Teaching Chinese: Fill the bucket or light the fire?
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'Fill the bucket' teaching is teacher-centered and all students learn the same content at the same time. Lighting the fire is about inspiring students to choose content, pace, and
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Teaching Chinese: Fill the bucket or light the fire?
- 1. Fill the bucket or light the fire? 启发式学习填鸭式学习
- 3. Fill the bucket content teacher focus knowled ge student dependence everyone learns the same content and the same way 知识 学生过度依赖 老师专注的 内容 大家学习一样的方法一样的内容
- 4. Light the fire applying knowledge student focus student independenc e content and learning style are adjusted to the student’s needs 知识和应用 学生独立学习 学生专注的 依学生的需求 调整学习的内 容和方式
- 5. What’s wrong with filling the bucket?
- 9. Cookie cutter approach to teaching Chinese 千篇一律的中文教学方法
- 12. 把手举起来 bǎ shǒu jǔ qǐlái Raise your hands
- 13. 把 手 拍一拍 bǎ shǒu pāi yī pāi Clap your hands
- 14. 蹲 下 去 dūn xià qù Squat down
- 15. 站 起 来 zhàn qǐ lái Stand up
- 16. 摇 摇 头 yáo yáo tóu Shake your head
- 18. “Give a person a fish and he/she will eat for a day. Teach a person to fish and he/she will eat for a lifetime.” 授人于鱼不如授之于渔 - 孔子
- 19. Filling the bucket All students complete the same activities Whole class teaching Students are grouped together Similar teaching strategies Assume students have little or no knowledge Learning goals are all the same Reteaching gives more content using the same strategies Assessment is at the end of a unit Students are assessed in the same way
- 20. Lighting the fire 启发式学习 Students are given a choice of activities Whole class, small groups, partners, individual Group students according to interests and needs A variety of teaching strategies Use pre-assessment before starting a unit Learning goals are adjusted according to needs to students Reteaching gives more depth of content and uses different strategies Ongoing assessment to check learning Students use different ways to demonstrate learning
- 21. Students are given a choice of activities
- 22. 22 Tips and tricks for remembering Chinese characters
- 23. Change is coming
- 24. “Give a person a fish and he/she will eat for a day. Teach a person to fish and he/she will eat for a lifetime.” 授人于鱼不如授之于渔 - 孔子
- 25. 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高 高
- 29. Do your students THINK about Chinese characters?
- 30. 多说 多 多听 了解
- 32. Students need to have that “Ah-ah” moment 我明白了
- 33. The traditional way Copy Write over and over Dictation Test Often Failure 教中国字的传统方式 模仿/复制，一遍一遍的写，听写，测试，失败
- 34. That’s the way we have always done it! 这就是我们一直做事的方法
- 35. Brain Activation in the Processing of Chinese Characters and Words: A Functional MRI Study Li Hai Tan,1* John A. Spinks,1 Jia-Hong Gao,2 Ho-Ling Liu,2 Charles A. Perfetti,3 Jinhu Xiong,2 Kathryn A. Stofer, • ‘Our results indicate that both the left and the right hemisphere were engaged during the processing of Chinese single-character and two-character words. The left frontal regions were much more strongly activated than the right frontal regions, demonstrating left hemispheric dominance in
- 36. The results found that a chunking mechanism underlies the perception of Chinese characters so learners tend to organize The Role of Learning Experience on the perceptual organization of Chinese characters Wenliang Chen National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kyoto, Japan
- 37. A Neural Network Model for Visual Perceptual Learning Jiawei Chen, Liujun Chen, Yan Li - Beijing Normal University Beginner learners use global strategies to identify characters. Beginners try to set up a relationship between the characters with some pictures that already exist in the brain. For learners at the Intermediate and Advanced level, the radicals play a more important role in the process of perception. Chinese characters can be perceived by two basic modes: Global to local (global perception) and Local to global (local perception) Local perception is more efficient than global perception
- 38. Students are ACTIVE Learners of Chinese characters
- 39. The SECRET of Chinese characters.
