Before the Hallyu wave, the South East Asian region was religiously watching Chinese movies and dramas from the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Apart from being a recreational activity that the whole family enjoys, you can't deny that it's a solid conversation starter among your friends.
"Hey, did you watch yesterday's episode where the heroine was sent to the hospital?"
" I wonder who is the culprit that caused the family to go bankrupt?"
"Do you have the lyrics for the ending song?"
However, these conversation starters can take a serious turn if you are a student who is preparing for your SPM Chinese papers. We're now talking about another form of Chinese-related media consumption.
" What book are you using to improve your writing skills?"
" Can you understand what this Classical Chinese text is saying?"
"Is your new SPM Chinese tutor good?"
In this article, we will be exploring some learning resources for your SPM Chinese subject in terms of reference books, past year papers and tutoring.
Resource 1: SPM Form 4 and Form 5 Chinese Textbooks
It's important to build a strong foundation on the core components of what you will be tested for your actual SPM Chinese papers.
The first resource that you should get hold of is certainly your Form 4 and Form 5 textbooks which follow the latest SPM Chinese KSSM syllabus in terms of cultivating strong reading and writing skills.
Each textbook consists of 10 different chapters revolving around 10 different themes.
Each chapter provides a series of comprehension guidance for both modern Chinese texts and Classical Chinese texts.
Form 4 Chapters
- Chapter 1: 世界万物皆美好
- Chapter 2: 人生况味
- Chapter 3: 文艺审美殿堂
- Chapter 4: 遨游在古典里
- Chapter 5: 追求美好的事物
- Chapter 6: 以科学之眼看世界
- Chapter 7: 生命的省思
- Chapter 8: 亲近大自然
- Chapter 9: 情真意美
- Chapter 10: 尘世镜像
Photo by 五玄土 ORIENTO on Unsplash
Form 5 Chapters
- Chapter 1: 亲情歌吟
- Chapter 2: 生活乐章
- Chapter 3: 借景抒怀
- Chapter 4: 素描人物
- Chapter 5: 智者言说
- Chapter 6: 真情挚爱
- Chapter 7: 艺术维度
- Chapter 8: 修身明理
- Chapter 9: 书香盈袖
- Chapter 10: 生命礼赞
In between the chapters, remember to complete the topical and summative exercises to evaluate your understanding and progress.
You can read more on the latest examination structure of your SPM Chinese papers here.
Resource 2: Online Tutorials/ Private Tutoring
If you learn best through personalised guidance and step-by-step instructions, maybe you should opt for private tutoring.
Not sure which platform you should go to?
Let us introduce to you Superprof!
At Superprof, you can learn Chinese from a wide selection of home tutors and online tutors.
All you need to do is key in Chinese as your desired subject and indicate your preferred learning mode: face-to-face or online lessons.
Right now, you can find 8972 Superprof tutors that offer affordable Chinese lessons from all parts of Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur, Seberang Perai, Kuching, Shah Alam, Johor Bahru and many more.
A private tutor can help you with these:
- Guide you consistently in your reading and comprehension practice
- Teach you the right way to master the marking scheme for each component such as your writing sections
- Be your speaking partner when you are practising for your SPM Chinese oral assessments
- Provide you with immediate and constructive feedback to improve
Don't forget to read up on these practical studying tips to take your SPM Chinese grade to the next level.
Resource 3: Trial State Papers & Past Year Papers
When it comes to trial state papers and trial past year papers, the goal is to build your examination muscle memory.
The more you practice with them, the more you develop confidence and competence in the long run.
As you review the questions, you will be well-versed and familiar with the overall examination structure, questioning patterns, and recurring themes. There'll be fewer instances of sweaty palms and mind-blank moments. You totally know what to expect for each section!
Here are some platforms where you can access them.
Click here to find out the difference between the 2022 & 2023 syllabi.
Physical book stores
If you are a person who loves to feel the pages running over your fingers, it's best to buy sets and compilations of brand new past-year papers. You can easily find them at local bookstores like Popular and MPH.
Be sure to flex your student membership rate to get the most deal during the exam season!
Source: The Star Online
Student blogs /Social media
If you prefer to go digital, you can visit several student blogs like Bumi Gemilang.com, Afterschool.my, Ainamulayana.blogspot.com, Trial SPM Paper Me and many more.
You can even join Facebook or Telegram groups where SPM students and educators share their resources for free too.
