BIC - Teacher Manual

7/27/2019 BIC - Teacher Manual

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Teacher Manual

Hello and welcome to the Born in China team! In this manual, we will explain all you need to

know to be a teacher with Born in China.

1. Natural method and translation method

Born in China uses a special method to teach Mandarin, called the Natural Method.

Most language classes use the Translation Method. This is the way you learn languages in

school, and most private language courses use it too.

With the translation method, the teacher explains grammar rules in class. The students have

to learn the grammar rules from a textbook, and memorize words from a word list. Theemphasis is on reading and writing. Students hardly get the opportunity to speak.

To teach a language this way, you have to explain it in another language. For example, you

teach Chinese using English. This becomes a problem if either the teacher or the student

dont speak and understand English perfectly.

If you learn this way, you will be very good at reading and passing exams, but not very good

at speaking at all. Many Chinese and Japanese people learn English for years in school, but

they find speaking and understanding English very difficult. This is because the method that

they used to learn English is wrong. The same goes for learning French and Spanish inWestern countries.

So even though this method does not work very well, most language classes are taught this

way.

2. How does a child learn?

The language you speak the best is the one you learnt as a child. When you were a child, you

learnt by trying to talk with your parents, and hearing what people are saying. You looked at

your surroundings, the context. You tried to guess what all those words mean, using

information from the context.

For example, when your mum holds up an apple, and says apple, maybe an apple is that

thing your mum is holding! When you see your dad ask your mum for an apple, and mum

gives him that same thing, thats another hint. After a while, you conclude that that thing

must be called apple!

That is how you learn words as a child.

You learn grammar in the same way.


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After a while, you have learnt a few words. You have heard people around you use the

words in sentences. So you soon try to make sentences too.

If you say it right, your parents will notice you said it right! They notice you learnt a new

thing! Your parents that got very happy and smiled at you, and gave you what you wanted.

They responded in the way you hoped. You may not have understood the words they were

saying, but they smiled, they were happy. Babies dont understand words yet, but they do

understand emotions. You just got positive feedback!

Alternatively, if you made a sentence that is grammatically wrong, your parents wont

respond as happily, and they will correct your sentence. That is how you learn grammar as a

child. You dont understand why it works. Nobody told you why it works that way. You just

know that is how it works.

You see, you dont need to understand! Most people dont understand the grammar of their

own language, yet they speak it perfectly!

3. The natural method

The natural method teaches a language in the same way a child learn a language. The

teacher becomes almost like the parent.

People respond to this much better, because that is how we learnt our first language. We

did it already. We have a special part in our brain that we use to learn our first language in

this way. If you get taught a language in the same manner, you learn it in the same manner.

Born in China uses the natural method to teach Mandarin. That means we hardly use English

to teach!

Instead of saying, Pingguo means apple, you hold up an apple and say: Pingguo. Your

students will understand that this is an apple and in Chinese, you need to say Pingguo.

A lot of words dont have an exact translation in another language. Or they mean almost the

same thing, but you dont use them in the same way.

For example, the Chinese wordis often translated as take. However, you cant usein every case you would use take. Many foreigners whove learnt some Mandarin wouldthink this is a good sentence:

I took my wife to the party

This sounds very strange in Mandarin, but if you are taught thatmeans take, it makes

perfect sense.

This is why directly translating words is often very ineffective. Students will make a lot ofmistakes, or they have to study a lot of words in a lot of detail.


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Another common problem with this method is that people keep thinking in their own

language, and then translate it in their head. This takes a lot of effort, its tiring and you

make a lot of mistakes. It is very difficult to have a conversation this way.

4. So how do you teach?

You can explain basic nouns by pointing at the things, or

showing pictures. You can explain verbs by acting them out. You

can explain adjectives by comparing things. You teach grammar

by making example sentences.

Example:

*point to a chair* : Chair

*point to a chair close to the teacher* : Thisis - a chair

*point to another chair close to the teacher* : This is also achair.

*point to a chair far from the teacher* : That is a chair.

*point to a pen* : That is not a chair.

You can show words like running or walking, jumping, writing, speaking, by acting them out.

You can teach the words for emotions by making facial expressions, e.g. pulling a sad face

and saying:When your students get to a higher level, you can explain new words by using words learnt

before.

So how would you explain things like City and Country? You take out a map (well provide

one for you) and point at Beijing. The students have already learnt This is. So now you can

point at Beijing and say: This is Beijing. This is Shanghai. This is Melbourne.

Beijing is a city. Shanghai is a city. Melbourne is a city.

Your students will now guess what city means. To emphasize, you can continue like this:

This is China, this is Australia. China is a country. Australia is a country. China is not a city.

Shanghai is a city.

So now, you can explain a word by summing up examples.

Clothes:

This is a coat. This is a jumper. These are pants. This is a shirt. They are all clothes. Coats are

clothes, jumpers are clothes, pants are clothes. Tables are not clothes.

You can explain a word by replacing it with other words that mean the same.

Dont worry about

memorizing all these methods

and examples, they are just to

help you understand how we

work.

We will also provide you with

a complete teacher syllabus.

With every word, theres an

explanation of how to teach

it.


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Mum and dad. Mum and dad are parents.

You and me. You and me is we.

Saturday and Sunday are weekend.

There are many people in the metro. The metro is crowded.

In the weekend, there are many people in the stores. In the weekend, the stores are

crowded.

Shanghai has four seasons.

One season is from December till February. One season is from March till May. Etc.

The season from December till February is cold. This is winter. The season from June till

August is hot. This is summer.

Example:

This book is green. This book is also green. The colour is green. The colour of the books is the

same.

Example:

I go to school on Monday. I go to school on Tuesday. I go to school on Wednesday etc.

I go to school every day.

You can practice with your students by asking questions.

Example:

Is this a chair? Is a chair furniture?

You can teach a word by using it in a small conversation. The student can guess the new

word from the conversation.

Give me your phone.

Do you have a phone?

- No, I dont have a phone.

Can you call?

- No, I cantcall.

You will have to repeat this exercise several times, with different examples, before a student

will understand. You can only use several examples when students already know many

words.

You can use this same technique to teach words like because, however, etc.


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Example:

I cannot call. I dont have a phone. I cannot call, becauseI dont have a phone.

Another example:

Coca Cola is a company. Coca Cola makes drinks. Coca Cola produces drinks. Companies

produce things. Companies produce products.

Pepsi is also a company. Pepsi also produces drinks.

Pepsi and Coca Cola are companies. Pepsi and Coca Cola produce drinks. Are Pepsi and Coca

Cola friends? No! Are they together? No. Do they produce drinks together? No.

Pepsi and Coca Cola are competitors.

When you want to use examples, you can often use brand names and such to avoid having

to teach a new word.

Example:

You want to teach the word airport.

You say: airport. You draw a picture on the blackboard of an airport with airplanes. You

name the names of famous airports.

Tullamarine is an airport. Heathrow is an airport. La Guarda and JFK are airports.

You can teach a new word by showing what is the opposite of it first.

Example:

Tullamarine is an airport. Melbourne Central is not an airport. Melbourne Central is a train

station.

Is Singapore hot? Yes.

Is summer hot? Yes.

Is Africa hot? YesIs Russia hot? No. Is Harbin hot? No.

Russia is not hot.

What is Russia?

Russia is cold.

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BIC - Teacher Manual