Grade 8 Mandarin Strands, Sub-strands & Schemes of Work (2026)

• What should we focus on to improve speaking fluency?

• listen to an audio recording on Chinese formal greetings（e.g. 您好、早上好、 下午好、晚上好、老师好、幸会）and repeat after it
• watch a simple video conversation on informal Chinese greetings in polite contexts and practise saying them aloud in turns
• listen to an audio recording related to introduction of self and others (name, age, origin, residence and languages spoken) and answer the questions
• role-play introduction of self and one’s friends (name, age, origin, residence and languages spoken) collaboratively (您好/ 早上好/下午好/晚上好/老师好，我 叫......，来自肯尼亚的西部， 我住 在……，我今年......岁，我会说英语。 他是我的朋友，他叫......，来自肯尼亚 的中部，他住在......，他今年......岁， 他会说斯瓦希里语（Kiswahili），您 呢？/您贵姓？) in turns
• practise use of “来自......”in basic introductions to denote where one comes from (e.g. 我来自肯尼亚的西部)
• discuss the role of formal/polite greetings in enhancing oral communication collaboratively

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How can we enhance pronunciation skills?

• listen and chant after an audio text the names of extended family members (e.g. 叔叔Shūshu , 姑姑 Gūgu, 舅舅 Jiùjiu, 阿姨 Āyí, 堂弟 Tángdì, 表妹 Biǎomèi , 姐夫 Jiěfū, 嫂子 Sǎo zǐ etc.)，
• say the English equivalents of different professions in turns (e.g. 厨师 Chúshī- Cook , 护士 Hùshì- Nurse, 记者 Jìzhě- Reporter, 会计师 Kuàijìshī- Accountant, 律师 Lǜshī- Lawyer, 老师 Lǎoshī- Teacher , 医生 Yīshēng- Doctor)
• talk about members of their extended family members (name, age, profession and occupation (e.g. 我表妹叫安娜。 她今年25岁。她是护士。)
• ask peers specific details about members of their extended family in a dialogue in terms of name, age and profession in turns (e.g. A:你有叔叔吗？B：是的， 我有一个叔叔， 他叫大卫，你呢？ A：我没有叔叔，我有两个姑姑。你 的叔叔做什么工作？B：我的叔叔是 汉语老师。你的姑姑们呢？A：一个 是护士，一个是英语老师...)
• discuss what professions they would like to pursue when they grow up with peers

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How do you interact effectively with others?

• listen to an audio source on essential places in town (车站、派出所、学 校、邮局、医院、银行、商场) and repeat the words
• search online for an audio visual narration of a town, and point out the places identified collaboratively
• talk about what happens in the essential places provided in the given pictures with peers
• practise the using “要去” and “做什 么?” in simple sentences in turns (e.g. 我要去商场，你要去商场做什么?)
• listen to a short dialogue then answer the questions (e.g.女生要去哪里?女 生要去医院，女生要去做什么? 女 生要去看病)
• take turns constructing simple sentences about where one going and what they are going to do in town with peers (e.g. 我要去商场买鞋 子，我要去医院看病，我要去车站 坐车)
• present a short skit on how they can observe safety while undertaking various activities in their surroundings

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How can one practise attentive listening?

• look at a watch/ clock on the 12 hour clock and say the exact time with the focus on 点 diǎn and 分 fēn
• compare telling the time in English, Kiswahili and Chinese collaboratively and make presentations
• tell the time using半，刻 and差 (e.g. 8:30 八点半；6:15 六点一刻；4:45 差 一刻五点)
• say specific time with respect to a.m. and p.m. using 早上 , 上午 , 下午, 晚上 with peers (e.g. 7:30 p.m. 晚上7点半) in turns
• role play asking for specific time with peers (e.g. 现在几点？现在 9点55 分。)
• talk about the specific times they undertake various subjects at their school with peers (e.g. 我们几点上汉语课？我 们明天8点中上汉语。
• discuss the importance of having a to-do list to enable them effectively meet their set goals collaboratively

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• What techniques can enhance speaking clarity?