- 40. STAGE 1: Suspended all learning of textbook characters “给一个人一条鱼，他 吃了一天.” “Give a person a fish, he/she will eat for a day.”
- 41. “教人以渔，他能养 活自己的生命.” 孔子 STAGE 1: Suspended all learning of textbook characters “Teach a person to fish and he/she will have enough for a life-time.”
- 42. STAGE 1: The space 在空间上中国字的表现
- 43. Students need practice in sorting characters into parts 你 好 明 Left Right
- 44. Top 家 Bottom 金 每
- 45. Over / Under 成 每
- 49. 49 STAGE 2: The Building Blocks 建筑积木或者中文偏旁部首
- 50. Give students the keys that unlock characters!
- 51. Make Students INSIDERS of Chinese characters
- 52. What does this look like in the classroom? • From Day 1, students are engaged in exploring characters using radicals. • Radicals are what unlock characters • Radicals provide ‘hooks’ for
- 53. Training the brain to see patterns and connections. 训练一种能发现模式和联系的思维方式
- 56. lid mouth border Give English names to the Building Blocks
- 58. Teach clusters /components -Allows guessing -Cues for memory -Dictionary use -Organizes information in the brain Explore characters in clusters
- 59. Students need to explore characters 学生应该探索中国字
- 61. Do your students have the keys to understanding characters? My School - New words Go 去 Classroom 教 室 Office 办公室 Sports field 运动场 Library 图书馆 Assembly hall 礼堂 Dining hall 食堂 Toilet 洗手间
- 62. My School - New words Go 去 : 土,厶 earth / private Classroom 教 室 : 孝,攵 obedience / Office 办公室 : 力,八, 八,厶, 宀,至 Sports field 运动场 : 辶,云, 云,力, Library 图书馆 : 囗,冬, 饣,官 Assembly hall 礼堂 :龸,口,土 Dining hall 食堂 : 食, 龸,口,土 Toilet 洗手间: 氵,先, 手, 门,日 http://hanzijs.com/
- 63. Students need to classify characters 口 口 吃 喝 唱 嘴哭 Students need to compare characters Students need to organize characters
- 64. Students need to connect characters to visual memory 学生应该将中国字和虚拟的记忆联系起来
- 70. The Good news is… Building Blocks Meaning Connections Context
- 71. Teach Characters in context 在上下文的环境里教中国字 Brain seeks connections, context and meaning!
- 72. Avoid teaching Vocabulary Grammar Sentence structures in isolation! Teach Characters in Context
- 74. Encourage imagination and ‘picture seeing’
- 76. 76 Look, Cover, Write, Check
- 77. 77 Word Walls
- 78. Harness the power of technology in your Chinese language classroom
- 79. Apps for Learning Chinese http://www.creativechinese.com/2011/09/25/ipads-and-ipods-in-the-chinese-classroom/
- 82. 1. Sorting Characters - space 2. Building Blocks 3. Clusters and chunks 4. Visual memory 5. Technology The SECRETS of Chinese characters.
- 83. Are your learners engaged in learning Chinese characters?
- 84. Are your students autonomous learners of Chinese characters? 部首
- 88. What does your writing program look like? 88 Mechanics of Writing Character writing on grids Radicals / Stroke order Formula Writing Copy sentences Prepared writing tasks
- 89. Let the students write! 89 My opinions 我的意见 My feelings 我的感情 My suggestions 我的建议 Mechanics of Writing Character writing on grids Radicals / Stroke order Formula Writing Copy sentences Prepared writing tasks My thinking 我的想法
- 90. What does your writing program look like? Remembering Characters (Saturday session) Modelled Writing (Teacher generated model writing) Writing for a Purpose (Student generated writing) I feel that.... I enjoy.... I wish.... I hope.... My opinion is.... the fence
- 91. Purpose of writing is to..... 91 communicatet e Opinions Ideas Suggestions Recommendations
- 92. 92 Formula Writing Express myself! I hope there is a new series of Dr. Who. I think Britain’s Got Talent is the greatest! I especially like watching music videos, because I want to learn to play the guitar. Do you encourage students to express themselves?
