# A Level Chinese Speaking Practice: Theme Discussions and the Independent Research Project Stimulus-card discussions for the four A level Chinese themes and a step-by-step guide to the Independent Research Project, with model answers and audio Source: https://www.saymei.app/resources/downloads/a-level-chinese-speaking-practice ## At a glance - Level: A level (about HSK 5-6) - Format: Workbook · PDF · 21 pages · US Letter (prints on A4) - Price: Free · free with a saymei account · updated Nov 4, 2026 ## Download Free with a SayMei account, on the workbook's page: https://www.saymei.app/resources/downloads/a-level-chinese-speaking-practice. SayMei emails a copy too. ## A line from the workbook 我认为，原因有两个。 (Wǒ rènwéi, yuányīn yǒu liǎng ge.) — I think there are two reasons. ## By the end you can - Understand Paper 3 on one page. The 5 minutes of preparation, the stimulus-card discussion and the Independent Research Project, with timings and marks, plus lines that buy time or bring in a point you planned. 这是个好问题，让我想想。 (Zhè shì ge hǎo wèntí, ràng wǒ xiǎngxiang.): That's a good question, let me think. - Discuss a stimulus card on each of the four themes. Original SayMei cards on caring for ageing parents, changing traditions, short videos, and reform and opening up since 1978, each with two viewpoints, examiner questions and model answers. 我比较赞同第二种观点。 (Wǒ bǐjiào zàntóng dì-èr zhǒng guāndiǎn.): I lean towards the second view. - Take a position and argue it for 3 minutes. Plan your side, two reasons and an example with sentence frames, then give your full view against the timer and compare your opening with the model. 我认为，原因有两个。 (Wǒ rènwéi, yuányīn yǒu liǎng ge.): I think there are two reasons. - Concede a point and argue back. Answer the examiner's challenges with 不可否认 or 我承认, turn with 尽管如此, and hold your view politely when pushed. 我明白您的意思，但我还是坚持我的看法。 (Wǒ míngbai nín de yìsi, dàn wǒ háishi jiānchí wǒ de kànfǎ.): I understand what you mean, but I still stand by my view. - Use advanced structures with confidence. Practise 虽然…但是, 由于, 一方面…另一方面, 不在于…而在于 and 越…越…, and correct the small mistakes that weaken an answer. 关键在于我们怎么用它。 (Guānjiàn zàiyú wǒmen zěnme yòng tā.): The key is how we use it. - Choose and build your Independent Research Project. Narrow a broad topic to one question, turn notes into key sentences and a 2-minute outline, learning the steps from a model project on bike sharing that you use as a guide, never as your own. 我的研究有两个主要发现。 (Wǒ de yánjiū yǒu liǎng ge zhǔyào fāxiàn.): My research has two main findings. - Answer examiner questions on your research. Ten questions on a model IRP, from why you chose the topic to what it taught you about Chinese society, plus a page of debate phrases to agree, concede, evaluate and conclude. 这让我想到了英国的情况。 (Zhè ràng wǒ xiǎngdào le Yīngguó de qíngkuàng.): This made me think of the situation in the UK. ## What's inside - The exam: Paper 3 in One Page - Theme 1: Discussion: Who Cares for Our Parents? · Your view: Your View on Caring for Elders - Theme 2: Discussion: Should Tradition Get a Makeover? · Your view: Your View on Changing Traditions - Theme 3: Discussion: Short Videos: Window or Trap? · Your view: Your View on Short Videos - Theme 4: Discussion: Speed or Quality of Growth? · Your view: Your View on Reform and Growth - Research project: Choosing Your IRP Question · Build Your IRP Outline · Ten Questions on a Model IRP - Debate language: Language for Debate - Plan: Your Eight-Week Paper 3 Plan ## How to use this book Eight weeks, following the book's planner on page 16. Cover the models, answer aloud, then compare. Time yourself as you go: 5 minutes to prepare a card, then speak without notes. - Week 1: Know the paper. Read page 3, then record yourself answering one Theme 1 question and listen back. - Weeks 2–3: The four themes. Themes 1 and 2, then 3 and 4. Answer every card question aloud before you read the models, then learn the nine debate phrases on page 15. - Weeks 4–5: Your IRP question and notes. Choose your question and find at least two sources, one in Chinese. Write 5 to 6 bullet notes, never a script, and time a 2-minute presentation. - Week 6: Rehearse the questions. Rewrite the ten questions on page 14 for your own topic and answer them aloud. - Weeks 7–8: Full practice runs. Prepare a card for 5 minutes, do the discussion, then your IRP, all timed. Repeat with a new card of your own and fix the three mistakes you make most. ## Who it's for Students taking Pearson Edexcel A level Chinese (9CN0) who are preparing Paper 3, the speaking exam, and teachers who want discussion cards and IRP practice for class. Before you start: Advanced Chinese, around HSK 5 to 6. Instructions are in English and the cards and models are in Chinese. Pinyin is printed on the key phrases, the debate language and the listening tracks, and the free audio reads every Chinese line. ## Can I use the model IRP as my own? No. The model project on bike sharing in Chinese cities shows the steps: choosing a question, finding sources, building an outline and answering questions on it. Your IRP must be your own research, so choose a topic of your own and use the model only as a guide. ## Should I learn the model answers by heart? No. The models show what a strong candidate can say in the time. Borrow their phrases and structure, then give your own view, said spontaneously, which is what examiners want to hear. ## Does it cover Paper 2 or the set works? No. This book is for Paper 3 only: the discussion of a stimulus card on one of the four themes, and the Independent Research Project. ## Is this workbook free? Yes. The whole 21-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay. ## Do I need a SayMei account? Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor. ## How do I print it? The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too. ## Can I print copies for my class? Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy. This is an independent practice resource by SayMei. It is not produced or endorsed by Pearson Edexcel. Pearson Edexcel is a trademark of Pearson Education Limited. Version 2026-11, updated Nov 4, 2026.