By Jessica Zhu Yunjie (24A01E)
(Source of cover image)
I’ll admit, this one’s a bit of a dilemma. At first glance, the very notion of pursuing Chinese in RI seems akin to that of a forced arranged marriage—why would you ever willingly subject yourself to it?
However, if you find yourself enjoying the occasional CDrama, 综艺节目 (reality tv shows), or even get hooked on the guilty pleasure of reading 网络小说 (web novels), you’ve come to the right spot! Rest assured that the study of H2 CLL is a far cry from the monotony of standardised answering structures that could be inserted into every Higher Chinese O Level question.
Instead, CLL encourages further discussion and the challenging of different interpretations. In true Literature fashion, alternate viewpoints are welcomed rather than just sticking to the ‘model answer’. Anything’s fair game, as long as you can justify your answer!
So, what exactly constitutes H2 CLL?
Syllabus
As its name suggests, this subject’s a two-in-one deal. Both components, Language and Literature, hold equal weightage. For those without a Literature background, there’s no need to worry—most of us are in the same boat. Our tutors are highly experienced and fully anticipate this, and they make sure to cover all the basics at the start of the year.
In fact, H2 CLL is highly generous with its entry requirements. There’s no stressful placement test to sit for, or rigorous interview processes to go through. There’s only one recommended guideline for gauging the suitable level of Chinese proficiency needed: a score of B3 or higher in your Higher Chinese O Levels. Of course, even this isn’t strictly enforced; you’ll find that your passion for the subject matters much more.
However, it is worth noting that the syllabus has been recently revamped in 2023, with the most significant changes being the inclusion of 课外文学 (unseen texts) and reduced emphasis on 古典文学 (classic literature). Hence, there may not be many fully relevant past year papers to take reference from.
Breakdown of the latest mark allocation (Source).
Nonetheless, if you’re interested in reading up on the texts in advance, this writer has got you covered!
| 散文 | 古诗/唐诗/宋词 | 新诗 | 小说 | 戏剧 |
| 1.《邹忌讽齐王纳谏》- 战国策 2.《桃花源记》- 陶渊明 3.《马说》- 韩愈 4.《纵囚论》- 欧阳修 5.《柳敬亭说书》- 张岱 | 1.《行行重行行》-古诗十九首之一 2. 《行路难三首》（其一）- 李白 3. 《旅夜书怀》- 杜甫 4. 《念奴娇》（大江东去）- 苏轼 5. 《鹊桥仙》（纤云弄巧）- 秦观 6. 《声声慢》（寻寻觅觅）- 李清照 | 1. 《心跳》- 闻一多 2. 《爱的辩证》(一题二式）- 洛夫 3. 《苹果定律》- 南子 | 1. 《药》- 鲁迅 2. 《一把青》- 白先勇 3. 《本次列车终点》- 王安忆 4. 《不存在的情人》- 英培安 | 1. 《㗝呸店》- 郭宝崑 2. 《傻姑娘与怪老树》- 郭宝崑 |
List of seen texts under current syllabus (9575).
Lessons
With a small current batch of 6, CLL (in RI) is definitely an unconventional choice. While such tiny class sizes provide absolutely no leeway for you to doze off during tutorials, they do make for more personal classroom discussions which feel more like conversations.
Many of you may also be relieved to hear that there are no lectures for CLL. Instead, we have 4 tutorial blocks per week, which amounts to less than 3.5h in total. This means that the workload is relatively light, and the only preparation required for most tutorials is reading through the text for that day.
CLL is taught by 2 tutors: Mr Sean Lee Chee Guan (台大/National Taiwan University graduate) and Mr Teoh Jia Yu (北大/Peking University graduate). Before you jump to any hasty conclusions, fret not; this doesn’t mean you’ll have twice the number of tutors breathing down your neck every lesson.
As the tutors teach different parts of the syllabus, they typically switch it up around a termly basis to ensure that neither your language nor literature skills go out of practice. However, you can always approach either one to arrange further consultations. Coupled with the small cohort size, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll never feel neglected as a CLL student.
Furthermore, tutorial structures are highly flexible and make use of a wide range of digital platforms such as Kahoot, Mentimeter, Padlet, etc. As students, we’re even encouraged to take up our tutor’s mantle and teach our peers for a change!
A glimpse into some of the silly slides we’ve made for CLL lessons.
Enrichment
If the above entices you, you’ll be thrilled to learn that being a CLL student comes with even more additional perks that go unmentioned on paper. We’re guaranteed a spot in almost every Chinese-related programme held in school, which ranges from writing workshops with local authors to free tickets for plays held at 实践剧场 (The Theatre Practice).
A play that we had the opportunity to watch at the start of the year (Source).
As for those who are interested in taking their pursuit of CLL one step further, the NUS-MOE Humanities and Social Sciences (HSSR) H3 programme may just be the perfect challenge you seek. Upon successful application, participants will be given the opportunity to take on unique research topics under the guidance of NUS supervisors. You’ll then be expected to deliver a 4,500 – 6,500 word essay by the end of the programme.
It’s important to note that RI is not a centre for the MOE Chinese Language Elective Programme, thus rendering its accompanying scholarship inapplicable. Nonetheless, the educational background you gain from taking H2 CLL can still be highly applicable to your future ventures, especially if you’re intending to work in China or its related enterprises.
So, why CLL?
Chen Yi-Chen, 24S03B[CLL] really allows you to dig deeper into the culture and uncover the history behind each text.
Rather than teaching a wide range of texts for comparative analysis, CLL places greater emphasis on the depth of our understanding. This means that additional time is taken to go over the historical events which influenced and led up to the creation of different works, thus allowing us to get to know the authors better. In doing so, we also gain a deeper appreciation for the rich culture which doesn’t get the chance to shine under the MOE O Level Higher Chinese syllabus.
Did you know that before messenger pigeons, swan geese were used to send letters? (Source)
Admittedly, as with all humanities subjects, CLL isn’t completely exempt from the memory work either. However, this writer finds that the equal weightage placed on the Language portion significantly alleviates the stress as it’s quite reminiscent of what you’ve already grown accustomed to for O Levels. Furthermore, our tutors are highly approachable and guide us every step of the way (which includes providing fully summarised notes!)
In addition, open-book timed practices are conducted before every major examination. This plays a big role in helping us learn the different answering techniques and time management skills required. Speaking of which, the time crunch is no joke—if you’ve set your sights on CLL, it might be worthwhile to get your writing speed up to par.
It’s often all too easy to fall under the misconception that H2 CLL is reserved for the Chinese scholars looking for a home turf advantage. In reality, there may not even be a single one of those in your batch. Even if there is, don’t sell yourself short–half of the Literature syllabus is based on local works, hence you’re by no means disadvantaged.
正所谓：读万卷书，行万里路 (learn as much as you can, and do all you can). So, dear reader, does CLL in RI sound more like a match made in heaven now? This writer sure hopes so, and looks forward to meeting you as a junior!