- 93. Expressing my opinion matters.. 93 I think... I feel... I wish... I hope... My opinion is...
- 94. Why use a Chinese Journal? 94 为什么写中文日记? • Opinions and Ideas • S.T.P.V.O • Express THEIR opinion, not the teachers • Natural writing that is owned by students • Learning of new vocabulary • Differentiation - Weaker students can excel • Provides Feedback • Frequency of writing increases • Reflect on learning • Record of writing progress • Breaks down fear of writing / using correct characters etc., • Emphasizes PROCESS of writing
- 95. 95
- 96. Chinese Journals 1. Three times a week, you will write an entry in your 日记. You can use 英文 and 中文 to start with. 2. The Journal is where you will write your thoughts, opinions, and likes/dislikes about anything. You may also illustrate your journal. 3. Every Friday, I will collect your Journals and give you feedback about your writing.
- 97. 97
- 98. 写作是一个过程 ，并允许学生犯 错误！ Writing is a process, and students are permitted to make mistakes!
- 100. My Word Bank • store new words • expand vocabulary • easy to refer to.. • customized to each individual student 100
- 101. 101 Word Bank 字银行
- 102. 102 Learning Map
- 103. 103
- 104. There’s a Celebrity in my Journal Week What does he look like? 他是什么样子的？ What do you like about him? 关于他你喜欢他什么？ What don’t you like about him? 关于他你不喜欢他什么? What kind of person is he? 他是什么样的人呢? What does he do best? 104 在周记里有名人（学生在他们的日记里写一个名人.）
- 105. Word Order 句子中的词序 105 S.T. P.V.O 我 星期一 在学校 踢 足球I Monday at school kicked football
- 106. Tenses 过去，现在和将来时态 • Past • Present • Future 106 我现在....... 我以前....... 我将去.......
- 108. 108 Experimentin g and Mistakes are central to the writing Process.
- 109. You are a blogger for a website about what it’s like to be a teenager in the UK 109 My interests Friends Introduction of self Difficulties Hopes for the future 1. Generate ideas 产生想法
- 110. You are on work experience in a Health Club and need to write a web page 11051 Benefits of regular exerciseDay and time of classes List available classes Getting fit Importance of keeping healthy 1. Generate ideas
- 111. You are writing to a Chinese e-pal about your Easter break. 111 What you did with friends? Explain Easter break What did you do at home? A boring day? Plans for the weekend? 1. Generate ideas
- 112. STEP 1: Generate ideas in English 想一想 112 Write a Blog about where you live. The type of house do you live in -house/flat? -like/dislike your house? Why? -compare your house with housing in China? -how long lived there? Describe the place you live -what your city/town is like? -what is there for young people to do? -what you like about it / dislike? Why? Events where you live -Tourist attractions? -What is there to do in summer? winter? -Festivals? / celebrations? Where you want to live in the future -Type of area you would like to live in? -What would be there for you? -Why?
- 113. 113 STEP 2: Organize content (Chinese) 组织内容
- 115. STEP 3: Write a first draft 115 写初稿
- 116. Do you show students what GOOD writing looks like? 你能不能示范给学生看良好的写作像什么样子？
- 117. 117
- 118. 118
- 119. Why should I write?
