Things to do — Edexcel GCSE Chinese

In the Edexcel GCSE Chinese specification, the topic 'Things to do' (要做的事情) covers a wide range of everyday activities, hobbies, and leisure pursuits. This includes talking about what you do in your free time, such as sports, reading, watching TV, going out with friends, and using technology. You will learn to describe your own habits, ask others about theirs, and express preferences and frequency. This topic is essential because it appears in all four skill areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and it forms the basis for many conversational exchanges in the exam.

Mastering this topic allows you to connect with Chinese speakers on a personal level, as discussing daily routines and hobbies is a common icebreaker. It also helps you build a wide range of vocabulary and grammar structures, such as time phrases, frequency adverbs, and opinion expressions. In the exam, you might be asked to write a diary entry, describe a typical weekend, or discuss your favourite pastime. Understanding this topic thoroughly will give you confidence in handling both transactional and personal contexts.

This topic links closely with other themes like 'Home and abroad', 'School life', and 'Media and technology'. For example, you might combine 'Things to do' with 'School' to talk about extracurricular activities, or with 'Media' to discuss your favourite TV programmes. By the end of this topic, you should be able to hold a simple conversation about your leisure time, write a short paragraph about your hobbies, and understand spoken or written descriptions of others' activities.

• →Vocabulary for common activities: 打篮球 (play basketball), 看书 (read books), 看电影 (watch a film), 听音乐 (listen to music), 上网 (go online), 和朋友一起玩 (hang out with friends).
• →Frequency adverbs: 总是 (always), 经常 (often), 有时候 (sometimes), 很少 (rarely), 从不 (never). Place them before the verb, e.g., 我经常打篮球 (I often play basketball).
• →Opinion phrases: 我喜欢 (I like), 我不喜欢 (I don't like), 我觉得……很有意思 (I think... is very interesting), 我觉得……很无聊 (I think... is very boring).
• →Time phrases: 周末 (weekend), 平时 (usually), 每天 (every day), 星期天 (Sunday), 下午 (afternoon). Use them at the start or before the verb.
• →Asking about activities: 你平时做什么？(What do you usually do?), 你喜欢做什么？(What do you like to do?), 你周末做什么？(What do you do at weekends?).

• Ability to describe and narrate events related to the local area.
• Ability to give, justify, and exchange opinions about places to see and things to do.
• Correct use of timeframes (past, present, and future) when discussing activities.
• Use of appropriate vocabulary for weather, locations, and tourist activities.
• Effective communication and interaction in speaking tasks.
• Coherent and accurate writing in response to tasks related to the local area.

• 💡Use the 12-minute preparation time effectively to plan responses for speaking tasks.
• 💡Ensure you refer to past, present, and future events to access higher marks.
• 💡Practice using a variety of grammatical structures and vocabulary to express and justify opinions.
• 💡Focus on clear pronunciation and accurate tones to ensure your message is understood.
• 💡In writing tasks, ensure you address all bullet points provided in the prompt.
• 💡Use rephrasing or repair strategies if you forget a specific word during the speaking assessment.
• 💡Use a variety of sentence structures: Don't just list activities. Combine them with time phrases and opinions to show range. For example, '周末我经常和朋友一起打篮球，我觉得很有意思' (At weekends I often play basketball with friends, I think it's very interesting).
• 💡Learn specific vocabulary for your own hobbies: Examiners reward personalisation. If you like a less common activity, learn the Chinese term for it (e.g., 弹钢琴 play piano, 画画 draw/paint). This makes your answers stand out.
• 💡Practise asking and answering questions: In the speaking exam, you may be asked follow-up questions. Be ready to give reasons for your preferences, e.g., '你为什么喜欢打篮球？因为可以锻炼身体' (Why do you like playing basketball? Because it's good exercise).

• Incorrect use of timeframes (e.g., confusing past and future events).
• Misuse of measure words.
• Mother-tongue interference leading to incorrect word order.
• Inaccurate use of tones affecting clarity of communication.
• Failure to cover all bullet points in writing tasks.
• Over-reliance on rehearsed language in speaking tasks.
• Misplacing frequency adverbs: Students often put frequency adverbs at the end of the sentence, e.g., '我打篮球经常' instead of '我经常打篮球'. Remember, frequency adverbs go before the verb.
• Confusing 会 (can, know how to) with 喜欢 (like): For example, '我会打篮球' means 'I can play basketball', not 'I like playing basketball'. Use 喜欢 to express preference.
• Forgetting to use 和 (and) when listing activities: In Chinese, you need 和 between items, e.g., '我喜欢看书和听音乐' (I like reading and listening to music).