• look at pictures of recreational activities and say their names out loud (爬山、游 泳、钓鱼、散步、跑步、骑自行车、徒 步旅行、看动物)
• match recreational activities with the most suitable places/scenic spots where they can occur (公园、动物园、游泳池、沙 滩、湖、山、河) then say out loud the names of the scenic spots
• play a pyramid game collaboratively (learners build sentences from a word e.g.) 喜欢 我喜欢游泳 我周末喜欢游泳 我周末喜欢去游泳池游泳)
• listen to an audio clip on descriptions of recreational activities and answer the questions
• explain which places they intend to go to over the weekend and what recreational activities they will engage in with peers (我周末去Naivasha 湖游泳、钓鱼、来 看动物）
• share with peers the importance of mental health care while pursuing varied recreational activities

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• What strategies can you use to ensure clarity of ideas during oral communication?

• say out a list of kitchen items (烤箱、冰 箱、菜板、刀、锅、铲子、木勺) and common ingredients used in the kitchen （糖、盐、油、葱、西红柿、蒜）
• listen to a recording and match different foods (鸡蛋、鱼、样、牛、猪、鸡肉、 乌加利、米饭、蔬菜、菠菜）with how they are normally cooked (煮、炒、炸、 煎、蒸、炖、烤）
• categorise kitchen items with their usage collaboratively
• look at images of different food items cooked in different ways （炒鸡蛋、煎 鸡蛋、煮鸡蛋、蒸鸡蛋） and take turns to say their preferences (我最喜欢吃炒鸡 蛋）
• talk about things one needs to prepare a meal with peers (做炖牛肉要用油、 葱、西红柿、蒜、水、锅、刀、菜板和 木勺）
• listen to a conversation of two friends making a simple meal and answer the subsequent questions
• research online or in various sources meal preparation and kitchen items in Kenya and China and present their findings in class

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• What strategies can you use while listening to enhance comprehension?

• say out the names of different emotions displayed on flashcards
• take turns expressing different emotions and needs as their peers guess what emotion it is (快乐 (kuàilè) 、伤心 (shāngxīn)、生气 (shēngqì)、兴奋 (xīngfèn)、惊讶 (jīngyà)、 疲倦 (píjuàn)、无聊 (wúliáo)、紧张 (jǐnzhāng)、 自豪 (zìháo) 、困惑 (kùnhuò)
• talk about the emotions they had from a past experience with peers
• point out a song they like that brings out a given emotion in them then share it in class
• listen to a story and identify the emotion associated with it
• play the broken telephone game with vocabulary acquired to underscore the importance of listening keenly for information
• work collaboratively and make creative presentations to educate peers about the importance of emotional health

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How can you improve your ability to retain information while listening?

• watch a video clip and list the physical features highlighted with peers (山、 湖、河、洋、海、大裂谷、沙漠、森 林)
• play a bingo game on physical features in class (learners listen to vocabulary related to physical features on their bingo card, they mark it off, the first person to mark off all the words must call out: ‘zhòng le!’)
• listen to an audio on physical features and summarise the key points
• listen to simple descriptions of physical features and say out the physical feature that matches the description （它很 高，上面有雪)
• research and present challenges facing physical features within their environment and propose solutions to address them collaboratively

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• Why is active listening essential in interactive speaking?

• listen to an audio on common means of transport and repeat the vocabulary (e.g. 小汽车、出租车、公交车、自行车、摩 托车、火车、驴子、骆驼、走路、飞 机)
• listen to a short text and identify the means of transport mentioned collaboratively
• practise using “......怎么去......” to inquire about the means of transport used (e.g. 你 怎么去学校？我走路去学校)
• make sentences using suitable action words appropriate for the various the means of transport ( e.g. 坐出租车、骑自行车、坐 飞机 、走路）
• listen to a dialogue and answer the questions appropriately (e.g. Nuru今天怎 么去商场？Nuru 今天坐公交车去商场； Nuru上个星期怎么去公园？Nuru上个星 期骑自行车去公园)
• simulate a dialogue from flashcards of different places and means of transport on “how to go somewhere (你怎么去......？)” with peers
• prepare presentations on how they observe safety when using the various means of transport and make presentations

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How can reading fluency be achieved?

• read flashcards of informal and polite greetings as peers respond in turns (您好 nín hǎo, 您贵姓 nín guìxìng, 你姓什么 nǐ xìng shénme, 下午好 xiàwǔ hǎo, 很高 兴认识您 hěn gāoxìng rènshí nín, etc.)
• read out simple passages on introduction of self and others i.e. name, age, origin, residence and languages spoken (e.g. 你 们好！ 我姓王，叫丽丽。我今年 13 岁。我来自中国。我和家人住在内罗 毕
• read out flashcards of names of languages collaboratively and match them with their English equivalents (英 语 Yīngyǔ- English, 法语 Fǎyǔ- French, 德语 Déyǔ- German, 斯瓦西里语 Sīwǎxīlǐyǔ- Swahili)
• take turns to simulate conversations based on word cards that serve as prompts for the languages each participant is proficient in (e.g. 你会说 什么语言?我会说斯瓦西里语，英语和 一点儿汉语。)
• rearrange jumbled up words to form correct sentences on self-introduction in formal contexts collaboratively
• research online or from varied sources common greeting customs in Kenya and China and present their findings in class

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How does reading fluency enhance communication?