- 121. Create authentic reasons for writing! Letter-writing Labels Notes and Message Email Journal
- 122. What to write? 122 Writing Genres Journal Entries Personal Letter Greeting Card Schedule/Things to Do List Inner Monologue Representing Internal Conflicts Classified or Personal Ads Personal Essay or Philosophical Questions Top Ten List/Glossary or Dictionary Poetry Song Lyrics Autobiographical Essay Contest Entry Application Business Letter or Correspondence/Persuasive or Advocacy Letter Biographical Summary Critique of a Published Source Speech or Debate Historical Times Context Essay Textbook Article Science Article or Report/Business Article or Report Lesson Plan Encyclopedia Article Short Scene from a Play with Notes for Stage Directions Short Scene from a Movie with Notes for Camera Shots Dialogue of a Conversation among Two or More People Short Story Adventure Magazine Story Ghost Story Myth, Tall Tale, or Fairy Tale Talk Show Interview or Panel Recipe and Description of Traditional Holiday Events Classroom Discussion Character Analysis or Case Study Comedy Routine or Parody
- 123. 123 Picture book Chart or Diagram with Explanation and Analysis Brochure or Newsletter Time Line or Chain of Events Map with Explanation and Analysis Magazine or TV Advertisement or Infomercial Restaurant Description and Menu Travel Brochure Description How-To or Directions Booklet Receipts, Applications, Deeds, Budgets or Other Documents Wedding, Graduation or Special Event Invitation Birth Certificate Local News Report Pop-Up book Review and Poster for a Movie, Book, or TV Program Board Game or Trivial Pursuit with Answers and Rules Comic Strip or Graphic Novel excerpt Power Point Presentation Informational Video Web Site Future News Story Letter to the Editor Newspaper or Magazine Feature/Human Interest Story Obituary, Eulogy or Tribute News Program Story or Announcement Tabloid Article
- 124. Vary the types of writing you assign to students Who is the audience? What is the purpose of writing? What writing products will they create?
- 125. Writing from Day 1 Support writing for meaning Encourage use of characters Allow feedback for learning 从第一天开始，让学生用中文写东西。
- 126. Adopt an Egg Project Decorate an egg Write a description of egg in Chinese Introduce Adopted egg to class Create an ID for Adopted Egg Record daily activities of Adopted egg What did we learn? Descriptions, parts of body, family, colours, dates, days of the week, numbers, nationalities, likes/dislikes, daily routine,
- 127. Adopt an Egg Project • Today you will receive your egg. • 今天你收到一个鸡蛋。 • You will take it home and decorate it. • 你要把这个鸡蛋带回家 。画眼睛，头发，鼻 子etc., • You will care for your egg and write a weekly diary about the adventures of your egg using the S.T.V.O. rule. • 这个鸡蛋是你领养的。每天要保护它。你也要 写一个日记 (你的鸡蛋喜欢什么？它的日常生 活是什么?） 127
- 128. Adopt an Animal Project 128
- 129. 129
- 130. 130
- 131. 131
Hinweis der Redaktion
- My students relied completely on me to give them new characters. There was no way a student could discover a character and go “Ah-huh”...that has the same component and if we put these together.... Students relied on me to feed them characters and they dutifully copied them until they were memorized.
- This learning relies on repetition and practice...and yes learning does occur... BUT I was always aware that this type of learning DID NOT fit in with my pedagogy of learning Chinese. I wrote characters while watching TV. I could even hold a phone conversation while writing characters. And that bothered me.
- Every day in classrooms all over the UK, teachers are giving students character to learn... Might be starting a unit on transport...so students will learn to write those characters. So this is how characters are taught in the regular classroom...and I have taught this way as well. But there is a change in how some teachers are looking at the teaching of characters...mainly from Australia. Hey, but if we teach students how to understand characters....they will have the life-time skills to read them. They won’t have to rely on being given a fish a day...as it were.
- Sometimes students do need to use worksheets and handouts to rehearse their learning. But I would put out this challenge...next time you give a student a worksheet...STOP and think...is there a more challenging way to rehearse this language?
- Sometimes students do need to use worksheets and handouts to rehearse their learning. But I would put out this challenge...next time you give a student a worksheet...STOP and think...is there a more challenging way to rehearse this language?
- So this afternoon, we will explore fun and creative ways to make writing Chinese characters enjoyable.
- Today, I want to talk to you about a revolution that is happening globally...on the way Chinese characters are taught.
