Continuing with our inquiry into different types of food, the Astor students learning Mandarin as a second language talked about the different types of food they have for breakfast. The students agreed that they all liked toast for breakfast. Most of the students shared that they like fruit jam as a spread. The students discussed, negotiated, and finally agreed upon the type of fruit jam they wanted to make.
The students then thought of the ingredients needed to make strawberry and blackberry jam. They decided that they needed strawberries and blackberries, as well as a bit of sugar. In the following lesson, the ingredients were prepared, and the students learnt the names of the ingredients before making their fruit jam. The students in the Mandarin class used the vocabulary words learnt in the class. They made some toast to go along with the jam. They then spread the jam on their toast.
Providing such real-life experiences helps the learners understand how the language can be used in day-to-day life. To further this development, the students in the Mandarin class will also review what they had done in the term at the beginning of every lesson. Providing students at Astor International School with an opportunity to review and revise what they had learnt will increase the chances of them remembering the keywords learnt.