Can't imagine a day without speaking, writing, reading and breathing in 华语?
Perhaps, you have even considered pursuing your undergraduate studies in the Chinese language?
Don't worry as there are several higher education institutions in Malaysia that offer degrees in Chinese studies such as the University of Malaya, Xiamen University, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and others.
Before we talk about the future, you might want to focus on what's ahead of you this year.
Whether you are a Form 4 or Form 5 student, the countdown to SPM officially begins with a new school semester.
In order to make your dream come true to study the Chinese language in university, you'll have to pass your SPM Chinese papers with flying colours first.
Don't worry, we got you covered.
In this article, we will go through what it takes to tackle your SPM Chinese papers from A to Z.
Click here to find out the marking scheme for the SPM Chinese Exams.
Unlocking The Latest Exam Format For SPM Chinese Papers
First things first.
Let's look at what you will be tested for your SPM Chinese Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3.
SPM Chinese Paper 1 [Writing]
For your SPM Chinese Paper 1, there are two sections.
Section A requires the candidates to write a formal essay which could fall under the official letter (公函), announcement (通告) and notice (启事) category.
The mark allocation for this section is 30 marks. The length of the essay cannot exceed 120 words.
On the other hand, candidates can either choose to write a narrative essay (记叙文), an explanatory essay (说明文) or an argumentative essay (议论文).
The mark allocation for Section B is 70 marks. The length of the essay needs to exceed 400 words.
Candidates will be given 1 hour and 45 minutes for this paper.
SPM Chinese Paper 2 [Reading]
Now, let's move on to the next paper.
It also has 2 sections like Paper 1.
In Section A, candidates need to read and review two modern comprehension texts (现代文.
For the first part of Section A, candidates need to produce a 130-word summary (not more) based on the given texts.
After completing the summary, there will be a few structured questions (three to four questions) based on the two texts.
Source: China Daily
The mark allocation for Section A is 70 marks.
In Section B, candidates will go through two Classical Chinese texts (古代诗文).
Questions under this section usually revolve around the translation of Classical Chinese texts to modern Chinese texts, the meaning of several wordings as well as some basic core points of the passage.
The mark allocation for Section B is 30 marks.
Candidates are given 2 hours and 15 minutes to answer the SPM Chinese Paper 2.
SPM Chinese Paper 3 [Listening and Speaking]
For the last paper, candidates will need to sit for an internally-graded oral assessment.
They will only be notified of the topic on the examination day itself.
The session will be conducted in groups in a separate examination room where the candidates will have a discussion based on the given question.
The mark allocation for this oral assessment is 30 marks. The entire discussion will roughly be around 12 to 15 minutes long.
Don't miss these amazing learning resources to ace your SPM Chinese papers.
Effective Studying Tips To Ace The SPM Chinese Papers
Your SPM Chinese revision can't be complete without having a good studying strategy.
Continue reading to master these tips to face your SPM Chinese papers confidently.
To improve your reading skills
Go through the modern comprehension text and Classical Chinese comprehension passages in your SPM Form 4 and Form 5 textbooks. Look out for the guidelines and sidenotes for new words and phrases that you are unfamiliar with and note them down.
Cultivate a habit of reading a diverse range of topics and themes. Call us old school, but reading the newspapers does wonders for your Chinese vocabulary and general reading speed.
Granted that there are various segments in the newspaper, you will be enlightened on various social issues, and topics regarding personal hobbies like sports, watching movies and many more.
Photo by Mark Hang Fung So on Unsplash
To enhance your writing skills
Do you know that there's a Chinese idiom that has a similar meaning to the English idiom "To kill two birds with one stone"?
It's known as 一箭双雕, which translates to using one arrow to kill two eagles.
That's the same principle when you invest your time to read. Your writing skills are bound to improve with time too.
Of course, it's not that simple when it comes to tackling an examination like SPM. You'll have to master the formats and writing styles of various types of essays.
For example, you certainly need to include more adjectives and vivid descriptions when you are writing a narrative essay.