- Every day in classrooms all over the UK, teachers are giving students character to learn... Might be starting a unit on transport...so students will learn to write those characters. So this is how characters are taught in the regular classroom...and I have taught this way as well. But there is a change in how some teachers are looking at the teaching of characters...mainly from Australia. Hey, but if we teach students how to understand characters....they will have the life-time skills to read them. They won’t have to rely on being given a fish a day...as it were.
- This learning relies on repetition and practice...and yes learning does occur... BUT I was always aware that this type of learning DID NOT fit in with my pedagogy of learning Chinese. I wrote characters while watching TV. I could even hold a phone conversation while writing characters. And that bothered me.
- The brain was disengaged...Many kids gave up...Why? Because as teachers...I failed to give them the keys that could have given them an understanding of the characters. I required them to write over and over to learn the characters.
- My students relied completely on me to give them new characters. There was no way a student could discover a character and go “Ah-huh”...that has the same component and if we put these together.... Students relied on me to feed them characters and they dutifully copied them until they were memorized.
- After a year of teaching this way. I knew what I had to do. I wanted to pull back the mystery of Chinese characters. I wanted my students to have an understanding of characters. I wanted them to THINK about characters.
- And they can’t think about them, until we show them how. I don’t know how many of you have actually thought about characters...what they are made of...what space they take up...how they are the same or different?
- Successful Chinese language programs are a passion for me. I love to see students learn Chinese! For almost 30 years now, I have seen many programs struggle.. Yes, the motivated and bright students achieve, but for the vast majority of kids, it’s the characters...the sheer number of them that causes dropping out of learning Chinese. A change is coming....many teachers are making kids INSIDERS to the language. They are not using textbooks to do this...they are encouraging students to UNDERSTAND characters.
- Character writing is a passive process.
- It seemed to be the way it was always done that way. If you ask almost every Chinese teacher...’多写‘ But what I saw in the classroom...kids turned off...negative experience,
- So I started to look into research about how students learn characters....brain research...how we learn....
- After looking at the research....I decided to make a change... That I would give students the behind the scenes information on characters.
- A few years ago, I completely changed the way I teach characters. This is not just me...global movement....but it is a change many teachers are making...Australia and US. I give students the SECRETS if characters.
- I wanted to stop giving my students a fish a day... I wanted the dependence on me to give them characters... I wanted exploration and curiosity to take over...
- I wanted to give them the global skills of understanding how characters are made up. So that when they came across a character, they had some skills...some way of guessing either the meaning or the sound.
- So, my high school boys stopped writing characters for two months. You might be thinking...wow...they must have been behind... They were the best 2 months of my teaching...because I knew they would be able to handle a wider range of characters. We want students to think about characters firstly. I broke down the understanding of characters into various stages of learning. I suspended my usual way..of writing everything we speak....most important. I focused for 8 weeks on students becoming familiar with characters and building an understanding of how characters were made up.
- Don’t get students to read characters....at first they must sort them...this is necessary
- When I teach High school this is one of the first activities I do. I could explain how characters are written, give a few radicals etc., but I prefer the students to discover the characters themselves. I print off 100 characters - simple ones with similar radicals. They form groups and decided how they will group them.
- About 25 building blocks a week.
- But when I started teaching characters by writing them over and over again, it caused me concern. I wanted my students to be active learners...but writing characters seemed a passive way of learning. They wrote them and eventually learnt them, but it bothered me.
- I wanted them to know why they were writing the characters...I wanted to give them a way to attack unknown characters. Deep thinking and understanding of what makes up characters.
- This is not a token lesson on this looks like fire...this looks like girl..etc., This is seeing the radicals inside characters and understanding how they are made up.
- You might say...well we have to teach characters to students. That is right...but we can also give students the keys to unlock characters for themselves.
- Very often teachers are the gatekeepers of Chinese characters. We need to change this. Allowing students to explore characters and the building blocks...they will learn many more characters in the long run.
