Telling Time and Schedules (Novice-Low/Mid)

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Amber Hoye, Kelly Arispe, Adam Li

Activity Created for Chinese by Adam Li, Chinese Instructor

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This activity was created by upper-division language students working in the World Languages Resource Center at Boise State University. Our activities seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive listening skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. We recommend using these activities to help reinforce the content students are learning, allowing the students time to feel comfortable using the unit’s vocabulary and grammar structures through application. Further, these activities should be facilitated in approximately 90% (or more) in the target language, per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

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Telling Time and Schedules (Novice-Low/Mid)

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.

Keywords:

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

Relevant 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

Relevant ACTFL World-Readiness Standards

National Standards for Chinese Language Learning:

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
Standard 5.1 - Students use the Chinese language both within and beyond the school setting

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.
COMT 1.2 - Discuss personal preferences in activities and events both within and beyond the classroom
COMT 2.2 - Explore opportunities to use the target language for personal enrichment/professional advancement/communication skills

Materials Needed:

iPad or Computer (projector)

Clocks

Google Slides

Warm-up

1. Begin by introducing the Can-Dos for today’s activity and spend some time to review appearances.

Relevant 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

2. Youtube Video - short song going over time related vocabulary. This video is embedded in the google slideshow

3. Google Slideshow - introduce 刻 and 半

4. A fun game time: 1) get about 20 toy clocks

2) the teacher tell the students different time and the students use the clocks to show the teachers ( listening activity)

3) When the students are getting better in understanding time, divide the class into 4-5 small groups. Put 4-5 clocks in front of the classroom, then each group line up by a starting line. The teacher will say a time, each team has one member run to the clock and quickly move it to the right time, whoever moves fast and get the right time will win 1 point for the team. The team which wins 10 points will win this round of game. ( The teach will tell all kinds of time, he/she can even do military time )

4) This game is competitive and it give the students a sense of team building, self contribution, quick response and solid sense of time.

5. Speaking activity: 1) each student have a clock in their hands.

2) introduce students some daily routine vocabulary ----get up, take a shower, eat breakfast, go to class, have lunch, go to Chinese class, go home, take a bus, read, watch TV , do homework, go to bed.

3) Student take turn to use the daily routine vocabulary with the time, and speak what they do at a certain time. Then put them on a spot form in a big floor clock.

4) When every one finish and stand on their spot, with the clock holding in their hands, ask other students to retell whoever's daily routine.

6. Writing: 1) Students will have a piece of blank copy paper.

2) Fold the copy paper and make it a 6-8 frames.

3) Students then draw a clock and an action that illustrate what they do during a certain time and write a sentence to describe it. ( Picture story book)

Main Activity

Every student gets a clock and a marker
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
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.
Students will then take turns reading the time on the clocks out loud
Repeat steps 3 and 4 a few times, and then proceed to the second half of the main activity
Begin by going around the group and asking
“你星期一得上课吗?"
"Do you have class on Monday?"
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.
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?"
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!
Give everyone a chance to, time permitting, at least 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:

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!

Relevant 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...