NCEA Level 3 Chinese Practice: Interacting, Presenting, Writing, Listening and Reading

By the end you can

• Know what each Level 3 standard asks you to do. Interacting, presenting and writing are internals set by your teacher during the year. The external exam at the end of the year is listening and reading, 5 credits each.
  你为什么这么想？ · Nǐ wèishénme zhème xiǎng? · Why do you think that?
• Explore how you have changed and justify your view. A model conversation about growing up between two cultures and who you will be in ten years, with 所以, 关键是, 不过 and 比如说 to back up a view.
  你觉得自己变了吗？ · Nǐ juéde zìjǐ biànle ma? · Do you think you've changed?
• Weigh up your plans after school. Discuss a gap year, university in Wellington and whether translation apps make languages less useful, and join both sides with 虽然…但是.
  我打算先工作一年，赚点儿钱，去旅行，然后再上大学。 · Wǒ dǎsuàn xiān gōngzuò yì nián, zhuàn diǎnr qián, qù lǚxíng, ránhòu zài shàng dàxué. · I'm planning to work for a year first, earn some money and travel, then go to university.
• Agree, partly agree or disagree, and ask for reasons. Argue about phones and loneliness and a classroom phone ban, give your reasons with 第一 and 第二, and recognise what each reply does.
  我不太同意这个看法。 · Wǒ bú tài tóngyì zhège kànfǎ. · I don't really agree with that view.
• Give a presentation from an image. Follow five moves: hook, describe, interpret, link to yourself and compare with China, in a model about making 汤圆 at a Lantern Festival event.
  这张照片让我想起了家。 · Zhè zhāng zhàopiàn ràng wǒ xiǎngqǐle jiā. · This photo reminds me of home.
• Write an argument with both sides and a conclusion. Plan and write about 250 characters on whether a school should stop selling bottled water, with 首先, 其次, a reply to the other side and a call to act.
  总的来说，好处比坏处多。 · Zǒng de lái shuō, hǎochù bǐ huàichù duō. · All in all, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
• Answer longer listening and reading texts in English. Podcasts, voice messages, a talk, an email, an opinion column and notices. Describe each speaker's attitude with evidence, and listen for change words like 本来 and 后来.
  她本来想去，后来改变了主意。 · Tā běnlái xiǎng qù, hòulái gǎibiànle zhǔyi. · She meant to go at first, but later changed her mind.

What’s inside

• The standards: NCEA Level 3 Chinese in One Page
• Interact 1: Who I Am Becoming
• Interact 2: Study, Work and the Future
• Interact 3: Issues That Matter
• Presentation: A Presentation from an Image
• Writing: Writing: Make Your Case
• Listening: Listening Practice 1 · Listening Practice 2
• Reading: Reading Practice 1 · Reading Practice 2
• Plan: A Year Plan for NCEA Level 3

How to use this book

Do one page a session: read each model aloud, cover it, then say it again with your own views and examples. Your school sets the dates for the internals, so the book's plan runs term by term through the year to the exam.

1. Term 1: Build a bank of ideas. Pick three topics you care about and collect views, reasons and examples for each, as on pages 4 to 6. Ask your teacher how and when your interactions will be collected.
2. Term 2: Interactions and the presentation. Record an interaction with a classmate every fortnight and keep the ones where you justified a view and asked back. Plan your presentation with the five moves on page 7.
3. Terms 2 and 3: Writing. Draft your writing with a plan, linking words and both sides of the argument (page 8), then redraft after feedback.
4. Term 3: Listening and reading. Redo pages 9 to 12 with the free audio and the key, noting every detail and attitude you missed. Read one longer Chinese text a week and sum it up in English.
5. Term 4: Ready for the exam. Listen for change words and each speaker's attitude, and answer in full English sentences backed by a detail from the text. Find the exam date in the NZQA timetable early.

Who it’s for

Year 13 students in New Zealand taking NCEA Level 3 Chinese, for the interacting, presenting and writing internals and the external listening and reading exam, and teachers who want model conversations with audio.

Before you start: The Chinese from your course so far, at about HSK 3 to 4. Every model line has pinyin and English, and the answers, model answers and audio script are in the key at the back.

Frequently asked questions

Which NCEA Level 3 Chinese standards does it cover?

All five areas: three model interactions, a presentation from an image and an argument to write for the internals, then two listening and two reading pages for the external exam. SayMei wrote every text and question.

When should I use it during the year?

The book ends with a plan term by term. Build your ideas and start the interactions in Terms 1 and 2, draft your presentation and writing in Terms 2 and 3, and work on listening and reading in Terms 3 and 4. Your teacher sets the internal dates.

Should I learn the model conversations by heart?

Use them as a guide rather than a script. Read each model aloud, cover it, then say it again with your own views and examples. For timed speaking, use a phone timer.

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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