Secondary School Chinese

[00skyblue00]

chenlaoshi\" post_id=\"2120666\" time=\"1697255021\" user_id=\"162894:

Hi cacky,

You can check out this post here to see the differences:

https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=8835&p=1892326&hilit=chenlaoshi#p1892321

Heard that reading in oral in CL will be taken out, but not sure when as sch exam this yr still has reading part. Is this change new for next yr onwards?

[chenlaoshi]

00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2120667\" time=\"1697255708\" user_id=\"143605:

Heard that reading in oral in CL will be taken out, but not sure when as sch exam this yr still has reading part. Is this change new for next yr onwards?

For https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/national-examinations/syllabus/olevel/2024syllabus/1160_y24_sy.pdf, there's still https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/national-examinations/syllabus/olevel/2024syllabus/1160_y24_oe_sp_3.pdf.

However for EL, \"the Read Aloud part of the exam will be replaced by the Planned Response component\" w.e.f. 2024:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/oral-exam-changes-olevels-nlevels-english-language-public-speaking-3407951

[zac's mum]

00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2120667\" time=\"1697255708\" user_id=\"143605:

Heard that reading in oral in CL will be taken out, but not sure when as sch exam this yr still has reading part. Is this change new for next yr onwards?

Your child is in Sec 2 this year? School still gave passage reading for CL oral? Oh no (foreseeing my DS cannot escape this next year when he’s sec 2).

By the time come to your child’s CL O level format in sec 4, i believe it will change to planned response to match English oral (make notes & report on the video). Maybe your DC school will implement in their sec 3 exam?

@chenlaoshi, just to check, 2025 o level onwards for CL oral, is new format?

[00skyblue00]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2120686\" time=\"1697258602\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2120686 time=1697258602 user_id=53606]
Your child is in Sec 2 this year? School still gave passage reading for CL oral? Oh no (foreseeing my DS cannot escape this next year when he’s sec 2).

By the time come to your child’s CL O level format in sec 4, i believe it will change to planned response to match English oral (make notes & report on the video). Maybe your DC school will implement in their sec 3 exam?

@chenlaoshi, just to check, 2025 o level onwards for CL oral, is new format?[/quote]

The kid is in sec 2 taking puhua. Parent was talking to another Chinese tr, when the removal of reading was mentioned. Thought no reading was for 2024 o level?

By right if change will be implemented by 2025 o level, sch shld begin new format now? Not sure hence asking.

I thought planned response is for HCL only? Not sure what format will replace the reading component.

[chenlaoshi]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2120686\" time=\"1697258602\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2120686 time=1697258602 user_id=53606]
@chenlaoshi, just to check, 2025 o level onwards for CL oral, is new format?[/quote]

zac's mum, I haven't heard of any confirmed news on this yet. If they do switch to planned response for CL, it might be even harder for those students who are finding passage reading a challenge.

If we look at it from another perspective, word recognition is still an important skill cos CL O Level Paper 2 includes 1 cloze passage + 4 MCQ compre passages + 2 OE compre passages, so even if passage reading component is removed, still need to work on word recognition (knowing how to pronounce the phrases makes it easier to retain understanding of their meanings since it's not just the strokes/writing that they can associate the meaning to).

[zac's mum]

Thanks, chenlaoshi! These hols i guess i will schedule regular listening to DS reading aloud his compre passages then

[Cloudz]

chenlaoshi\" post_id=\"2120669\" time=\"1697256584\" user_id=\"162894:

For https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/national-examinations/syllabus/olevel/2024syllabus/1160_y24_sy.pdf, there's still https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/national-examinations/syllabus/olevel/2024syllabus/1160_y24_oe_sp_3.pdf.

However for EL, \"the Read Aloud part of the exam will be replaced by the Planned Response component\" w.e.f. 2024:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/oral-exam-changes-olevels-nlevels-english-language-public-speaking-3407951

Hi @chenlaoshi
Do you have any recommendations of HCL assessments books for Secondary 3 and 1?
My boy in Sec 3 only scored 53/80 in HCL paper 2. Am thinking if he should drop to CL next year. Will it be much easier?

