NCEA Level 2 Chinese Practice: Interacting, Presenting, Writing, Listening and Reading

By the end you can

• Know what each part of NCEA Level 2 Chinese asks. Interacting, a presentation and writing are assessed at school during the year; listening and reading come in the end-of-year exam, usually answered in English.
  你觉得呢？ · Nǐ juéde ne? · What do you think?
• Build a strong turn in an interaction. Give your opinion, add a reason with 因为, then pass the turn back with a question.
  我喜欢在家做饭，因为比较健康。你呢？ · Wǒ xǐhuan zài jiā zuò fàn, yīnwèi bǐjiào jiànkāng. Nǐ ne? · I like cooking at home, because it's healthier. What about you?
• Talk about holiday plans with two reasons. Say where you want to go and why, using 第一 and 第二, and link ideas with 因为, 虽然 and 还是.
  假期我想去惠灵顿。第一，我的好朋友住在那儿；第二，我还没去过。你呢？ · Jiàqī wǒ xiǎng qù Huìlíngdùn. Dì-yī, wǒ de hǎo péngyou zhù zài nàr; dì-èr, wǒ hái méi qùguo. Nǐ ne? · In the holidays I want to go to Wellington. First, my best friend lives there; second, I've never been. What about you?
• Discuss healthy habits and weekend jobs. Say what's good or bad for you and why, and agree or disagree politely with 我也这么想, 我不太同意 and 你说得对.
  我每天走路去学校，因为对身体好。 · Wǒ měi tiān zǒulù qù xuéxiào, yīnwèi duì shēntǐ hǎo. · I walk to school every day, because it's good for me.
• Describe a festival and compare traditions. Say how your family celebrates and why you like it, then ask about theirs.
  我们家最喜欢过圣诞节。新西兰的圣诞节在夏天，所以我们去海边吃饭。你们家呢？ · Wǒmen jiā zuì xǐhuan guò Shèngdànjié. Xīnxīlán de Shèngdànjié zài xiàtiān, suǒyǐ wǒmen qù hǎibiān chī fàn. Nǐmen jiā ne? · My family loves Christmas most. Christmas in New Zealand is in summer, so we eat by the beach. What about your family?
• Plan and give a one-minute talk about your place. Topic, before, now, favourite, one problem, ending: speak from five key words on a card, not a script.
• Write a blog post with linked ideas. Join sentences with 虽然…但是, add time with 了 and 昨天, then write about 150 characters on "My best weekend this year" and check it against the model.
• Answer listening and reading questions in English. Phone messages, a school notice, a radio ad, a text from a student in Christchurch and a library notice: catch times, places and reasons and give the detail in English.

What’s inside

• The standards: NCEA Level 2 Chinese in One Page
• Interact 1: Travel and Holidays
• Interact 2: Health and Lifestyle
• Interact 3: Part-time Work and Money
• Interact 4: Celebrations and Traditions
• Presentation: A Short Talk About Your Place
• Writing: Writing: A Blog Post
• Listening: Listening Practice 1 · Listening Practice 2
• Reading: Reading Practice
• Plan: A Term Plan for NCEA Level 2

How to use this book

The book's own plan on page 13 spreads the work over the school year. Say every model line aloud with the audio, then change one detail so it's true for you.

1. Term 1: The four interactions. Say each model line with the audio every day. Record one interaction with a classmate, listen back, then add one more reason and one question.
2. Term 2: The presentation. Plan your talk on five key-word cards and time it. Give it to someone at home and cut any sentence you read instead of said.
3. Term 2 or 3: The blog post. Write the blog task, check every 了, 过 and linking word, then compare it with the model in the key.
4. Term 3: Listening and reading. Redo Listening Practice 1 and 2, noting every time, number and reason. Read one short Chinese text a week and answer in English.
5. Term 4: Before the exam. List the words you missed and test yourself on them twice a week. In the exam, answer in English with full detail.

Who it’s for

Students taking NCEA Level 2 Chinese (Mandarin) in New Zealand, and their teachers, who want practice for the interactions, the presentation, the writing task and the listening and reading exam.

Before you start: About two years of school Chinese, roughly HSK 2 to 3: everyday topics, opinions with 因为 and simple past events with 了. Your teacher sets the real internal tasks; use these pages to build sentences you can say freely.

Frequently asked questions

Which parts of NCEA Level 2 Chinese does it cover?

All five: four interaction topics with model turns, a one-minute presentation, a blog post writing task, two listening pages and a reading page answered in English. SayMei wrote every text and question, so it is practice for NCEA Level 2 Chinese and your teacher's tasks come first.

Should I learn the model answers by heart?

No. Say each model line aloud, then change one detail so it's true for you. Interactions go best when you can say your sentences freely and react to what the other person says.

Where is the audio?

Free on this book's page on saymei.app, with a QR code in the PDF. Every Chinese line is recorded with a pause to say it back. The texts on pages 10 and 11 are heard only, so play each one twice, as the exam does.

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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