Music & Culture, Mandarin Chinese, Novice-High

Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact amberhoye@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner.  — The Pathways Project

Looking for the English Version of this activity to adapt for your language? CLICK HERE

About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository

The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. Many of these activities offer an English Version that is “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country a platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture! The activities within the Pathways Project OER Repository seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. These activities should be facilitated in the target language for approximately 90% (or more), per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

How to use the WLRC Repository’s Activities:

1. Use the Activity as is:

Before you begin:

  • Most activities are 30 minutes in duration, unless otherwise specified.
  • Be sure to read through the activity description, and review the list of required materials. You will notice that the activity materials are also highlighted in yellow throughout the activity instructions.

If you have any suggestions about grammar, syntax, and content, please kindly contact amberhoye@boisestate.edu.

2. Remix for Your Language Classroom:

When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for the needs of your language classroom, simply click the blue “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. This will then take you to a screen with a NEW, editable version of this activity. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students in the target language, and may be altered for different levels and age groups. All activities have “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, a main activity, and a wrap-up.

Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials such as Google Slideshows. If you would like to make changes to these materials in Spanish, follow the instructions below:

  • Google Slideshows:
    • To begin, go to File -> Copy to create an editable version of the slideshow.
    • Once finished with your changes, please complete the following steps to share:
    • Click on Share
    • Who Has Access
    • Ensure link sharing is on and allow external access.
  • Materials Saved as PDF: Please email WLRCLAR@gmail.com and we will provide you with an editable copy. Please allow up to two business days for a response. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided. 

3. Adapt for Another Language:

  • See the linked English Version at the top of the activity (English Version may not be available for all activities)

Music & Culture

Description:

In this activity students will view a few music videos from various Chinese artists in different musical genres. After each video, students will engage in a short discussion about similarities and differences in the genres between American and Chinese music.

Proficiency Level:

Novice-High

Keywords:

Chinese, music, culture, music videos, music genre, Chinese culture, Chinese music 

World-Readiness Standards:

Standard 1.2 - Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics in Chinese

Standard 4.2 - Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of Chinese culture and their own

Idaho Content Standards for World Languages:

CLTR 2.1 - Analyze the significance of a product (art, music, literature, etc...) in a target culture.

CONN 2.1 - Access authentic materials prepared in the target language by or for native speakers.

CONN 2.3 - Compare and contrast cultural similarities and differences in authentic materials.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

I can talk about my music preferences

I can compare and contrast musical genres from other cultures and my own

I can, in my own and other cultures, identify some artists and musicians, their styles and contributions

Materials Needed:

Google Slides

Warm Up

Warm up with a short discussion using the questions slide on the Google Slides presentation (~5 minutes)

Main Activity

Each of the following music videos will be linked and embedded in the Google Slideshow

As a group, watch the video for each genre, and then advance to the next slide in the slideshow that will have a few discussion questions

End of lab: Can-Do statement check-in... “Where are we?”

Read can-do statements and have students evaluate their confidence with cards or holding up fingers 1-5

Encourage students to be honest in their self evaluation

Pay Attention and try to use feedback for future labs

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

I can talk about my music preferences

I can compare and contrast musical genres from other cultures and my own

I can, in my own and other cultures, identify some artists and musicians, their styles and contributions

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