[chenlaoshi]

Cloudz\" post_id=\"2120894\" time=\"1697594320\" user_id=\"31451:

Hi @chenlaoshi
Do you have any recommendations of HCL assessments books for Secondary 3 and 1?
My boy in Sec 3 only scored 53/80 in HCL paper 2. Am thinking if he should drop to CL next year. Will it be much easier?

Hi Cloudz,

For Sec 1, the tested scope is still mostly surrounding syllabus words/phrases so those topical exercises will still be pretty useful, for example:

https://openschoolbag.g.shopcadacdn.com/sites/files/openschoolbag/productimg/202301/360x511/9789814972505.jpg\">https://i.ibb.co/h8Y0NVf/clozepassage.jpg\">

For upper Sec, the vocab coverage is more extensive so exposure to as much text as possible is necessary, to broaden one's range of vocab + develop ability to decipher hidden messages. You can get Sec 3 child to start practising using 10 yr series and mock papers like this:

https://openschoolbag.g.shopcadacdn.com/sites/files/openschoolbag/productimg/201906/360x511/higher_chinese_language_gce_o-level_simulated_exam_1.png\">

Instead of looking at the marks, you might want to look at the grades instead - i.e. 53/80 = 66.25% = B3. Also, while deciding whether to drop HCL, other factors to consider include gradings achieved for various components during the WAs, personal expectations, how much extra effort/time is HCL taking up etc.

Purely looking at this score for Paper 2, I don't think there's need to consider dropping HCL. Components wise, CL is generally easier than HCL due to lesser techniques involved but there are also challenges, for example the 4 MCQ compre's options as well as those in LC can be really tricky.

[Cloudz]

chenlaoshi\" post_id=\"2120906\" time=\"1697606737\" user_id=\"162894:

Hi Cloudz,

For Sec 1, the tested scope is still mostly surrounding syllabus words/phrases so those topical exercises will still be pretty useful, for example:

https://openschoolbag.g.shopcadacdn.com/sites/files/openschoolbag/productimg/202301/360x511/9789814972505.jpg\">https://i.ibb.co/h8Y0NVf/clozepassage.jpg\">

For upper Sec, the vocab coverage is more extensive so exposure to as much text as possible is necessary, to broaden one's range of vocab + develop ability to decipher hidden messages. You can get Sec 3 child to start practising using 10 yr series and mock papers like this:

https://openschoolbag.g.shopcadacdn.com/sites/files/openschoolbag/productimg/201906/360x511/higher_chinese_language_gce_o-level_simulated_exam_1.png\">

Instead of looking at the marks, you might want to look at the grades instead - i.e. 53/80 = 66.25% = B3. Also, while deciding whether to drop HCL, other factors to consider include gradings achieved for various components during the WAs, personal expectations, how much extra effort/time is HCL taking up etc.

Purely looking at this score for Paper 2, I don't think there's need to consider dropping HCL. Components wise, CL is generally easier than HCL due to lesser techniques involved but there are also challenges, for example the 4 MCQ compre's options as well as those in LC can be really tricky.

Thank you @chenlaoshi.
He’s in IB prog. So because taking HCL doesn’t offer any benefits, unlike A levels. Hence thinking if should drop to ‘lighten the load’.
So does it mean the load may not be lighten if we drop HCL? Lol

[chenlaoshi]

Cloudz\" post_id=\"2121038\" time=\"1697716219\" user_id=\"31451:

Thank you @chenlaoshi.
He’s in IB prog. So because taking HCL doesn’t offer any benefits, unlike A levels. Hence thinking if should drop to ‘lighten the load’.
So does it mean the load may not be lighten if we drop HCL? Lol

My pleasure, Cloudz.

To answer your question, the following should be considered:
(1) how heavy is the workload assigned by sch teacher
(2) how much extra effort is the child putting in besides whatever is assigned from sch

If the answer to (1) is normal/not heavy and to (2) is not much (except when revising for WA or exam), then I don't think the load is that much lighter - esp. if the expectation is to achieve a respectable result for HCL (i.e. min. B4).