- We are going to explore how – Writing for Communication and reading Characters for Meaning can actually ASSIST students in learning to write characters. Very often we get so hung up on the mechanics….learning how to write and forget the purpose of writing. So as I said before, we can’t avoid the mechanics, but too often teachers forget that writing is all about COMMUNICATING…. We will look at 10 ways we as teachers can bring that focus back to the writing of characters.
- Now that sounds quite logical..doesn’t it? But often we give students a list of new vocabulary and there is no intrinsic value or meaning attached to the characters. Make connections – to first language Context – introduce new vocab in a context Meaning – do the new words have meaning to the student? If you are given a list of things to remember, it is easier when sorted into groups…like fruits, vegetables, drinks etc.,
- The brain seeks meaning, so if we can train students to give the characters meaning, then it will be easier to learn.
- In the first lesson I teach 20 Chinese characters and I insist they draw over the characters. In their brain they need to connect the meaning with the shape of the characters. You can begin with radicals and move out from there.
- Word Walls are essential in a Chinese language classroom. Students can refer to the wall for new words, and they can keep a personal Word Wall as well.
- Sorting characters...same/different...compare 2. Building blocks..radicals...understanding what components are in characters. 3. Introducing characters in clusters that are related... 4. Connecting characters to visual memory. 5. Technology...is so powerful.
- Is there an excitement in thinking about characters....comparing them... a discovery of same and different... Or do they wait for the next list of vocab. words to be given to them.
- I am talking about Secondary school students now. If they have got to GCSE level and are still not INSIDERS into the language, they will have little success. The only way to make them autonomous...give them the keys that unlock characters...building blocks...of radicals....not just a token lesson on radicals, but an indepth understanding of how characters are formed.
- What are the BIG ideas today? Writing Journals...and look at writing as a process...students try things out...express their ideas...make mistakes...get feedback
- As teachers of Chinese, we usually keep students behind the fence of really voicing their opinions...so writing does not come naturally... We stick to the mechanics of writing...or formula sentences...
- I am suggesting that we break down this fence...that requires students to learn characters over and over again...to copy sentences...
- Writing is not just putting characters into a sentence. It is communicating an idea...or a thought...or an opinion.
- from Day 1, we need student to know that when they write, they are writing for a purpose... and that purpose is to communicate.
- Here’s what is needed in Chinese writing programs. A balance of modelled or formula writing and encouraging students to find their voice. We expect students to sit for exams with only part of this equation..we drill them on formula writing (foundation) but we don’t encourage
- My personality comes through. I can express my opinions.
- Every Friday I require my students to write a Journal in Chinese. When they begin it is a combination of characters and English. But I can’t emphasize enough...that characters should not be taught in isolation, but be a way to communicate an idea...
- Word Walls are essential in a Chinese language classroom. Students can refer to the wall for new words, and they can keep a personal Word Wall as well.
- Give students a learning map.
- I give students a starter worksheet like this.
- As the students get better at expressing opinions...I include Journal tasks focusing on something in particular...This is There’s a Celebrity in my Journal activity.
- Focus the student’s attention on topic. Too many students have prepared content and try to squeeze it into the topic.
- Learners learn best when they: • Understand clearly what they are trying to learn, and what is expected of them • Are given feedback about the quality of their work, and what they can do to improve it • Are fully involved in deciding what needs to be done next and who can give them help if they need it. • Are given advice about how to go about making improvements AifL 2004
- Very often we ask our students to write simple sentences or to copy sentences. Or even just learn the mechanics of characters…stroke order…and writing them to memorize each character
- Right from the first lesson, I try to get students to use Chinese characters in meaningful ways....to convey meaning. I don’t wait until they know every character to make a sentence. I use chinglish - part English and part Chinese. It is really important that characters are taught as a way to communicate....not just practice writing characters in isolation.
- This was one of my most popular projects.
- During Chinese New Year I usually introduce the animals of the Chinese zodiac, and we have a project called ‘Adopt an Animal’. Students adopt an animal each week and write a diary using Chinese characters.