On the other hand, you need to include more relevant examples and sound firm when you are stating your stand.
The more you practice, the better you'll get at it.
To have more confidence in your speaking skills
Do you remember the experience when you had a tongue-tied moment when you were speaking Chinese for the first time?
That's pretty awkward but relatively normal actually, especially when you want to express yourself but you are unsure whether you are saying the right things.
What you can do is to start practising in front of the mirror. Read a passage aloud and don't forget to record yourself throughout the session.
Next, replay the recording and listen carefully to how you sound in terms of your intonation, overall fluency and confidence.
It's important to note that your oral assessment is not a debate where you need to go all out to defend your point. It is a discussion where everyone will be given an allocated time to discuss their points in an orderly manner.
Take your time to express your points calmly and confidently.
Read this article if you want to have a clearer breakdown of the tested components of your SPM Chinese papers.
Breaking Down The Grading Criteria For The SPM Chinese Papers
Now, let's master the marking scheme for the various components of the papers.
For the writing component
In general, examiners will look at these four important elements when they are grading your essays.
- 内容 [Content]
- 表达 [Expression]
- 结构 [Structure]
- 语法 [Language]
For the reading component
When it comes to the reading components, it's pretty straightforward for the summary and the structured questions.
Keep your summary simple and concise. Remove unnecessary elaborations and descriptions when you are writing the points.
Be sure to include the relevant answers (in modern Chinese) and give supporting examples to obtain full marks for each question.
For the speaking component
To ace your SPM Chinese oral assessment, you need to take note of these four points:
- 语法词汇 [Grammar and Vocabulary]
- 语音语调 [Tone and Intonation]
- 流畅度 [Level of fluency]
- 内容 [Content]
Don't forget to explore more answering techniques for your SPM Chinese papers in this article.
Learning Resources To Improve Your SPM Chinese Grades
You can't miss out on your studying resources to take your SPM Chinese grades to the next level.
It's time to start gathering them to have a fruitful and seamless revision journey.
Let's review them now.
Reference Books and Past Year Papers
It does not matter if you get them in hard copies or digital copies, you just need to start somewhere.
The more you practice, the more confident you'll be when you are attempting the actual questions. You'll also be trained to finish the papers within the designated time too.
Photo by Andy Barbour (Pexels)
Check out where you can access these learning resources for SPM Chinese by reading this article.
Video tutorials
Audiovisual learners, we hear you.
Revision can get very overwhelming if you are constantly reading the same book over and over again.
There are many amazing Youtube channels worth exploring that touch on the techniques to answer the writing component, reading component and speaking components for your SPM Chinese papers. Just pause and play whenever you want.
Seriously, the sky is the limit.
Private Tutoring/Online Tutoring
Having a private tutor apart from your revision materials is like having a cherry on the top of the cake.
You can experience personalised guidance and tutoring based on your learning pace and progress accordingly without worrying about time limitations.
Still on the fence between home tutoring or online tutoring?
Head to Superprof to have the best of both worlds. You can choose from a wide selection of tutors that offer home tutoring and online tutoring across different cities in Malaysia.
Once you have reviewed the tutors' profiles, you can proceed to contact them and start discussing your future lessons.
Benefits Of Sitting For The SPM Chinese Subject
As an SPM student, there will come a time when you feel tired or unsure if you are heading towards the right direction in your studies.
The same principle applies when you're studying for your SPM Chinese subject.
Let us remind you of some benefits that you can enjoy when you take this examination. Firstly, your overall Chinese communication skills will improve. In a multilingual country in Malaysia, your proficiency in the Chinese language will come in handy.
Secondly, you will have a wider option to choose from when it comes to tertiary education. Remember what we mentioned in the introduction about the universities that offer Chinese language studies? Well, you can also expand your studying option to other countries like China, Taiwan and Hong Kong too.
Last but not least, your job prospects will also increase. Many local and international companies are genuinely looking for candidates who show good written and oral skills in both Chinese and English.
In other words, you will be a good catch!
Keep your eyes focused on tackling your SPM Chinese papers. 你是最棒的!
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