Since mother tongue is mandatory in the MOE primary and secondary school curriculum, many students opt for Chinese, partly because they are of Chinese descent. After passing primary level Chinese many students assume they have mastered the language. While this may be true for some students, most struggle with secondary level Chinese.
Difficulty Mastering Chinese Characters
The Chinese characters are a problem for most students, but many students assume that they struggle with them during the formative years when they first start learning the language. Imagine their surprise when they discover more characters in secondary school Chinese. It is a never-ending process.
Chinese has more than 50,000 characters and most people don’t get to use all of them. However, secondary level Chinese will expose students to new characters, and many students struggle to grasp them. This is one of the reasons many parents choose Chinese tuition for secondary students, as it allows them to explore these characters in a supportive and conducive environment.
Lengthy Sentences
Secondary school Chinese is more comprehensive than the primary school Chinese curriculum. One of the first things that students will notice about secondary school Chinese is the lengthy sentences. The primary reason for this is that the structure of the secondary school Chinese exam focuses on testing students’ comprehension of sentences. They will be tested on:
- Application of the language
- Functional writing
- Essay writing
- Reading comprehension
- Listening comprehension
- Oral communication
Students will also have sections where they are expected to fill in the blanks after they comprehend the question. The exam also tests a student’s knowledge of diverse vocabulary and grammar. Unfortunately, many students struggle with this aspect, and a Chinese tuition centre for secondary students can provide the necessary preparation to help them succeed in their exams.
Time Constraints
Sometimes the problem is not necessarily with the secondary level Chinese language. Some students fail their exams because they don’t have the time to focus on the subject. Sadly, it is not even about their preference for other subjects, but some fail to allocate sufficient time to study all the subjects.
Some opt to focus on the subjects they enjoy or those that will have a direct effect on their career preference. Unfortunately, some don’t realise that a poor performance on their Chinese subject will affect their overall performance. One way to ensure that the student allocates some time for learning Chinese outside the regular classes is by enrolling to a Chinese tuition centre for secondary school level.
Absence of Quality Learning Material
Although Chinese is one of the mandatory mother tongue languages in the MOE curriculum, some students still struggle to find high-quality reading material. Students who attend secondary Chinese tuition in Singapore tend to have access to proper learning materials. However, you will need to find out if the materials are provided when researching Chinese learning centres.
Lack of Motivation to Learn Chinese
By the time students get to secondary school, the novelty of learning Chinese wears off. They start to lose the excitement of learning a new language, and now it starts being a burden, especially when they have a career path in mind and believe they won’t need Chinese. Secondary school students need to find a reason to focus on their Chinese subject. Parents, teachers, and their tutors have a role to play in motivating students.
These are some of the challenges of learning secondary level Chinese. Fortunately, there are solutions to all these problems. Chinese tuition centres for secondary school level will solve most of these problems. Singapore has several Chinese tuition centres that will help students overcome these issues. Looking for a trusted Chinese tuition centre? Visit Busy Bees Learning Centre.
