First year Chinese language unit, HMC101 & 102 Chinese 1A and 1B: oral task

Developed by Isabel Wang and Moira Cordiner

This criteria sheet was based on one developed and used by Isabel. She wanted to make the criteria match more closely to the learning outcomes, and to revise the descriptors so they were more detailed and specific to the task. The original criteria sheet was too generic, although the students still found it useful.

Synopsis of the task and its context

The majority of students studying this subject have above average language skills — none are Chinese native speakers. The oral task requires students to create and structure the content on a learned topic and then deliver this orally in Chinese. The topics are closely to students’ lives, e.g. family, study, university life. To do this, they use basic knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, as well as pronunciation skills and communication strategies. Students are prepared with extensive scaffolding in which their fluency and accuracy is gradually developed. They rehearse speaking Chinese with Isabel and with their peers (not the actual assessment topic). As this is an introductory unit, the vocabulary and grammar is relatively simple and the emphasis is on talking naturally rather than from memory. Because of this (and the students’ abilities), Isabel does not expect any students to fail— hence the NN standard has not been described on the criteria sheet.

Match between learning outcomes and criteria

Revised learning outcomes / Task specific criteria
On completion of this unit you should be able to: / To complete this task, you should meet the following criteria:
Grammar
·  apply knowledge of the basic elements of Chinese grammar to structure simple sentences. / ·  Content and structure
Vocabulary
·  demonstrate knowledge of the cultural and linguistic history of Chinese characters
·  recognize and write approximately 300 basic Chinese characters
Knowledge
·  demonstrate introductory knowledge of important aspects of the cultural, social and political elements associated with Chinese language.
Pronunciation
·  use knowledge of the Mandarin Chinese phonetic system to develop pronunciation habits / ·  Delivery
- Fluency
- Pronunciation
- Communication strategies
Communication Strategies
·  use basic knowledge and communication strategies (expression, structure, fluency and presentation skills) to create short oral and written sentences

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First year Chinese language unit, HMC101 1A oral presentation Weighting 10%
criterion / HD / DN / CR / PP
In your oral presentation, you: / In your oral presentation, you: / In your oral presentation, you: / In your oral presentation, you:
Content and structure / ·  logically structured the content by correctly using: / ·  logically structured the content by correctly using: / ·  structured the content by correctly using: / ·  partially structured the content by correctly, for the most part, using:
Weighting 40% / - all of the prescribed grammatical points (parts of speech, sentence structures)
- a relevant and wide selection of familiar learned topic vocabulary / - most of the prescribed grammatical points (parts of speech, sentence structures)
- a relevant selection of familiar learned topic vocabulary / - at least half of the prescribed grammatical points (parts of speech, sentence structures)
- a relevant selection of familiar learned topic vocabulary / - a few of the prescribed grammatical points (parts of speech, sentence structures)
- a relevant, but small, selection of familiar learned topic vocabulary
·  enriched the details by:
- varying the use of vocabulary and grammar points
- adding relevant vocabulary / ·  added relevant vocabulary / ·  occasionally referred to notes or a script / ·  relied heavily on notes or a script
Delivery
·  fluency (10%)
·  pronunciation (10%) / ·  confidently delivered an audible, fluent and easily comprehensible speech with: / ·  delivered an audible, mostly fluent and comprehensible speech with: / ·  delivered an audible and halting speech (that had even and some uneven sections) making it mostly comprehensible with: / ·  delivered an audible and halting speech (that had many uneven sections) making it partially comprehensible with:
- few pauses, hesitations or stumbles / - few pauses, some hesitations or stumbles / - pauses, hesitations and stumbles / - pauses, hesitations and stumbles
- correct and clear pronunciation and all tones suited the context / - correct and clear pronunciation and most tones suited the context / - correct and clear pronunciation and most tones suited the context / - correct and clear pronunciation and some tones suited the context
- occasional non-native pronunciation that did not interfere with your delivery / - occasional non-native pronunciation that did not interfere with your delivery / - occasional non-native pronunciation that did not interfere with your delivery / - non-native pronunciation frequently interfered with your delivery
·  communication strategies (40%)
Weighting (60%) / ·  selected and used communication strategies that involved: / ·  selected and used communication strategies that involved:
- controlling variations in pace and intonation to interest the audience and suit the allocated time / - speaking with a mix of fast and slow sections to finish in the allocated time / ·  spoke either too fast or too slowly so that you finished before or after the allocated time
- making eye contact with the audience and using gestures to emphasise points you made / - occasionally making eye contact with the audience and using gestures / ·  looked into the distance or at a fixed point in the room rather than at the audience
- listening and responding to all of the audience’s questions and giving responses in full sentences. / - listening and responding to at least two thirds of the audience’s questions by giving answers that were mostly correct, and in phrases rather than full sentences. / ·  listened and responded to at least half of the audience’s questions by repeating them OR giving answers that were partially correct OR unrelated to the questions.

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