Say No to Chinglish! 2ModuleRelationships

UnitEast meets West

Programme outlineIt is Chinese New Year. Mr Jones celebrates the festival with Tommy and Susan together. Tommy finds it fun to teach Mr Jones some Cantonese. And Mr Jones teaches Tommy how to express the Chinese New Year greetings in proper English instead of Chinglish that is merely a direct translation. Are you using Chinglish? Are there ways we can learn to speak clear and simple English? Let’s watch the games that Mr Jones invites Susan and Tommy to play in this programme.

Key Stage 2 Learning TargetsTo develop an ever-improving capability to use English~ to exchange messages through activities such as sending good wishes and greetings~ to understand some aspects of how the English language works, including how

grammar features such as the choice of verbs and adjectives contribute to the exact meaning in texts and conversations

~ to see the need for clarifying one’s own written expression and then make changes with support from teachers and classmates

Suggested activities1. Introduce the programme briefly.2. Write “Long time no see”, an example of Chinglish, on the board. Ask pupils if

they know what it means. 3. Explain to class that direct translation of Chinese into English word for word can

hardly be understood by native English speakers.4. Encourage pupils to watch the programme with a view to avoiding Chinglish in

daily conversation or writing.5. In this programme, Susan is to go to an English learning centre to find and write

down what she sees, hears and thinks is Chinglish. 6. Draw pupils’ attention to Mr Jones’s demonstration of how the examples of

Chinglish Susan found should be expressed in proper English. 7. After viewing, distribute COPYMASTER 1 to class. Tell pupils to tick the

correct word or phrases in the sentences.

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Answers (in bold): a. Your brother gives you two cinema tickets. They are no pay/ free tickets.

b. You are in the flower market on Chinese New Year’s Eve. You can hardly move because it is people mountain people sea/ the place is crowded./ the place is full of people.

c. Study hard day day/ every day . d. My mother cooks our meals every day/ day day. e. This language centre offers free/ no pay English lessons to primary three students. f. When your friends are visiting you, you can say “Welcome!”/ “Wellcome!” . g. Oh! There is a huge crowd of people/ people mountain people sea at the

Mongkok MTR station. 8. In COPYMASTER 2, pupils have to choose and then write in the greeting cards

with the expressions provided. Teacher may reply the first half of the programme in which Mr Jones shows Tommy and Susan how to use the greetings properly. Pupils are also encouraged to write in their own words with teacher’s guidance if necessary. Suggested answers:➣ May you have a prosperous new year!➣ I wish you wealth and happiness in the year ahead!

➣ I wish you a new year full of happiness! ➣ May all your wishes come true.

➣ I wish you every success in all the examinations. ➣ May you and your family have lots of luck and fortune. ➣ May the coming year bring you good health, joy and happiness. ➣ I wish you good health, good luck and joy throughout the year!

COPYMASTER 1

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Say No to Chinglish! 2Choose and tick (✔)the best answer(s). You can tick more than one answer.

a. Your brother gives you two cinema tickets. They are no pay/ free tickets. b. You are in the flower market on Chinese New Year’s Eve. You can hardly move

because it is people mountain people sea/ the place is crowded / the place is full of

people.

c. Study hard day day/ every day.

d. My mother cooks our meals every day/ day day.

e This language centre offers free/ no pay English lessons to primary three students.

f. When your friends are visiting you, you can say “Welcome!”/ “ Wellcome!”.

g. Oh! There is a huge crowd of people/ people mountain people sea at the Mongkok

MTR station.

COPYMASTER 2Say No to Chinglish! 2

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Choose and write in the greeting cards. One has been done for you.You can put in your name, your friend’s name and your own words.

➣ May you have a prosperous new year! ➣ I wish you wealth and happiness in the year ahead!

➣ I wish you a new year full of happiness! ➣ May all your wishes come true.

➣ I wish you every success in all the examinations. ➣ May you and your family have lots of luck and fortune. ➣ May the coming year bring you good health, joy and happiness. ➣ I wish you good health, good luck and joy throughout the year!

a.

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