MANDARIN CHINESE
We are one of a select number of schools in the country that offers the IB Diploma in Mandarin, which is an exciting and rewarding opportunity to reach fluency in the language. The course builds upon the linguistic and cultural knowledge you have gained from studying GCSE Chinese and enables you to apply these language skills to talk about issues in the Chinese speaking world.
The IBDP in Mandarin will not only develop your capacity to communicate in one of the world’s most spoken languages, but it will also open many doors for employment both in the UK and overseas. You will develop skills aligned with the IB Learner Profile, which will help your profile stand out from the crowd for applications to Oxbridge, Russell Group, and other top global universities.
HOW WILL I STUDY?
WHAT OUR TEACHERS SAY…
The IB Diploma in Mandarin is a two year course worth half an A Level which students can take alongside three A Levels in the Sixth Form. It is a fantastic opportunity to further develop your language skills beyond GCSE, whilst equipping yourself with a truly global perspective on a range of international issues.
You will study and discuss in Mandarin a range of engaging topics including what does it mean to be a Uyghur in China? Are Confucian values still relevant in contemporary China? and What factors are driving China’s urbanisation?
You will develop the ability to communicate in the target language through the study of language, themes and texts. In doing so, you also develop conceptual understandings of how language works.
You will benefit from working in small groups, so you will have plenty of opportunities to practise and receive high quality personalised feedback. The syllabus is organised into five prescribed themes: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization and sharing the planet. Within each theme, you will:
• Acquire knowledge of vocabulary and grammar (the what of language), reinforced and extended by understanding audience, context, purpose, meaning and variation (the why and how of language)
• Develop a global mindset
• Be exposed to a variety of authentic text types
• Describe situations, narrate events, make comparisons, explain problems, and state and support their personal opinions on a variety of topics
• Produce a wide variety of oral and written texts for audiences, contexts and purposes associated with academic and personal interests
IB Diploma (Standard Level) (equiv. half an A Level) Entry requirement GCSE Grade 6+COURSE OUTLINE
All themes will be studied through a critical cultural lens, in the context of the Chinesespeaking world and key questions include:
Theme 1 – Identities: What does it mean to be Taiwanese? What are the key values and histories of Confucianism and Taoism?
Theme 2 – Experiences: Who was Mao? What are Chinese attitudes towards free time? What are Chinese national holidays?
Theme 3 – Human Ingenuity: What are the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China? Why does the Great Firewall exist?
Theme 4 – Social Organisation: What are the impacts of China’s one-child policy? How LGBT+ friendly are Chinese-speaking countries? How does China’s legal system work?
Theme 5 – Sharing the Planet: Why did China open up after 1979? What’s China’s stance in the South China Sea?
COMBINES WELL WITH…
Biology
Chemistry
Geography
Mathematics
Physics
Religious studies
Business Studies
Economics
History
Media Studies
Psychology
Sociology
…and any other subject with an international dimension!
CAREERS
China is the world’s second largest economy, so fluency and a deep understanding of Chinese culture and current affairs will be a huge asset in any career.
In particular, it is very helpful for international business, law, journalism, academic research, working for a Think-tank, banking and finance, working in education, the civil service, diplomacy, and working for the intelligence agencies: GCHQ, MI5, and SIS. The communication and adaptability skills acquired from studying Mandarin IBDP are also highly beneficial for careers in healthcare and can help applications to leading medical schools stand out from the crowd.
ASSESSMENT
All content is assessed at the end of the two-year course, giving plenty of time to develop excellent language and communication skills:
External assessment:
Paper 1 – Productive skills (writing)
Paper 2 – Receptive skills (reading and listening)
Internal assessment:
Individual oral assessment - presentation and discussion based on a visual stimulus with followup questions.
The IBDP awards grades from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest), with 3 considered a ‘pass’.