• read simple texts and underline words and phrases related to titles of extended family members e.g. 叔叔 Shūshu , 姑姑 Gūgu, 舅舅 Jiùjiu, 阿姨 Āyí, 堂弟 Tángdì, 表妹 Biǎomèi , 姐夫jiěfū, 嫂子 Sǎozǐ etc.)，
• read simple paragraphs about different families and underline names of different professions (e.g. 老师；医生；护士 e.tc.)
• answer questions related to extended family members from texts (name, age, profession, occupation)
• read out loud the underlined names of professions collaboratively
• take turns to read paragraphs loudly and assess peers’ pronunciation of words collaboratively
• discuss the comparisons in naming of extended family members in Chinese, English and Kiswahili Languages

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How can we enhance understanding while reading texts?

• read out flashcards showing essential places in town using Chinese and English languages （车站、派出所、学校、邮局、医 院、银行
• match names of various essential places to simple descriptions of their use with peers
• read out words and phrases of names of the places from a word search collaboratively
• read texts depicting errands to be undertaken in the various essential places in town and explain the underlined key words and phrases with peers
• read the simple story given with the use of “要去” and “做什么”
• in turns to assess peers’ articulation of sentences
• answer questions based on the story collaboratively
• read short descriptions related to essential places in turns for peer assessment

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How can we enhance reading fluency?

• listen to an audio recording of time phrases and read along the words aloud (早上、上午 、下午、晚上 )
• match puzzle pieces of different moments in the 12 hour clock with their corresponding names
• read the time on clock faces in Chinese using 点 and 分钟
• role play reading simple sentences using words and phrases ( 半bàn，刻kè，差 chà ) related to telling time in 12 hour clock
• ask the time when they engage in various learning areas at school, in relation to the school time table in turns (e.g. 你们几点 上汉语课？我们每天下午 4点上汉 语。 )
• create a talking wall in the classroom on the importance of managing time while in school for effectiveness with peers

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• What strategies can you use to be a fluent reader?

• circle out words and on various recreational activities phrases from a word puzzle with peers (爬山、游泳、钓鱼、 散步、跑步、骑自行车、徒步旅行)
• read simple sentences and match them to the appropriate scenic spots/tourist attractions/ recreational spots/areas collaboratively(公园、动物园、游泳 池、沙滩、动物园、湖、山、河)
• read aloud a dialogue giving reasons for going to a specific scenic spots/tourist attractions/ recreational spots and find pictures that appropriately depict the text
• read materials online or offline on recreational activities in Kenya and China and summarise the findings to their peers
• create an interactive representation of key recreational spots/areas in their home town with collaboratively and share with the class

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How does reading fluency help in effective communication?

• read texts and underline vocabulary related to common ingredients and items used in the kitchen (烤箱、冰箱、菜 板、刀、锅、铲子、木勺, 糖、盐、 油、葱、西红柿、蒜 etc.)，
• listen and read along to audio clips on common food items (鸡蛋、鱼、样肉、 牛肉、猪肉、鸡肉、乌加利、米饭、蔬 菜、菠菜）and their preparation methods (煮、炒、炸、煎、蒸、炖、烤)
• read a dialogue and answer the subsequent questions collaboratively
• rearrange jumbled up sentences correctly and read them aloud to their peers
• read varied texts aloud in turn for peers to give them feedback on their fluency

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How do non-verbal expressions affect communication?

