Telling Time and Schedules, Mandarin Chinese, Novice-Low/Mid

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 language, 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)

Telling Time and Schedules (Novice-Low/Mid)

Description:

In this activity students will be practice telling time in Chinese, as well as create schedules to describe their daily lives. Students will also practice listening comprehension by accurately responding to prompts given by the instructor.

Proficiency Level:

Novice Low/Mid

Keywords:

China, real-world practice, telling time, daily schedules, schedules, daily life, Chinese 

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

• I can tell time in Chinese
  
• I can describe my class schedule to someone
  
• I can have a simple conversation about daily routines
  

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 1.3 - Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics
• 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 3.1 - Present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media in the target language.

Materials Needed:

iPad or Computer (projector)

Clocks

Google Slides

Warm-up

1. Every student gets a clock and a marker
   
   
2. The lab assistant will call out a time for the clock, and students, without showing one another, will draw the arms of the clock to show the time that corresponds 
   十一点半 10:30
   两点二十五分 2:25
   七点十五分 7:15
   三点零五分 3:05
   六点一刻 6:15
   
   
3. After you have run through all the times in the list, have students wipe their clocks clean, and then ask students to write a time of their choice on the clock, then pass their clock to the student on their left.
   
   
4. Students will then take turns reading the time on the clocks out loud
   
   
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 a few times, and then proceed to the second half of the main activity
   
   
6. Begin by going around the group and asking 
   “你星期一得上课吗?"
   "Do you have class on Monday?"
   
   
7. Once everyone has answered, begin by modeling
   “我星期一有#节课” 也可以告诉他们“节”是课的 "measure word."
   "On Mondays I have # classes." You can also tell students that "jie" is the measure word for classes. 
   
   
8. Then, go around and ask students
   你星期一有几节课？
   "How many classes do you have on Monday?"
   
   Once everyone has answered, begin by asking
   你第一节课是什么？ 几点到几点？
   "What is your first class? From what time to what time?"
   
   
   
9. Use hand gestures for numbers to help explain/demonstrate without using English as much as possible. If too many students have similar answers, only stick to the first class for the first one or two people, then switch to a second or third class!
   
   
10. If time permits, allow  everyone a chance to talk about one class they have and what times they have it. If you have more time, you can continue to other days of the week.
    

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 tell time in Chinese
  
• I can describe my class schedule to someone
  
• I can have a simple conversation about daily routines
  

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...