Study Guide
Field 180: Chinese (Mandarin)
Sample Presentational Writing Assignment
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The following materials contain:
- Test directions for the presentational writing assignment
- A sample presentational writing assignment
- An example of a strong and weak response to the assignment, and a rationale for each
- Performance characteristics and scoring scale
Test Directions for the Presentational Writing Assignment
[ start bold Note to examinee: end bold These test directions are provided here to familiarize you with the directions you will see on the actual test. They may refer to features whose functionality is not enabled in this study guide.]
This section of the test consists of a written expression assignment. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response to the assignment.
Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response. You may use the erasable notebooklet provided to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. However, your final response must be typed in the response box provided for the assignment.
For this assignment, you will type your responses in the target language using Input Method Editor (IME) technology. You may access specific instructions for IME use by selecting the
button above the response box. Note that because the default input language is set as English, you will need to select the target language before you begin typing by clicking on the
arrow in the language selection box at the top left corner of the screen.
You will be provided with a list of topics to help direct your response to the assignment. You must address every topic on the list, but you are not limited in your response to only the points indicated. However, your response must be relevant to the assignment, and part of your score will be based on the degree to which you elaborate by addressing the required topics and any other points of your choosing.
Your response to the written expression assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
start bold PURPOSE: end bold the extent to which the objective of the assignment is achieved and the appropriateness of the response for the intended audience
start bold COHERENCE: end bold organization and clarity of ideas
start bold CONTENT: end bold development of ideas and relevance of supporting details
start bold GRAMMAR: end bold accuracy of grammatical forms and syntax
start bold VOCABULARY: end bold command of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions
start bold MECHANICS: end bold accuracy of spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation
Your response must be written in start bold Chinese (Mandarin). end bold
Be sure to write about the assigned topic and use multiple paragraphs. You may not use any reference materials during the test. This should be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your response.
Sample Presentational Writing Assignment
subarea roman numeral 4
Presentational Writing
Imagine that you have received an e-mail from a Mandarin-speaking friend who has not heard from you for almost a year. The friend asks for news of your recent activities and future plans, including your professional goals. Write an e-mail of 250 to 500 characters in which you give a brief account of your activities over the last year, tell your friend of your plans to become a language teacher, and explain why you have chosen to enter this profession. In your e-mail, you must include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- your recent educational and work experiences;
- how a particular person or event influenced your decision to become a language teacher;
- your view of the value of new-language learning to young people in the United States; and
- aspects of your chosen career that you expect to find especially enjoyable.
Sample Strong Response to the Presentational Writing Assignment
start bold Please note: The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam. Use of the exact words and phrases presented in this sample response will result in a score of "U" (Unscorable) due to lack of original work. end bold
[Simplified:]
老友你好:
很开心收到你的来信! 在过去一年里，我在一家小学当中文助教，同时也在一家大学进修教师资格的课程。现在我的生活充满紧张又有乐趣，过得相当有意义! 我越来越懂得怎样使学生快乐且容易地学习中文。这份工作，我做得得心应手。
你知道以前的我是烦极了教孩子这份工作的。老师就是孩子王，整天婆婆妈妈，对着孩子唠叨个没完，那样的人生真的没啥大志。但在一年多前我做暑假中文教师时遇到高老师，她彻底地改变了我的想法。高老师来自越南，在美国获得博士学位后在小学做了多年的全职中文教师。她乐此不疲，耐心细致且充满创造力。你可能没法想象她穿着中国旗袍，提着自做的中国特色灯 笼，唱着中文歌出现在学生面前时学生们那种惊艳的眼神。中华文化那种神韵一下子就深入学生的心。那刻，我立志在美国做一位中文教师。
我有种预感: 中文会成为美国青年人必学的第二种语言。现今世界，无论是交流或贸易，中国都是美国最大的交往伙伴。如果美国青年掌握了中文，无疑对他们的就业等很多方面提供便利。就连日理万机的脸书老板每星期都挤时间学中文啊。
有一天我所教的学生说不定就成为某位名人或许普普通通但都会操着流利的中文，那该是多自豪的事啊!
