Leaving Cert Mandarin Chinese Practice: Oral, Aural and Written

By the end you can

• Know how the marks split, and keep going when you miss a question. The oral counts for 35% at Higher and 30% at Ordinary. Four short phrases let you ask for a repeat, buy a moment or rephrase instead of going quiet.
  请再说一遍。 · Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn. · Could you say that again, please?
• Answer five questions about yourself, your family and friends. The first sentence of each model answer is an Ordinary answer and the whole answer is a Higher one. Build up by adding a reason with 因为.
  我在都柏林长大。 · Wǒ zài Dūbólín zhǎngdà. · I grew up in Dublin.
• Talk about school and your plans after the exams. Say which subject you like and why you study Chinese, and put 以前, 现在 or 以后 into every Higher answer.
  我打算明年上大学。 · Wǒ dǎsuàn míngnián shàng dàxué. · I plan to go to university next year.
• Describe your free time and a trip you took. Talk about sport, holidays and last weekend, use 了 for what you did, and compare two things with 比.
  我周末常常去踢足球。 · Wǒ zhōumò chángcháng qù tī zúqiú. · At weekends I often go and play football.
• Describe Ireland and compare it with China. Talk about where you live and the weather, and make one link between Ireland and China in each Higher answer, from chopsticks to Chinese New Year.
  中国比爱尔兰大得多，人也多得多。 · Zhōngguó bǐ Ài'ěrlán dà de duō, rén yě duō de duō. · China is much bigger than Ireland, with far more people.
• Catch times, places and plans in aural recordings. A plan to see a film, an airport announcement, a school trip and a voice message, with answers in English, a, b or c, and true or false.
  去北京的飞机晚点了 · qù Běijīng de fēijī wǎndiǎn le · the plane to Beijing is delayed
• Read a notice and a blog, and write with clear reasons. Answer reading questions in English. Join ideas with 因为, 所以 and 如果, then write a 30-character text message for Ordinary or a 100-character piece for Higher.
• Run a full oral mock with your own prepared topic. A warm-up question, a discussion of a topic you prepared in class and follow-up questions, with a closing line to end on thanks and your plans.
  我准备的是中国的春节。 · Wǒ zhǔnbèi de shì Zhōngguó de Chūnjié. · The topic I prepared is Chinese New Year.

What’s inside

• The exam: The Exam in One Page
• Oral 1: Me, My Family and Friends
• Oral 2: School and Plans
• Oral 3: Free Time and Travel
• Oral 4: Ireland and China
• Aural: Aural Practice 1 · Aural Practice 2
• Written: Reading Practice · Writing Practice
• Oral mock: Full Oral Mock
• Plan: Six Weeks to the Exam

How to use this book

Six weeks before the oral, then a short weekly routine until the June papers. Ten minutes out loud each day does more than an hour of reading notes. Aim for 20 to 40 seconds per answer, out loud, without reading.

1. Week 1: Say the model answers. Say every model answer on pages 4 to 7 along with the audio, then cover it and say the first sentence alone.
2. Week 2: Write your own answers. Answer all 20 oral questions in your own words: one sentence for Ordinary, three or four for Higher.
3. Week 3: Prepare your topic. Put six key words on a card and prepare answers to three follow-up questions. Ask your teacher what your oral includes.
4. Week 4: Aural twice a week. Listen, answer in English, then read the audio script at the back.
5. Week 5: Run the mock. Do the oral mock on page 12 twice with the timer. Record yourself and fix one thing each time.
6. Week 6: Keep it fresh. Say five answers aloud every morning, and get a good night's sleep before the oral.
7. After the oral: Read and write until June. Read one short text and write one 100-character piece each week, and write the ten characters you often get wrong five times each.

Who it’s for

Leaving Certificate students taking Mandarin Chinese at Ordinary or Higher level, and teachers who want oral, aural and written practice with audio for a class.

Before you start: The Chinese from your Senior Cycle course, at about HSK 2 to 3. The oral model answers have pinyin and English, and the answers and audio script are at the back.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work for both Ordinary and Higher level?

Yes. On the oral pages, the first sentence of each model answer is an Ordinary answer and the whole answer is a Higher one, so you can say the short one first and build up. The writing page has a text message task for Ordinary and a 100-character task for Higher.

Does it help with the prepared topic in the oral?

Yes. The full oral mock on page 12 includes a discussion of a topic prepared in class, Chinese New Year, with follow-up questions and model answers. Ask your teacher what your own oral includes, and practise from a card of key words, never from a script.

Where are the aural recordings and the answers?

The aural recordings are on the free audio with every other Chinese line in the book. The audio script and the answers are at the back, so you can check what you missed after each listening page.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 18-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.

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