Primary Chinese | Listening Notes (for tutors)

Primary Chinese | Listening Notes (for tutors) | Arrows, circles and numbers

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

Pupils can repeat only the last line of a recording because they hold everything in their head and nothing on paper. This lesson gives them three symbols: an arrow for cause and effect, a circle for key words, a number for order.

Objectives — Pupils can: (1) name the 3 note symbols and say what each one records; (2) write symbol notes while the recording plays instead of copying full sentences; (3) say why symbols work better than sentences (writing is slower than speech); (4) finish the notes for 2 recordings independently in 20 minutes (44 per cent of the lesson).

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Paragraph	How many main points in one paragraph?	Usually one
Cause	What does “because” mark?	The reason, not the result
Numbers	What is “three point five tenths” as a percentage?	35 per cent

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-5 min	Opening: recall from memory	Play 40 seconds, then ask what they remember	Lists what stuck
5-9 min	Script 1: arrows	Models an arrow for cause and effect	Adds one arrow to a sentence
9-13 min	Script 2: circles	Models circling names, numbers and terms	Circles three key words
13-17 min	Script 3: numbers	Models numbering steps in order	Writes three steps in order
17-37 min	Timed practice (20 min)	2 recordings at 10 minutes each	Writes symbols while listening
37-42 min	Comparing notes	Compares two sets of notes with the script	Names the symbol they missed
42-45 min	Exit check	Three oral questions	Re-records one point on the spot

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Only the last line survives

Play 40 seconds with three points inside. Ask what they remember; most repeat the last line only. Do not comment. Play it again and hand out paper, telling them to draw an arrow whenever they hear a reason.
On the second recall most pupils give two points. The difference is not memory, it is the pen.
Close with: you are not forgetful, you were using your head only.

Say back: with the head alone, only the last line survives.

Scene 2: Three symbols, one at a time

Three boxes on the board. Arrow: “because it rained, the sports day was cancelled” becomes “rain arrow cancelled”. Circle: circle “Mr Chan”, “half past three”, “hall”. Numbers: “line up, then roll call, then group” becomes 1 line up, 2 roll call, 3 group.
After each box, pupils record one new sentence with that symbol. If most cannot, replay more slowly.

Say back: arrow for cause, circle for key words, number for order.

Scene 3: The pen is slower than the voice

Write on the board: you write two words a second, a speaker says four. Ask what to do. The answer is not to copy sentences but to write a symbol plus two or three words. An arrow is two strokes, a circle is one, a number is one digit.
Show the cost of copying: by the third word the recording has moved on and the rest is lost. Notes only need to be readable by the writer.

Say back: notes are marks for yourself, not a transcript.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Record	Hear one cause-and-effect sentence, draw an arrow	Find the two halves, two words each	rain arrow cancelled
Circle	Hear three proper nouns, circle them	Name, time and place get circled	Mr Chan, half past three, hall
Order	Hear a three-step process, number it	Write a digit at each sequence word	1 line up 2 roll call 3 group
Repair	Given half-finished notes, listen and complete	Check the symbol type first	Adds two arrows

Sanity check (teach this): Check: 3 symbols modelled at 4 minutes each is 12 minutes; 20 minutes of practice (2 recordings at 10 minutes) is 44 per cent of the lesson; opening 5, comparison 5 and exit 3 minutes total 45. One recording trains cause, the other trains order, so all three symbols get used.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Arrow	Listen to a traffic report, record two causes	Both arrows have two sides
Circle	Listen to a notice, circle time, place and person	One of each circled
Number	Listen to experiment steps, record the order	Digits match the sequence words

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Copying sentences	Notes read “because it rained the sports day was cancelled”	By the third word the speaker has moved on and you cannot keep up.
Circles without words	A page of circles and nothing else	A circle reminds you; add two or three words.
Arrow with no head	A plain line joining two phrases	An arrow needs a head pointing at the result.
Circling everything	Half the words circled	Three circles a paragraph at most, or nothing stands out.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

P4 Chinese paper — Listening section: record causes with arrows
P5 Chinese paper — Listening section: number the sequence of events
Primary Chinese index — All chapters

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
What does each of the three symbols record?	Arrow cause, circle key words, number order	Any missing symbol means reteach
Speech is faster than writing, so what do you do?	Write symbols and a few words, not sentences	“Write faster” means reteach
How many words do you circle in one recording?	Three at most	“As many as possible” means reteach

09 Tutor FAQ

Can the notes be messy?

Yes, as long as the writer can read them. Neatness costs time; capturing the point matters more.

Should the tutor read aloud or use a recording?

Read aloud first so the pace is controlled; use recordings once the symbols are automatic, because a recording never waits.

Can listening and reading be practised together?

Yes, but symbols come first. Reading can be revisited; listening cannot, so the notes are the only safety net.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.