Institution: St Peter’s School,
Bournemouth
Watch some of the good practice
described in this case study 
Context
St Peter’s school is a Catholic comprehensive school located in
Bournemouth. There are 1,700 students of mixed ability aged from 11
to 18. St Peter's is a Christian community
enabling pupils to develop fully their own individuality and to
reach the highest possible standards for their ability. In
the sixth form, 70 percent of students progress to university,
across a wide range of subjects.
How the programme is
organised
Mandarin Chinese is new to the school and was first introduced by
Mrs Tan in 2008 as part of the enrichment programme. Students
choose to study on a voluntary basis with some deciding to progress
further and complete basic qualifications in speaking and
listening. The enrichment programmes at St Peter's are open to
all sixth form students. The Chinese classes have attracted a
roughly equal mix of boys and girls with a wide range of academic
abilities. The typical group size is around 10 and includes some
non-native speakers of English.
A range of teaching resources and
materials is employed to engage with the students
. Combinations of practical and academic exercises
were developed and online platforms such as “Go Chinese” were also
used. PowerPoint presentations, videos and research
assignments linked in to the key themes of learning. The focus
on developing speaking and listening skills was supported by
embedding a cultural element into the language learning process to
generate further interest.
Issues and tips
- Make the language easy to start with and appropriate to
beginner’s level
- Embed cultural elements to make the lessons more interesting;
Activities like paper folding, paper cutting, using brushes and
chopsticks can sometimes be added to the lesson- they are very
popular with the students.
- Use healthy competition like games and quizzes to motivate
learning.
- Use of various types of resources, including paper materials,
website, video, etc.
Impact on learners
In 2009, four learners achieved their ABC Award in Speaking and
Listening in Mandarin. These were some of the first students at
secondary school in the Bournemouth area to achieve a qualification
in Mandarin. Two of these students have since progressed on to
Oxford University. In this current year, several bilingual students
who are already studying either French or Portuguese have also
started to learn Mandarin.
‘Learning any language is an excellent opportunity but
Mandarin has been a unique subject, different from the Latin based
languages. Financially, China is also the biggest economy today, so
learning Mandarin is a major competitive asset.’ John, Year 13
student
Impact on the school as a
whole
Since introducing Mandarin as part of
the enrichment programme, both students and teache
rs have taken part in, or gained a positive awareness of
Chinese culture and traditions. St Peter's organised a special
lunch for example, to celebrate the Chinese New Year with students
researching and providing a display of traditional decorations.
Students have also provided research display boards for the school
foyer that included key facts and information about the various
regions within China. The school also arranged for students to
appear in some traditional Chinese clothes for an article published
in the school magazine.
‘It has been a delight to see students so
enthused about learning a new language.’ P.E. Hubbort,
Assistant Headteacher
Several of the staff and students at St
Peter's were able to visit China during Easter 2009. One of
the students had been attending the Mandarin class and was able to
assist the group with a variety of useful phrases when out shopping
and bargaining. The Chinese class also worked to produce a list of
key phrases for the travellers.
Future developments
Recently, an extended school programme supported by St Peters
school was set up, to introduce Mandarin Chinese to the local
community. The main classes bring together parents, students,
staff and members of the wider community interested to learn about
Chinese language, culture and traditions.
Future lessons within the school timetable and
after-class enrichment projects are set to offer the students the
opportunity to learn the skills of reading and writing in
Mandarin.
Author: Ruiyan Tan, Chinese Teachers in
Dorset