HSC Chinese Extension study plan
HSC Chinese Extension · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Text analysis and response (prescribed text) & Knowledge and understanding of Chinese language and culture
Map the prescribed text's structure scene by scene, writing a one-line summary and naming the narrative voice used in each section
Annotate 20 key quotations, tagging each with theme, character, and a technique the author uses
Build a personal vocabulary list of 40 literary-analysis terms in Chinese (for example 象征, 讽刺, 伏笔) and write a definition and one example sentence for each
Draft a 250-word Chinese response to one past-style prompt on character motivation, timed at 40 minutes
Your checkpoint
A 3-page Chinese analysis sheet covering all major scenes, 20 annotated quotations, and one timed 250-word practice response
Text analysis and response (prescribed text) & Intercultural understanding and critical reflection
Identify three cultural values or social assumptions embedded in the text and explain in Chinese how each shapes a character's decision
Compare two critical readings of the text's central conflict and state which interpretation you find stronger, with reasons
Write two full analytical paragraphs in Chinese using the claim-evidence-explanation structure
Record yourself delivering a 3-minute spoken analysis of a key scene without reading from notes
Your checkpoint
Two polished Chinese analytical paragraphs plus a 3-minute unscripted audio recording of scene analysis
Text analysis and response (prescribed text) & Reading and responding to Chinese texts
Complete three unseen Chinese analytical texts under 25-minute timed conditions and score them against a self-made rubric
Practise identifying authorial tone and attitude in unseen Chinese passages by underlining and labelling signal phrases
Compile a list of 30 connective and evaluative phrases in Chinese and use at least 12 of them in one extended response
Write one full-length Chinese essay (400-500 words) on the prescribed text under exam timing
Your checkpoint
One timed full-length Chinese essay on the prescribed text, marked against a rubric with written self-feedback
Text analysis and response (prescribed text) & Reading and responding to Chinese texts
Redo the weakest section of the week-3 essay, rewriting at least two paragraphs to raise the depth of analysis
Summarise three unseen Chinese texts in exactly 60 Chinese characters each to sharpen concise comprehension
Answer inference questions on two unseen texts, justifying each answer with a quoted line
Explain in Chinese how the prescribed text's ending resolves or refuses to resolve its central tension
Your checkpoint
A mid-point portfolio: revised essay, three 60-character summaries, and a written reflection in Chinese on progress
Writing in Chinese for a range of purposes and audiences & Reading and responding to Chinese texts
Analyse six sample Chinese text types (letter, speech, article, diary, notice, review) and list the register and structural conventions of each
Write four short Chinese texts in different formats for specified audiences, adjusting tone deliberately in each
Edit one piece for cohesion, replacing weak verbs and tightening sentence openings
Read two Chinese opinion pieces and note five persuasive devices the writers use
Your checkpoint
A portfolio of four short Chinese texts in four different formats, each with a one-paragraph Chinese rationale explaining audience and tone choices
Writing in Chinese for a range of purposes and audiences & Listening and responding to spoken Chinese
Write one 350-word Chinese persuasive piece for a specified audience and annotate where you targeted that reader
Draft and deliver a 4-minute prepared Chinese speech, then re-record it after noting two delivery weaknesses
Transcribe a 2-minute authentic Chinese audio clip, then compare your transcript with the source and log every misheard item
Practise note-taking on three short Chinese audio passages, capturing main idea plus two supporting details each
Your checkpoint
One 350-word annotated Chinese persuasive piece and a 4-minute recorded speech with a written self-critique in Chinese
Listening and responding to spoken Chinese & Intercultural understanding and critical reflection & Knowledge and understanding of Chinese language and culture
Complete five timed listening tasks in Chinese and record accuracy plus the cause of each error
Write a 200-word Chinese reflection comparing a cultural practice in the prescribed text with one from your own experience
Explain in Chinese three ways your own cultural assumptions could distort your reading of a Chinese text
Deliver a 5-minute spoken response to an unseen Chinese prompt, structuring it with signposting phrases
Your checkpoint
A listening error log across five tasks and a 200-word Chinese intercultural reflection
Text analysis and response (prescribed text) & Writing in Chinese for a range of purposes and audiences & Reading and responding to Chinese texts & Listening and responding to spoken Chinese & Intercultural understanding and critical reflection
Sit one full mock paper under exam conditions and mark every section against the official criteria
Rewrite the two lowest-scoring responses and note the specific change that improved them
Review the vocabulary and quotation sheets from weeks 1-7 and test yourself on 30 items
Rehearse three exam-style questions aloud in Chinese, answering each within 90 seconds
Your checkpoint
A completed mock paper with a scored breakdown by domain and a one-page Chinese revision plan for the final week
Milestones
Week 2: Can produce a 250-word Chinese analysis of the prescribed text in 40 minutes with at least three quoted evidence points
Week 4: Scores at least 65% on a self-marked full-length essay and summarises unseen Chinese texts accurately at 60 characters
Week 6: Writes four distinct Chinese text types and delivers a 4-minute speech with clear structure and controlled pacing
Week 8: Completes a full mock paper across all domains with each section scored and weakest areas identified