Lesson 1.2 请坐, 请听: Classroom Words

Steps

1. Warm-up

   Do this together: Play teacher: the child gives the parent instructions in English: sit, stand, listen, be quiet. Today we learn them in Chinese.

2. Teach the new idea

   Read aloud: The story. James wrote, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak.” A good student, and a good friend, listens carefully. In Chinese classrooms, students stand to answer the teacher and sit when they finish.

   Read aloud: How Chinese works. 请 (please) + an action makes a polite instruction: 请qǐng坐zuò, 请qǐng听tīng. To answer a question, say 我wǒ知zhī道dào or 我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào.

   Read aloud: Say it out loud. qǐng zuò (ching DZWOH), qǐng zhàn (ching JAHN), qǐng tīng (ching TING), ānjìng (ahn-JING), wǒ zhīdào (woh jr-DOW).

3. New words

   Do this: Say each word clearly; your child says it back twice. Point to a picture or the real thing when you can.

   • 请坐 (qǐng zuò) [ching DZWOH]: please sit down
   • 请站 (qǐng zhàn) [ching JAHN]: please stand
   • 请听 (qǐng tīng) [ching TING]: please listen
   • 安静 (ānjìng) [ahn-JING]: quiet
   • 知道 (zhīdào) [jr-DOW]: to know
4. Show how

   Show: The teacher says 请站. What do you do?

   Say this: “站 means stand.”

   Answer: Stand up.

   Show: The teacher asks a hard question you can’t answer. What do you say?

   Say this: “I don’t know = 我不知道.”

   Answer: 我不知道 (wǒ bù zhīdào).

5. Practice together

   Do this: Ask out loud. Let your child try first; help only after a real try.

   Ask: What does 请坐 mean?

   Listen for: Please sit down.

   Ask: Say quiet in Chinese.

   Listen for: 安静 (ānjìng).

   Ask: Say “Please listen.”

   Listen for: 请听 (qǐng tīng).

   1 more on the lesson page.

6. Project: Teacher for a day

   Read aloud: Be the teacher and give classroom instructions in Chinese.

   Steps:

   1. Set up chairs for your “class” (family or toys).
   2. Greet them: 同学们好!
   3. Give instructions: 请坐, 请站, 请听, 安静.
   4. Ask a question and let them answer 我知道 or 我不知道.

   Tips for you:

   • Speak clearly and kindly.

   Done when your child can say:

   • I gave four instructions in Chinese.
   • My class followed them.
7. Sketchbook

   Do this: Your child picks one or more; you write the date.

   1. Draw a classroom with a teacher. Write 请坐 in a speech bubble.
8. From history

   Read aloud: Many Chinese schools start the day with exercises together in the schoolyard, and students take turns cleaning their own classroom.

9. Watch for
   • Mixing 坐 (sit) and 站 (stand).
   • Saying 不知道 with bú. Before zhī (a high tone), 不 stays bù.
10. Game: Teacher says

    Like Simon Says: the parent gives instructions in Chinese. Obey only when the instruction starts with 请!

11. Narration

    Say this: “Tell me what you learned today.”

    Listen for: Follow 请坐 (please sit), 请站 (please stand) and 请听 (please listen).; Say 安静 (quiet).; Answer 我知道 (I know) or 我不知道 (I don’t know).

12. Scripture

    Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

    In the Chinese Bible (Chinese Union Version), this verse reads: <span class="zh-block" lang="zh-Hans">你们各人要快快地听，慢慢地说</span><span class="py-line">Nǐ men gè rén yào kuài kuài de tīng, màn màn de shuō</span> God tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Listening well is a way to love others.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 15–20 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. Show how.
2. Session 2. Practice together, then start the project. Finish the project, then the sketchbook.
3. Session 3. Narration, the game and the Scripture.