GRADE 8 Mandarin Chinese Greetings and Introduction- WRITING – Guided Writing Notes
Mandarin Chinese — Greetings & Introduction (WRITING)
Subtopic: Guided Writing | Target age: 13 (Kenya) | Focus: grammar & handwriting
Specific learning outcomes
- Write words and short phrases from an audio text (dictation): characters + pinyin.
- Compose simple, neat texts (e.g., self-introduction) on various topics.
- Appreciate the role of handwriting (stroke order, proportion, legibility).
- Address the three categories: guided writing, handwriting, composition.
Key grammar points for greetings & introductions (focus)
- Subject + 是 + noun for identification:
我是学生。Wǒ shì xuésheng. — I am a student.
- Use 叫 for names (commonly used):
我叫玛丽。Wǒ jiào Mǎlì. — My name is Mary.
- Age: 我十三岁。Wǒ shísān suì. or 我今年十三岁。Wǒ jīnnián shísān suì.
- Yes/No question: 吗 (add to statement):
你是老师吗？Nǐ shì lǎoshī ma? — Are you a teacher?
- Question word: 呢 to return the question: 你呢？Nǐ ne? — And you?
- Politeness: 您 is respectful 'you' (for elders/teachers): 您好 (nín hǎo).
- Linking adjective: 很 used like copula for adjectives: 我很好。Wǒ hěn hǎo. — I am fine.
- Possession: 的 for 'my/your' etc.: 我的名字。Wǒ de míngzi — my name.
Common phrases (characters • pinyin • English)
你好
nǐ hǎo — Hello
您好
nín hǎo — Hello (polite)
早上好 / 下午好 / 晚上好
zǎoshang hǎo / xiàwǔ hǎo / wǎnshang hǎo — Good morning/afternoon/evening
你叫什么名字？
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? — What is your name?
很高兴认识你
Hěn gāoxìng rènshì nǐ — Nice to meet you
请问 / 谢谢 / 不客气
Qǐngwèn / Xièxie / Bú kèqi — Excuse me / Thank you / You’re welcome
Handwriting: stroke order & neatness (why it matters)
Good handwriting helps recognition and reading fluency. Correct stroke order makes characters balanced and faster to write.
- General stroke-order rules:
1) Top → bottom; 2) Left → right; 3) Horizontal before vertical; 4) Outside before inside; 5) Center before sides (for symmetrical characters).
- Characters should fit an imaginary square: keep even stroke thickness, consistent size and spacing.
- Practice characters frequently used in greetings: 你, 好, 我, 叫, 名, 字, 很, 高, 兴, 认, 识, 请, 问, 谢, 谢, 年, 岁, 国.
Grid practice (copy each character in the squares):
你
nǐ
nǐ
好
hǎo
hǎo
我
wǒ
wǒ
Tip: Copy each character 5–10 times following stroke order. Try to keep each character inside one grid square.
Guided writing activities (classroom sequence)
- Warm-up (listening dictation)
Teacher reads short phrases/sentences twice. Learners write characters + pinyin. Example audio lines to dictate:
- 你叫什么名字？
- 我叫约书亚。我十三岁。
- 很高兴认识你。
- 我是肯尼亚人 / 我在内罗毕上学。
- Controlled practice (fill & copy)
A. Fill in missing characters/pinyin in short dialogues. B. Copy model sentences neatly (5 times each) — focus on stroke order.
- Guided composition (scaffolding)
Provide a template for self-introduction. Learners complete with their own details, then copy final version neatly. Template (model below):
我叫 ______。
我今年 ______ 岁。
我是 ______ 人。
我在 ______ 学校上学。
我的爱好是 ______。
- Peer check & teacher feedback
Swap notebooks and check handwriting, characters, and grammar. Teacher highlights common mistakes and demonstrates correction on the board.
- Independent composition
Learners write a 5–8 sentence introduction about themselves (no English), then mark with rubric.
Model short texts (use for copying and dictation)
Model A — Simple introduction (age 13, Kenyan)
我叫李晓。Wǒ jiào Lǐ Xiǎo.
我今年十三岁。Wǒ jīnnián shísān suì.
我是肯尼亚人。Wǒ shì Kěn yì yà rén.
我在内罗毕第一中学上学。Wǒ zài Nèi luó bì dì yī zhōngxué shàngxué.
我的爱好是打篮球。Wǒ de àihào shì dǎ lánqiú.
我今年十三岁。Wǒ jīnnián shísān suì.
我是肯尼亚人。Wǒ shì Kěn yì yà rén.
我在内罗毕第一中学上学。Wǒ zài Nèi luó bì dì yī zhōngxué shàngxué.
我的爱好是打篮球。Wǒ de àihào shì dǎ lánqiú.
Model B — Dialogue (for dictation)
A: 你叫什么名字？Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
B: 我叫玛丽。你呢？Wǒ jiào Mǎlì. Nǐ ne?
A: 我叫约瑟夫。很高兴认识你。Wǒ jiào Yuēsèfū. Hěn gāoxìng rènshì nǐ.
B: 我叫玛丽。你呢？Wǒ jiào Mǎlì. Nǐ ne?
A: 我叫约瑟夫。很高兴认识你。Wǒ jiào Yuēsèfū. Hěn gāoxìng rènshì nǐ.
Assessment: simple rubric (for a short composition / handwriting)
- Content (40%): includes name, age, nationality/school, one hobby — complete = full marks.
- Grammar & vocabulary (30%): correct use of 叫, 是, 岁, 的, question forms if used.
- Handwriting & presentation (20%): correct stroke order, legible characters, even size.
- Punctuation & neatness (10%): proper punctuation, clean layout.
Teacher note: For younger teens, allow pinyin beside characters during early stages; gradually require characters only.
Classroom tips (Kenyan context, age 13)
- Use local examples: ask learners to write "我是肯尼亚人" and their county: 我来自 ______ 县。Wǒ láizì ______ xiàn.
- Encourage speaking before writing: speaking helps accurate dictation.
- Provide stroke-order charts on the board and model with a document camera or large poster.
- Allow extra time for neat copying; reward improvement in legibility.
Mini printable practice (teacher can copy)
1) Dictation: teacher reads — write characters + pinyin.
2) Fill-in: 我叫 ______。 我今年 ______ 岁。 我是 ______ 人。
3) Copy neatly 3×: 很高兴认识你。
4) Compose: 写一个五句自我介绍（使用中文）：
2) Fill-in: 我叫 ______。 我今年 ______ 岁。 我是 ______ 人。
3) Copy neatly 3×: 很高兴认识你。
4) Compose: 写一个五句自我介绍（使用中文）：
模板: 我叫____。我十三岁。我是肯尼亚人。我在_____学校上学。我的爱好是_____。
Strong focus on grammar (sentence structure, question particles, use of 是/叫/的) combined with repeated handwriting practice will help learners produce clear, readable introductions in Mandarin.