Tones and Pronunciation, Mandarin Chinese, Novice-Low

Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner.  — The Pathways Project

About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository

The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. Many of these activities offer an English Version that is “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country a platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture! The activities within the Pathways Project OER Repository seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. These activities should be facilitated in the target language for approximately 90% (or more), per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

How to use the WLRC Repository’s Activities:

1. Use the Activity as is:

Before you begin:

• Most activities are 30 minutes in duration, unless otherwise specified.
• Be sure to read through the activity description, and review the list of required materials. You will notice that the activity materials are also highlighted in yellow throughout the activity instructions.

If you have any suggestions about grammar, syntax, and content, please kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu.

2. Remix for Your Language Classroom:

When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for the needs of your language classroom, simply click the blue “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. This will then take you to a screen with a NEW, editable version of this activity. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students in the target language, and may be altered for different levels and age groups. All activities have “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, a main activity, and a wrap-up.

Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials such as Google Slideshows. If you would like to make changes to these materials for your classroom, follow the instructions below:

• Google Slideshows:
  
• To begin, go to File -> Copy to create an editable version of the slideshow.
• Once finished with your changes, please complete the following steps to share:
• Click on Share
• Who Has Access
• Ensure link sharing is on and allow external access.
• Materials Saved as PDF: Please email pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu and we will provide you with an editable copy. Please allow up to two business days for a response. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided. 
  

3. Adapt for Another Language:

• See the linked English Version at the top of the activity (English Version may not be available for all activities)

Tones and Pronunciation

Description:

In this activity, students will practice listening comprehension and recognizing different tones in Mandarin Chinese. Students will write correct and accurate tones after listening to the instructor speak the short sentences and phrases out loud, then read back their answers to check accuracy and practice speaking with accurate tones.

Keywords:

China, real-world practice, pronunciation, tones, speaking, listening comprehension, daily life, Chinese 

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

• I can recognize distinct tones in Mandarin Chinese
  
• I can speak with accurate tones
  
• I can recognize how tones lend meaning to Chinese words
  

NCSSFL-ACTFL World-Readiness Standards

• Standard 1.1 - Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions in Chinese
• Standard 1.2 - Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics in Chinese
• Standard 4.1 - Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the Chinese language with their own

Idaho State World Language Standards:

• COMM 1.1 - Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions
• COMM 2.1 - Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.
• COMP 1.2 - Identify patterns and explain discrepancies the sounds and the writing system in the target language.

Materials Needed:

iPad or Computer (projector)

Tones Cards(Student Version)

Tones Cards(Answer Key Version)

Warm-up

1. Each student will get a bundle of cards with a short sentence in Chinese and a marker
   
   
2. The lab instructor will read the sentence out loud to the students. As the sentence is being read aloud, each student will use their marker to write in the tone marks on the pinyin line. Repeat each phrase two times. Try to say the sentence as naturally as possible without speaking too slowly, the point is to challenge the student's listening skills to see how well they can discern distinct tones.
   
   
3. After everyone has had a minute to write their tones in, go around in a circle and ask each student to read their sentence aloud with the pronunciation of the tones they wrote down.
   
   
4. After everyone has gone around and read their sentence aloud, the lab instructor will then share the correct tones with the group
   
   
5. Repeat through all of the cards!
   

Wrap-up:

1. Review telling time and how to discuss a daily schedule

End of lab:

• Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence. 
(Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.) 
• Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
• Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future labs!

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

• I can recognize distinct tones in Mandarin Chinese
  
• I can speak with accurate tones
  
• I can recognize how tones lend meaning to Chinese words
  

Where are we? Rate yourself on the weekly Can-Do Statements using this scale: I get it!, I got it!, I kind of get it..., I don't get it...