Hi Everyone,
Here is what I know about the GaoKao. Please feel free to comment.
1. All high school students take the same GaoKao. There are some regional exceptions, such as in Shanghai and Xinjiang. But, the most fair statement would be it is a universal public school test.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaokao2. My very intelligent Chinese friend did send me a document in 2017, that seems true today.
Essentially, the government tells you what 3500 English vocab words will be on the spoken portion, but does not prove more insight.
3. Many schools hire the best teachers who went to top-ranked GaoKao high schools, went to top ranked universities, and taught at these GaoKao programs.
For example, I know a teacher who is Renmin University GaoKao High School, Renmin University, and went back to teach there.
4. They also use Chinese government-approved English curriculum books, like I have just posted.
5. My end goal is to:
- Identify exactly the 3500 words that will be on the list. I have done so on past documents and feel that it will stay consistent from year to year.
- Organize these words into themes. For example "animals"
- Turn these themes into real-world situations, for example "going to the Zoo"
- Have students do the usual memorization, practice exercises, book work with their regular (excellent) Chinese GaoKao teachers
- My role will be to have these real-world situations, be a native speaker who provides feedback, etc.
6. Any ideas on where to go from here?