Unit 20 – Chinese Traditions
• Unit 21 – Chinese Celebrations
• Unit 22 – My Town
• Unit 23 – Getting Around
• Unit 24 – Holidays