1) Sec 4 Express students:
They should ideally pass their Sec 3 end-of-year or SA2 exam. The intensive lessons are aimed to impart techniques to help them cope with the language. The techniques include Oral, Comprehension, composition and cloze passage. These will at least help them attain a one-grade or two-grade improvement in May this year. The best is that if they scored a C6 last year, then they could aim towards a B3, if they were to score a B3 last year, the A1 should be targeted. All these goals will be towards the Nov paper.
2)PSLE students:
They should at least had a B for their SA2 last year in order for me to safely say I could help them to achieve at least an A/High A. Last year I was more focused on helping those v weaker students who frequently fail in their normal exams or had an extremely weak language foundation (couldn't speak proper mandarin). I thus could only help them with a one-grade improvement. Thus this year I hope that at least a handful of my students can begin with a moderately strong foundation.
3)Sec1-3 students:
Even if they fail their normal examinations, the situation is not as bleak as those mentioned above. They should have at least 1 year or 1 year plus to beef up their standard. Usually the common problems faced by students in passing Chinese include a limited word bank (not that they didn't learn enough words but more of retaining them in memory), inability to read or write or to recognise the meaning of the words. Thus when this repeats itself, the students get demoralised after numerous failed attempts and want to give up.
The root cause could be due to PSLE Chinese being an exam that emphasises too much on memorising, rote listening and writing (Picture composition) without being taught practical methods. Rote learning would only result in "rote forgetting". Failing in composition, comprehension and cloze passage are the results of this. Therefore, techniques are more sustainable in that sense. Through learning simple "news" vocabulary, constructing sentences, writing short paragraphs and with the aid of multimedia and devices like e-dictionary, they will be able to make improvements. With visible improvements, their interest will slowly pick up. This will progress to the student setting goals for his or her O level Chinese in the long-run. With such motivation, he or she definitely has a high chance to succeed. Pls click my previous posts on students' testimonials for examples.
4)P5 students:
Even when faced with the problem of a weak foundation, if you have seen the testimonials of my previous foreign students, you will be surprised that they can make tremendous improvement! If a foreign student who did not grow up learning Chinese can do it, what more can normal students like your child do? It all boils down to effort and time. If the student is willing to give it their very best, I as a tutor will commit to all means to raise her marks up. But of course Chinese being a language subject, we have to be realistic that vast improvement cannot be done overnight.
Here's how a typical primary school kid views Chinese, especially boys:
Just the day before Spelling or "听写", they are able to recall how to write the words but the day after they would have forgotten completely what are the characters they have learnt. With a short concentration span, they are easily distracted by trivial things during lessons. Their only goal in Chinese? To do well enough to satisfy you parents so that you can reward them. They fear 作业，they dread 听写. Their words are illegible! Sounds familiar?
Well let me tell you that you need not satisfy with this status quo! Constant encouragement from parents and teachers is key to turning the situation around. I feel only with a good teacher-student relationship, can the student's interest towards Chinese be unlocked. So let me help you, give me a call on my hp no. at 97641616 to start the change!
