The Three "de's", Mandarin Chinese, Intermediate-Low

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Amber Hoye, Hannah Steiner, Camille Daw, Mimi Fahnstrom

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)

The Three "de's"

Description:

In this activity, students will practice and reinforce their knowledge of the three ‘de’ particles (的，地，得）by rolling a dice with all three particles on it and creating sentences using different category cards from a word bank. Students are also encouraged to add their own vocabulary to personalize their sentences and be as creative as possible. 

Proficiency Level:

Intermediate-Low

Keywords:

Chinese, Chinese grammar, language games, group activities

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 2.1 - Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the cultures of the Chinese-speaking world
  • Standard 3.1 -Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the study of Chinese.
  • Standard 4.1 - Students demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the Chinese language with their own

Idaho Content Standards for World Languages:

COMM 1.1- Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions

CLTR 1.1 - Analyze the cultural practices/patterns of behavior accepted as the societal norm in the target culture.

COMP 1.2 - Identify patterns and explain discrepancies the sounds and the writing system in the target language.

COMP 2.2 - Compare and contrast appropriate gestures and oral expressions in the target culture with the learner’s culture.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can utilize different Chinese grammatical forms creatively and correctly 
  • I can recognize and create sentences with high frequency vocabulary 
  • I can present information about life activities or events using more advanced structures 

Materials Needed:

Google Slideshow

DE Dice

Noun/Verb/Adjective Cards (different links for each)

Warm Up

Watch this video  (link is also on the slideshow)

Main Activity

1. Organize the verb cards, the noun cards and the adjective cards into three groups by color

You can either stack them in pile or spread them out in three groups so students can see them before they pick them

2. Each students will take turns rolling 的／地／得 dice and, depending on which particle is face up, students will choose two cards to make a sentence using that particle

A. Examples

I.  的 - students will choose either two noun cards or an adjective card and one noun card

II. 地 - Students will choose an adjective and verb card and they can also choose a noun depending on the verb they pull if they want to

III. 得 - Students will choose an adjective and verb carb and they can also choose a noun depending on the verb they pull if they want to 

ALSO if the verb is V.O they should use the V.O split construction

- 他吃饭吃得很慢。

3. Students can use the guide slide on the Google slide show for the first two rounds, but then click off the slide so they don't rely on it to make their sentences

4. Have students keep the cards they use after their turn and when all cards from a category are used up, reshuffle them and put them back in the center and continue with the activity

End of lab: Can-Do statement check in... "Where are we?"

Read can-do statements and have students evaluate their confidence with 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 utilize different Chinese grammatical forms creatively and correctly 

I can recognize and create sentences with high frequency vocabulary 

I can present information about life activities or events using more advanced structures

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