• read out loud words and phrases on feelings and emotions from flashcards in turns (e.g. 开心 kāixīn、高兴 gāoxìng、 难过 nánguò、惊讶 jīngyà、愤怒 fènnù、紧张 jǐnzhāng、快乐 kuàilè、生 病 shēngbìng、怕 pà、不好意思 bù hǎo yìsi、兴奋 xīngfèn, etc.)
• match activity associated with the feelings, emotions or needs with peers (e.g 和朋友玩- 开心 Hé péngyǒu wán - kāixīn )
• sort flashcards depicting various feelings and emotions into ‘happy feelings/emotions’ and ‘sad feelings/emotions’ with peers
• read feelings and emotions word cards and simulate the feeling/emotion depicted collaboratively (我饿了、我困了、我吃 饱了、我渴了）
• express own feelings by reading word cues from emotions chart in turns ( e.g. 你 今天感觉怎么样？我感觉难过。 How do you feel today? I feel sad. 和朋友玩 的时候感觉怎么样？我感觉很快乐。 How do you feel when you play with friends? I feel happy.)
• research, discuss and present practical strategies for managing their emotions collaboratively

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• What reading strategies can you use to improve comprehension of texts?

• look at flashcards on physical features within their environment (e.g. 山、湖、 河、洋、海、大裂谷、沙漠，森 林),and read out the words
• read simple sentences, taking note of the vocabulary related to physical features mentioned
• read a short passage and answer the related questions
• read short descriptions of various physical features and match them to the appropriate pictures displayed with peers
• research physical features found in Kenya and China, highlighting the one’s found in your locality with peers
• read on ways to take care of physical features in their community and share in turns
• discuss challenges and solutions to problems they face when reading comprehension texts

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• What strategies can be used to correct improper pronunciation?

• categorise words related to transport into land, water and air transport and read them aloud (e.g. 小汽车 xiǎo qìchē, 出租 车 chūzūchē, 公交车 gōngjiāochē, 自行 车 zìxíngchē, 摩托车 mótuōchē, 火车 huǒchē, 驴子 lǘzi, 骆驼 luòtuó e.t.c.)
• match names of common means of transport to their appropriate action word with peers ( e.g. 坐出租车 zuò chūzūchē, 骑自行车 qí zìxíngchē, 坐飞机 zuò fēijī, 走路 zǒulù e.t.c)
• rearrange jumbled up words to form correct sentences on use of means of transport with peers (e.g. 我坐车回家 Wǒ zuò chē huí jiā；奶奶骑自行车去市场。 Nǎinai qí zìxíngchē qù shìchǎng)
• take turns to read a passage on safe use of means of transport and evaluate peers’ articulation of words and sentences

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• How can handwriting be enhanced?

• listen to an audio text and write down the words and phrases related to basic greetings in formal and polite contexts, (e.g. 早上好、上午好、晚上好 etc.)
• rearrange jumbled up greetings correctly with peers ( 您好、早上好、 下午好、晚上好、老师好)
• write the responses for the formal greetings provided collaboratively ( 您 好、早上好、下午好、晚上好、老 师好、大家好)
• write a brief self-introduction of themselves and their friend that includes (name, age, origin, residence and languages spoken) for peer assessment (我来自 (西部，北部，南 部，东部）、我住在......(place)

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• What strategies can you use to write effectively?

• listen to a dictation and list the titles of members of the extended family
• trace words and phrases of members of the extended family in Chinese (e.g. 叔叔 Shūshu , 姑姑 Gūgu, 舅舅 Jiùjiu, 阿姨 Āyí, 堂弟 Tángdì, 表妹 Biǎomèi , 姐夫 Jiěfū, 嫂 子Sǎo zǐ etc.)
• match pictures of professions with corresponding names collaboratively
• re arrange jumbled up words to make correct sentences on descriptions of members of the extended family based on name, age and profession collaboratively (e.g. 我姑姑是护 士；她今年30岁，她叫玛丽。)
• write sentences describing one member of their extended family based on name, age and profession
• discuss areas of difficulty in writing Chinese characters and pinyin and give practical interventions

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• Why should we write legibly and neatly?

• listen to an audio clip on essential places in town and list the words and phrases (车站、 派出所、学校、邮局、医院、银行、商 场)
• listen to an audio clip and form sentences on where one is going in relation to the town (... 在哪儿? …怎么去？ 去哪儿?)
• circle words and phrases depicting different essential places in town from a cross word puzzle collaboratively
• match images of essential places to their names in characters and pinyin
• construct sentences using “要去” and “做什 么”
• draw and label essential places found in their town collaboratively and share on the school noticeboard
• explore and share with peers how one can develop effective time management skills in the writing process

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• How does accuracy impact written communication?
• m. 晚上八点一刻/晚上八点十五, 10:50(十 点五十/十点五十?

