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Chapter 5: Speaking Skills

Speaking Tips

  • The key to the Speaking section is to address the prompt directly and completely.

    • Therefore it is extremely important to listen to the prompt carefully and understand exactly what the requirements are.

  • To “be fluent” does not mean that students have to speak at a fast pace.

    • It means that the pace should be steady and the flow should be smooth.

    • Students should aim to speak at a natural rate of speech.

    • Words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs should be connected in a logical way.

    • If students can respond appropriately with minimum hesitation, they are likely to receive a high score.

    • If students don’t know how to answer a certain question, they should at least address the prompt or topic in a general sense.

  • Students should prepare themselves with as much vocabulary as possible on theme topics.

    • For example, if students are to talk about the Mid-Autumn Festival, it helps to know words like “⽉ 饼” and “团圆”.

    • If they are planning an event for a trip, it helps to know words like “景点” and “⾏程.” If students don’t know enough vocabulary, their speaking responses will likely be compromised.

    • We can’t emphasize enough how important it is for students to use appropriate words and phrases to express what they need to say correctly.

    • Incorporating a couple of idioms and/or proverbs enhances the overall impression.

  • Students should pay attention to grammar.

    • The grammar and linguistic structures that students use to communicate should be accurate.

    • If students do not have good syntactic control, it will be very difficult for them to communicate effectively.

  • If students are not native Mandarin Chinese speakers, it is likely that they will have an accent when speaking Mandarin, but their speech should still be understandable.

    • If students have trouble pronouncing certain words in Chinese, they should practice these words often.

    • For example, if they cannot pronounce the third tones, they should find methods to fix their pronunciation.

Vocabulary Tips

  • Reading is the best way to learn vocabulary.

    • Reading a variety of materials not only helps with learning new words and phrases, but also improves language skills overall.

  • Make sentences while learning a new word. Using a new word in sentences will help students memorize the meaning and usage of the word.

  • Apply new words as much as possible in daily life.

  • Study radicals. Learning just one radical often helps students understand many new words.

  • Expand vocabulary by learning synonyms and antonyms.

    • This is very effective for memorizing new words.

Speaking Preparations

Conversation

  • Students are expected to:

    • address the prompt directly, appropriately, and thoroughly

    • keep a natural pace and avoid stumbling

    • demonstrate accurate pronunciation and tones

    • use a wide range of grammatical structures, vocabulary, and idioms

  • Students should:

    • Understand the prompt without having to translate it in their heads.

    • Include as much information pertaining to the prompt as they can.

      • Avoid any silent moments while responding to the prompt, as silence may indicate that they do not understand the prompt or they lack the words to express themselves.

    • Talk about one word that they do understand if they fail to understand the prompt.

      • Delivering an incomplete answer is much better than saying, “I don’t understand,” or leaving the recording blank.

    • Keep in mind that their response to the topic should not be too brief.

      • Responding to the prompt means providing enough information to show they can carry on a conversation with someone.

    • Forget about being truthful in the response.

      • The purpose of the question is to elicit a speech sample in Chinese.

      • Sometimes, there might not be an absolute correct or incorrect answer.

      • Saying something in Chinese, instead of keeping silent, is highly recommended.

    • Correct any mistake right away if recognized.

    • Practice having spontaneous conversations for added fluency.

Sample Questions

  1. 你学中⽂学了多⻓时间?

  2. 你为什么学中⽂?

  3. 你们的中⽂⽼师是美国⼈还是中国⼈?

  4. 在学习中⽂过程中,你觉得最有意思的事情是什么?

  5. 你在学习中最⼤的困难是什么?

  6. 你⾼中毕业以后还学中⽂吗?

Presentation

Qualities of Good Presentation

  • Captivating

    • To successfully intrigue the audience, students should keep their descriptions and explanations crisp, clear, and adequately detailed.

    • They should be sure to quote relevant facts and examples to support their ideas.

    • The topic prompt typically includes cultural requirements.

    • Students should pay close attention to the requirements and present the related cultural content in a comprehensible manner.

  • Purposeful

    • Students should practice stating the purpose, scope, and objectives of the presentation in a clear, concise manner.

    • They should consider how to organize the presentation, including length, key ideas, transitions, and any related stories, including both qualitative and quantitative facts.

    • Students will be given only 2 minutes to record their presentations.

    • Prior to taking the test, they should practice using the time wisely to deliver a well-stated and purposeful presentation.

  • Organized

    • Students are encouraged to make their presentations well-- organized and coherent, develop clear ideas, and use appropriate transitional words and phrases.