SPM seniors
This is the time to make good use of your networking skills in school. You can start approaching your seniors when you are in Form 4 and offer to buy their papers or sample exercises at a decent price once they have completed their test.
You'll never know if some seniors are even willing to let all their "treasures" go for free so there's no harm in trying.
Having said that, you can even make a list of the previously asked questions to have a "smart guess" of what could possibly come out for your actual paper. Sometimes it works!
Don't say we didn't tell you this useful tip!
Most importantly, you need to grade your answers and compare them with the marking scheme after you review the questions. That way, you can master the right answering techniques for your SPM Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 respectively.
Read this article to have an in-depth understanding of the latest grading criteria for all your SPM Chinese papers.
Resource 4: Reference Books (Reading Comprehension & Vocabulary Focused + Writing)
Looking for solid and challenging questions to build your reading comprehension and writing skills?
Fret not, we have a few book recommendations that are extremely affordable for you!
1) Skor A+ SPM 2021 Bahasa Cina [Pelangi]
Looking for a model sample test that gives you a taste of what your actual SPM papers look like?
This reference book consists of several exam sets which cover both Paper 1 and Paper 2. Full answers are also provided.
Price: RM 6.95 [MPH]
2) FOCUS SPM BAHASA CINA [Pelangi]
If you are looking for a comprehensive reference book that deals from A to Z of your SPM Chinese papers, this should be your go-to option.
Price: RM28.95 [Popular]
3) Jdeen TINGKATAN 4&5 Contoh Karangan Bahasa Cina SPM
In this book, students can read and review various sample essays for both Section A and Section B of SPM Chinese Paper 1.
They can also learn about the right way to draft out relevant points for each essay and also learn how to use the right wordings and vocabulary for various essays.
For instance, when it comes to formal essays like letters, announcements and notices, students need to ensure their writing tone matches the purpose of writing.
Price: RM15.15 [Shopee]
Perhaps you might want to start shopping for these books to kickstart your revision journey today.
Resource 5: Youtube Channels
Granted that we are living in a tech-saturated and content-creating world today, online learning has become the new norm among educators and students from all across the globe.
Obviously, Youtube remains at the top of the most-used platform to create, share and access free content (most of the time).
Photo by CardMapr.nl on Unsplash
As a SPM student, there are many Youtube channels where you can subscribe if you are looking for a more flexible and engaging learning method.
Here are some recommendations.
1)Didik KPM
You can find an extensive SPM Chinese playlist under this channel. All you need to do is just type SPM Bahasa Cina at the search icon and you'll be directed in no time.
Some of the topics that have been covered are:
- Bahasa Cina (Tingkatan 4&5): Rumusan Dalam Soalan SPM (Summary component for SPM Chinese Paper 1)
- Bahasa Cina (Tingkatan 4&5): Bacaan Dan Pemahaman Prosa Moden Berdialog (Modern comprehension text)
- Bahasa Cina (Tingkatan 5): Teknik Menjawab Prosa Klasik (Techniques to understand Classical Chinese)
- Sukses SPM (2021) | Bahasa Cina - Penulisan Karangan (Overall Essay Writing) and many more
2) 郭老师语文课室
If you prefer direct Youtube tutorials on specific tested components, we highly encourage you to subscribe to this channel.
郭老师 is an experienced Chinese educator who shares extensively on all the answering techniques of all three papers, including the oral assessment.
For instance, in her SPM Chinese oral assessment video, she repeatedly mentioned that some students might make the mistake of speaking for too long and only focusing on repeating their points.
Actually, the right way for every candidate to score well in this section is to present your points which is to discuss peacefully (讨论) and not to debate (辩论) aggressively.
Some of her videos also touch on the technical aspects of answering the papers. For example, she covered the right way to draft an official letter (公函) and the most important elements in writing them which include: 格式 (format), 内容 (content) and 表达 (expression).
The best thing about learning through Youtube channels is its accessibility, flexibility and diversity in content. You can watch the videos from anywhere you like and pause whenever you need a break.
There's also no harm in repeating them to refresh your memory. For visual learners, Youtube channels are indeed a dream come true!
We hope this article has enlightened you on the best learning resources for your SPM Chinese papers. The next time someone asks you about your revision books/platforms for this subject, you'll know the answers by heart!
All the best to ace your SPM Chinese papers!
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