想你的发小
[Traditional:]
老友你好:
很開心收到你的來信! 在過去一年裹, 我在一家小學當中文助教, 同時也在一家大學進修教師資格的課程。現在我的生活充满緊張又有樂趣, 過得相當有意義! 我越来越懂得怎樣使學生快樂且容易地學習中文。 這份工作, 我做得得心應手。
你知道以前的我是煩極了教孩子這份工作的。 老師就是孩子王, 整天婆婆妈妈, 對着孩子唠瑣個没完, 那樣的人生真的沒有大志。 但在一年多前我做暑假中文教師時遇到高老師, 她徹底地改變了我的想法。 高老師來自越南, 在美國獲得博士學位後在小學做了多年的全職中文教師。 她樂比不疲, 耐心細節且充满創造力。 你可能没法想像她穿着中國旗袍, 提着自做中國特色燈龍, 唱着中文歌出現在學生面前時學生們那種驚訝的眼神。 中華文化那種神韵一下子就深入學生的心。那刻, 我立志在美國做一位中文教師。
我有種預感: 中文會成為美國青年人必學的第二種語言。 現今世界, 無論是交流或貿易, 中國都是美國最大的交的交往伙伴。 如果美國青年掌握了蚊, 無疑對他們的就業等很多方面提供便利。 就連日理萬機的臉書老闆每個星期都找時間學中文啊。
有一天我所教的學生說不定就成為某位名人或許普普通通但都會操着流利的中文, 那該是多自豪的事啊!
想你的發小
Rationale for the Sample Strong Response
Please note that the response is evaluated based upon the six performance characteristics of Purpose, Coherence, Content, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Mechanics. Please also note how the score point descriptions are based upon how the examinee attends to the performance characteristics. You should be very familiar with the CEOE performance characteristics and score scale and refer to them when reviewing this rationale.
The response satisfactorily fulfills the purpose of the written assignment as it addresses all bullet points of the prompt (i.e., it describes the writers’ recent educational and work experiences, what influenced their decision to become a language teacher, their view of the value of new-language learning to young people in the United States, and aspects of their career that they find enjoyable). Furthermore, in addressing all bullet points, the response is generally appropriate for the intended audience. The ideas in the response are well organized and clearly expressed and the ideas are generally developed with some elaboration and support of specific points described throughout. A more thorough response would include additional details and specifics throughout. Moreover, the response shows a good command of both syntax and grammar, with only minor errors in the writing. The response addresses the recent educational and work experiences of the writer, and uses general vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, which communicates a complete message to the reader. Lastly, there are minor errors in character formation and punctuation that do not interfere with communication. Overall, the response reflects a general understanding of Chinese and the writer is able to demonstrate that understanding through their writing.
Sample Weak Response to the Presentational Writing Assignment
[Simplified:]
珍珍你好
这一年里，我很忙。我半工半读，希望可以考到教师牌照，然后找到全职工作。我有一位朋友在一中学做中文老师。我看她过得很开心，所以我想跟她一样做中文老师。我相信很多青年人愿意学中文，因为那样比较容易找工作。如果我是中文老师，我就可以教学生学讲中文，学唱中国歌。我会很开心的。
你的老友
[Traditional:]
珍珍你好
這一年裹, 我很忙。我半工半讀, 希望可以考到教師牌照, 然后找到全職工作。我有一位朋友在一中學做中文老師。 我看她過得很開心, 所以我想跟她一樣做中文老師。我相信很多青年人原意學中文, 因為那樣比較容易找工作。 如果我是中文老師, 我就可以教學生學講中文, 學唱中國歌。我曾很開心的。
你的老友
Rationale for the Sample Weak Response
Please note that the response is evaluated based upon the six performance characteristics of Purpose, Coherence, Content, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Mechanics. Please also note how the score point descriptions are based upon how the examinee attends to the performance characteristics. You should be very familiar with the CEOE performance characteristics and score scale and refer to them when reviewing this rationale.
The response partially fulfills the purpose of the written assignment. The response is not completely appropriate for the intended audience. The response does not address all parts of the prompt, thereby providing only a partial response to the assignment. Moreover, the response shows limited organization. The ideas are somewhat developed, but only contain minimal support. Furthermore, the response shows a limited command of syntax and grammar, and the response has many grammar errors throughout. The errors are numerous, such that it is difficult for the reader to understand what has been written. The given vocabulary is simple and only communicates a partial message. Lastly, the response has some errors in character formation and punctuation, which impedes a clear communication of ideas. Overall, the response reflects a limited or partial understanding of the Chinese languages, which is demonstrated in a response that contains multiple errors.
Performance Characteristics for the Presentational Writing Assignment
The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the presentational writing assignment.
Scoring Scale for the Presentational Writing Assignment
Scores will be assigned to each response to the presentational writing assignment according to the following scoring scale.