    • Both this chapter and the Writing Skills chapter provide lists of frequently used Chinese transition words and phrases.

    • During the presentation, the structure should be apparent to the listener.

  • Cultural

    • When addressing the requirements for the Cultural Presentation, students will be able to choose a specific aspect based on a very broad prompt.

    • They should be sure that any cultural information included in their presentations is accurate.

    • It is highly advised that they pick a main focus that they are confident with and know well.

  • Appropriate

    • Students should look for clues in the prompt, especially if the prompt seems to be asking something that they know nothing about.

    • Students should leverage these clues to address the topic and express their own opinions on it. Remember: Don’t give up.

  • Accurate

    • During the presentation, students should use language that is accurate, concise but meaningful, diverse, and easy to understand.

    • When preparing for oral presentations, students need to shift their communication style from written to spoken.

Parts of the Presentation

  • The introduction is the most important part of the presentation; it consists of a greeting and a thesis.

    • Students should include an appropriate greeting and a thesis that captures the audience’s attention.

    • A good introduction will notify the audience of the topic right away and stimulate their curiosity about the topic.

  • The main body of the presentation has to be coherent.

    • It should contain sufficient transitions for the audience to distinguish what is primary information and what is secondary.

  • The conclusion should be short.

    • It should restate the main points and also what the student wants the audience to walk away with.

    • A conclusion may include recommendations; for example, if the presentation is about a famous author, recommend one of his/her books.

Common Opening Remarks

  • 我想谈谈…

    • I’m going to talk about…

  • 我演讲的题⽬是...

    • The title of my presentation is…

  • 我谈话的主题是...

    • The topic of my talk is…

  • 我想借这个机会给⼤家简单介绍⼀下...

    • I’d like to take this opportunity to give you an overview of …

Main Body and Summary/Conclusion Phrases

  • 我演讲的内容分为三个部分 ➡ I’ve divided my talk into (three) parts.

  • 我将从三个⽅⾯谈谈 ➡ I’m going to divide my talk into three parts to talk about ...

  • ⾸先 ➡ First

  • 其次 ➡ Second

  • 第三 ➡ Third

  • 最后 ➡ Finally

  • 在第⼀部分 ➡ In the first part

  • 在第⼆部分 ➡ Then, in the second part

  • 下⾯,我谈谈第⼀个部分 ➡ Let’s move to the first part of my talk, which is about ...

  • 最后,我再强调⼀下我的要点 ➡ I’d like to end by emphasizing the main points.

  • 我想⽤…来结束我的演讲 ➡ I’d like to end with…

Cultural Presentation Sample

各位同学: 你们好!

我演讲的题⽬是“孟姜⼥哭⻓城”。秦朝时候,有⼀个善 良、美丽的⼥孩⼦叫孟姜⼥。孟姜⼥喜欢⼀个叫范喜良的⼩伙⼦。他 们两⼈情投意合,不久就结婚了。结婚那天,来了很多客⼈。到了晚 上,喝喜酒的⼈都⾛了,新郎、新娘也要⼊洞房了。突然来了⼏个当 兵的,把范喜良抓⾛去修⻓城。从那以后,孟姜⼥⼀个⼈守在空空的 房⼦⾥思念丈夫。后来,孟姜⼥背上⾏装,带上吃的,找到了⻓城⼯ 地。在⼯地上,她没有找到丈夫,却碰到了⼀个⽼乡。⽼乡告诉她, 范喜良已经死了,⼫体已经埋在了⻓城的下⾯。听到这个消息,孟姜 ⼥⼤哭起来。她哭啊,哭啊,哭得天昏地暗。突然,听到“哗啦”⼀ 声,⻓城倒了,范喜良的⼫体露出来。孟姜⼥终于⻅到了⼼爱的丈 夫,但丈夫却永远也看不到妻⼦了,因为他已经被残暴的秦始皇害死 了。这个故事告诉我们,虽然⻓城是⼈类最伟⼤的⼯程之⼀,是中华 ⺠族的骄傲,但是,⻓城也凝聚着中国古代劳动⼈⺠的⾎与汗。我的 故事讲完了,谢谢⼤家!

Speaking Practice Pointers

  • Do jot down idea words and phrases, but do not write out a whole presentation before recording.

  • Do not translate. Some students may be tempted to first compose the presentation in English and then translate it into Chinese. This is not recommended.

  • Do learn as much vocabulary as possible to cover as many topics as possible.

  • Do use the best vocabulary/idioms possible.

  • Do correct a mistake immediately.

  • Do practice recording presentations with a variety of topics before taking the exam.

