The National Academy for Educational Research has unveiled the Application Guidelines of Benchmarks for the Chinese Language, which categorize Mandarin learners’ proficiency according to seven levels.
The guidelines were developed based on the Taiwan Benchmarks for the Chinese Language completed in 2020, which laid out the visions, goals, learning focuses and implementation of Chinese-language education, the academy said.
The levels are based on learners’ skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, translating and cultural proficiency.
Photo courtesy of National Taiwan Normal University
Levels one to three are defined as “basic,” levels four to five are “advanced,” while levels six and seven cover “master” learners.
Level seven learners understand complex topics and opinions in professional fields, and are able to precisely express their viewpoints, make comments and write creatively, the guidelines say.
Compared with level six learners, level seven learners have to know 600 more Chinese characters, or about 3,100 characters in total, and 5,000 more words and expressions, or about 14,400 in total.
To reach the master level, learners have to be able to express themselves or respond in words or behaviors that are in line with Chinese culture, and display their knowledge of cultural differences precisely and properly.
They must also be able to take into consideration social aspects, such as the closeness of relationships and status, and make adjustments to their speech and behavior accordingly.
The guidelines provide a consistent framework for Chinese-language learners and educational resources for educators, including Chinese characters, words and expressions, grammar and discussion topics, the academy said.
They can serve as a source of reference for course planning, teaching design, the development of teaching materials, the application of educational resources and setting exam questions, it said.
Learners worldwide can refer to the framework established in the guidelines to understand the process and goals of learning the Chinese language, the academy said.
The academy said it is to release a manual for the application guidelines to provide teaching instructions and examples that can be applied to Chinese-language education.
The guidelines can be downloaded on the academy’s Web site at naer.edu.tw/PageDoc/Detail?fid=15&id=3833.
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