Examining YCT-based curriculum as a preparation curriculum for GCSE Chinese in England

Over the past two decades, an increasing number of students in England have begun learning Chinese, with thousands of students sitting the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Chinese examination. Although Chinese language education in England has progressed from being offered as an ‘enrichment’ activity to becoming part of the ‘mainstream’ curriculum, it remains a niche subject compared to languages such as German and French. Despite various schools and institutions beginning to support Chinese language teaching, including providing teacher training and organising study tours to China, Chinese language teachers in England still face challenges such as a lack of adequate teaching materials and inadequately structured curricula. This paper is underpinned by the theoretical concepts of constructive alignment, backward curriculum design and spiralling curriculum. It aims to review the foreign language teaching and learning framework in England and compare the themes, vocabulary, grammar, and examination formats of the Youth Chinese Test (YCT) and GCSE Chinese curricula, in order to explore whether a YCT-based curriculum can serve as a bridge for students from a beginner level to the GCSE Chinese course. Additionally, it aims to provide pedagogical recommendations for integrating the YCT and GCSE curricula, enabling teachers to effectively implement the YCT curriculum during the Key Stage 3 period, thus facilitating a smoother transition for students to the Key Stage 4 GCSE Chinese course.