• list vocabulary related to telling the time in their school timetable using the 12 hour clock (e.g. 点、分、半、刻、现在、早上、上 午、中午、下午、晚上 )
• write down the characters of numbers 1-20 from flashcards (e.g. 0 零、1一、2二/两、3 三、4四、5五、6六、7七、8八、9九、 10十、11十一、12十二)
• ask the time using the sentence structure “ 现 在几点了?” and “......是几点......?” in turns
• role-play telling the time using “现在（是）+ time” and “number of the hour + 点 (diǎn)+ denotation of minutes (+分)” collaboratively
• listen to the time that the various subjects are undertaken in English and write the time in Chinese (e.g. 7:30 a.m. 早上七点半, 10:25 a.m. 上午十点二十五, 12:01 p.m. 中午十二 点零一, 4:58 p.m. 下午四点五十八, 8:15
• use the class timetable to answer the given

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• How can you ensure clarity and coherence in written texts?

• sort out pictures of recreational activities according to where they take place collaboratively (e.g. 游泳-游泳池； 爬山 -Longonot山；踢足球-操场; 看野生动 物：Maasai Mara 动物保护区 etc.）
• write down the recreational activities that are undertaken in the given recreational spots/areas depicted in the flashcards in Chinese
• fill in blanks on sentences talking about fun activities in specific places using acquired vocabulary (e.g. 我想去动物园 看野生动物。)
• write a simple text on their favourite recreational activity
• create a scrapbook of a local recreational spot/area they have visited before and share it for awareness creation

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How do you write coherent texts?

• derive a list of kitchen items (烤箱、冰 箱、菜板、刀、锅、铲子、木勺) and common ingredients used in the kitchen （糖、盐、油、葱、西红柿、蒜）from the word puzzle
• fill in the blanks with the appropriate method (煮、炒、炸、煎、蒸、炖、烤) for cooking the given foods ( 鸡蛋、鱼、 样肉、牛肉、猪肉、鸡肉、乌加利、米 饭、蔬菜、菠菜）
• look at the characters related to food preparation methods and highlight the similarities and differences collaboratively (煮、炒、炸、煎、蒸、 炖、烤)
• trace out characters using the correct stroke order (火，刀，木，勺 )
• list kitchen items and ingredients needed to make a simple meal of their liking with peers(做炖牛肉要用油、葱、西红柿、 蒜、水、锅、刀、菜板和木勺）
• compare and contrast how kitchen items and ingredients differ in Kenya and China and share findings with peers

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• How does handwriting affect communication?

• fill a crossword puzzle with words and phrases related to feelings and emotions with peers (快乐 kuàilè、伤 心 shāngxīn、生气 shēngqì、兴奋 xīngfèn、惊讶 jīngyà、 疲倦 píjuàn、 无聊 wúliáo、紧张 jǐnzhāng、 自豪 zìháo 、困惑 kùnhuò
• draw the various emotions on a face outline according to a listening prompt in class
• look at pictures /emoji’s and write the different feelings and emotions associated with it with peers
• organise jumbled up word cards to form correct sentences expressing feelings/ emotions collaboratively
• discuss how to recognise and better manage their emotions (both positive and negative emotions) and make presentations to peers in class

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How can you write effectively?

• draw and label various physical features correctly in Chinese (e.g. 山、湖、河、 洋、海、大裂谷、沙漠，森林)
• rewrite jumbled-up words related to physical features in their correct order
• write simple descriptions using images/pictures of the various physical features (e.g. 这个湖很宽, 山很高.)
• complete a story using the given words
• respond to simple questions
• write a simple passage about their most favourite physical feature and share it with peers for feedback
• discuss and propose solutions to issues that are affecting the physical features in their locality with peers
• create a talking wall for sensitisation on the importance of taking care of physical features in the community collaboratively

Approved course books, concrete realia, charts, manipulatives & digital devices.

• How does reading fluency enhance communication?

• write the correct Chinese names of different means of transport from pictures/images (e.g. 汽车、出租车、公 交车、自行车、摩托车、火车、飞 机，马、骆驼、走路)
• fill in the blanks with the correct verbs for different means of transport (坐， 骑）
• read short paragraphs outlining the means of transport used and answer questions (e.g. 她怎么去学校？她走路去学校)
• write down simple sentences of the means of transport that they have recently used and share in turns ( e.g. 我周六骑自 行车去商场）
• practise writing the given characters with the correct strokes 车，火，马，汽 and display on the class noticeboard
• reflect on their writing strengths and areas of improvement and seek feedback from peers for improvement

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