Vocabulary List for Different Topics

Chapter 6: Grammar Review

MA

Chapter 5: Speaking Skills

Speaking Tips

  • The key to the Speaking section is to address the prompt directly and completely.

    • Therefore it is extremely important to listen to the prompt carefully and understand exactly what the requirements are.

  • To “be fluent” does not mean that students have to speak at a fast pace.

    • It means that the pace should be steady and the flow should be smooth.

    • Students should aim to speak at a natural rate of speech.

    • Words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs should be connected in a logical way.

    • If students can respond appropriately with minimum hesitation, they are likely to receive a high score.

    • If students don’t know how to answer a certain question, they should at least address the prompt or topic in a general sense.

  • Students should prepare themselves with as much vocabulary as possible on theme topics.

    • For example, if students are to talk about the Mid-Autumn Festival, it helps to know words like “⽉ 饼” and “团圆”.

    • If they are planning an event for a trip, it helps to know words like “景点” and “⾏程.” If students don’t know enough vocabulary, their speaking responses will likely be compromised.

    • We can’t emphasize enough how important it is for students to use appropriate words and phrases to express what they need to say correctly.

    • Incorporating a couple of idioms and/or proverbs enhances the overall impression.

  • Students should pay attention to grammar.

    • The grammar and linguistic structures that students use to communicate should be accurate.

    • If students do not have good syntactic control, it will be very difficult for them to communicate effectively.

  • If students are not native Mandarin Chinese speakers, it is likely that they will have an accent when speaking Mandarin, but their speech should still be understandable.

    • If students have trouble pronouncing certain words in Chinese, they should practice these words often.

    • For example, if they cannot pronounce the third tones, they should find methods to fix their pronunciation.

Vocabulary Tips

  • Reading is the best way to learn vocabulary.

    • Reading a variety of materials not only helps with learning new words and phrases, but also improves language skills overall.

  • Make sentences while learning a new word. Using a new word in sentences will help students memorize the meaning and usage of the word.

  • Apply new words as much as possible in daily life.

  • Study radicals. Learning just one radical often helps students understand many new words.

  • Expand vocabulary by learning synonyms and antonyms.

    • This is very effective for memorizing new words.

Speaking Preparations

Conversation

  • Students are expected to:

    • address the prompt directly, appropriately, and thoroughly

    • keep a natural pace and avoid stumbling

    • demonstrate accurate pronunciation and tones

    • use a wide range of grammatical structures, vocabulary, and idioms

  • Students should:

    • Understand the prompt without having to translate it in their heads.

    • Include as much information pertaining to the prompt as they can.

      • Avoid any silent moments while responding to the prompt, as silence may indicate that they do not understand the prompt or they lack the words to express themselves.

    • Talk about one word that they do understand if they fail to understand the prompt.

      • Delivering an incomplete answer is much better than saying, “I don’t understand,” or leaving the recording blank.

    • Keep in mind that their response to the topic should not be too brief.

      • Responding to the prompt means providing enough information to show they can carry on a conversation with someone.

    • Forget about being truthful in the response.

      • The purpose of the question is to elicit a speech sample in Chinese.

      • Sometimes, there might not be an absolute correct or incorrect answer.

      • Saying something in Chinese, instead of keeping silent, is highly recommended.

    • Correct any mistake right away if recognized.

    • Practice having spontaneous conversations for added fluency.

Sample Questions

  1. 你学中⽂学了多⻓时间?

  2. 你为什么学中⽂?

  3. 你们的中⽂⽼师是美国⼈还是中国⼈?

  4. 在学习中⽂过程中,你觉得最有意思的事情是什么?

  5. 你在学习中最⼤的困难是什么?

  6. 你⾼中毕业以后还学中⽂吗?

Presentation

Qualities of Good Presentation

  • Captivating

    • To successfully intrigue the audience, students should keep their descriptions and explanations crisp, clear, and adequately detailed.

    • They should be sure to quote relevant facts and examples to support their ideas.

    • The topic prompt typically includes cultural requirements.

    • Students should pay close attention to the requirements and present the related cultural content in a comprehensible manner.

  • Purposeful

    • Students should practice stating the purpose, scope, and objectives of the presentation in a clear, concise manner.

    • They should consider how to organize the presentation, including length, key ideas, transitions, and any related stories, including both qualitative and quantitative facts.

    • Students will be given only 2 minutes to record their presentations.

    • Prior to taking the test, they should practice using the time wisely to deliver a well-stated and purposeful presentation.

  • Organized

    • Students are encouraged to make their presentations well-- organized and coherent, develop clear ideas, and use appropriate transitional words and phrases.

    • Both this chapter and the Writing Skills chapter provide lists of frequently used Chinese transition words and phrases.

    • During the presentation, the structure should be apparent to the listener.

  • Cultural

    • When addressing the requirements for the Cultural Presentation, students will be able to choose a specific aspect based on a very broad prompt.

    • They should be sure that any cultural information included in their presentations is accurate.

    • It is highly advised that they pick a main focus that they are confident with and know well.

  • Appropriate

    • Students should look for clues in the prompt, especially if the prompt seems to be asking something that they know nothing about.

    • Students should leverage these clues to address the topic and express their own opinions on it. Remember: Don’t give up.

  • Accurate

    • During the presentation, students should use language that is accurate, concise but meaningful, diverse, and easy to understand.

    • When preparing for oral presentations, students need to shift their communication style from written to spoken.

Parts of the Presentation

  • The introduction is the most important part of the presentation; it consists of a greeting and a thesis.

    • Students should include an appropriate greeting and a thesis that captures the audience’s attention.

    • A good introduction will notify the audience of the topic right away and stimulate their curiosity about the topic.

  • The main body of the presentation has to be coherent.

    • It should contain sufficient transitions for the audience to distinguish what is primary information and what is secondary.

  • The conclusion should be short.

    • It should restate the main points and also what the student wants the audience to walk away with.

    • A conclusion may include recommendations; for example, if the presentation is about a famous author, recommend one of his/her books.

Common Opening Remarks

  • 我想谈谈…

    • I’m going to talk about…

  • 我演讲的题⽬是...

    • The title of my presentation is…

  • 我谈话的主题是...

    • The topic of my talk is…

  • 我想借这个机会给⼤家简单介绍⼀下...

    • I’d like to take this opportunity to give you an overview of …

Main Body and Summary/Conclusion Phrases

  • 我演讲的内容分为三个部分 ➡ I’ve divided my talk into (three) parts.

  • 我将从三个⽅⾯谈谈 ➡ I’m going to divide my talk into three parts to talk about ...

  • ⾸先 ➡ First

  • 其次 ➡ Second

  • 第三 ➡ Third

  • 最后 ➡ Finally

  • 在第⼀部分 ➡ In the first part

  • 在第⼆部分 ➡ Then, in the second part

  • 下⾯,我谈谈第⼀个部分 ➡ Let’s move to the first part of my talk, which is about ...

  • 最后,我再强调⼀下我的要点 ➡ I’d like to end by emphasizing the main points.

  • 我想⽤…来结束我的演讲 ➡ I’d like to end with…

Cultural Presentation Sample

各位同学: 你们好!

我演讲的题⽬是“孟姜⼥哭⻓城”。秦朝时候,有⼀个善 良、美丽的⼥孩⼦叫孟姜⼥。孟姜⼥喜欢⼀个叫范喜良的⼩伙⼦。他 们两⼈情投意合,不久就结婚了。结婚那天,来了很多客⼈。到了晚 上,喝喜酒的⼈都⾛了,新郎、新娘也要⼊洞房了。突然来了⼏个当 兵的,把范喜良抓⾛去修⻓城。从那以后,孟姜⼥⼀个⼈守在空空的 房⼦⾥思念丈夫。后来,孟姜⼥背上⾏装,带上吃的,找到了⻓城⼯ 地。在⼯地上,她没有找到丈夫,却碰到了⼀个⽼乡。⽼乡告诉她, 范喜良已经死了,⼫体已经埋在了⻓城的下⾯。听到这个消息,孟姜 ⼥⼤哭起来。她哭啊,哭啊,哭得天昏地暗。突然,听到“哗啦”⼀ 声,⻓城倒了,范喜良的⼫体露出来。孟姜⼥终于⻅到了⼼爱的丈 夫,但丈夫却永远也看不到妻⼦了,因为他已经被残暴的秦始皇害死 了。这个故事告诉我们,虽然⻓城是⼈类最伟⼤的⼯程之⼀,是中华 ⺠族的骄傲,但是,⻓城也凝聚着中国古代劳动⼈⺠的⾎与汗。我的 故事讲完了,谢谢⼤家!

Speaking Practice Pointers

  • Do jot down idea words and phrases, but do not write out a whole presentation before recording.

  • Do not translate. Some students may be tempted to first compose the presentation in English and then translate it into Chinese. This is not recommended.

  • Do learn as much vocabulary as possible to cover as many topics as possible.

  • Do use the best vocabulary/idioms possible.

  • Do correct a mistake immediately.

  • Do practice recording presentations with a variety of topics before taking the exam.

Vocabulary List for Different Topics

Chapter 6: Grammar Review