Memorizing model Chinese compo – the best way to score?
When it comes to doing well in Chinese composition writing, many parents (and even tutors or teachers) may encourage their children to memorize model Chinese compositions.
The question is, does it really work well in Chinese exams? And if it does, is this really the best way to conquer Chinese compo?
Personally, I feel that reading Chinese model compositions isn’t totally bad. However, memorizing them is a totally different thing and here’s why I personally advise against it,
Model Chinese compositions are not for memorizing
1. Don’t make composition writing painful for your child
If your child already has difficulty with writing Chinese words and characters, making them memorize an entire Chinese composition will make it even worse. You don’t want them to end up hating Chinese or giving up totally.
2. Don’t encourage a lazy brain
If your child gets the idea that memorizing compositions can solve their compo woes, they might not see the need to think about what they are writing in future.
As they get into the bad habit of regurgitating, they’ll start having the false impression that there’s always a model answer to everything in life and lose the ability to problem solve. Eventually, this will lead to them lose=ing the ability to come up with their own Chinese compositions.
3. You can’t predict what the composition topic might be anyway
How many composition topic can your child memorize? It’s insane to think that a child can memorize multiples compositions and then spit out what they’ve read during their compo exams.
What’s more, when the composition topic turns out to be one that is unexpected, some children might end up force feeding what they’ve memorized before the exams so as to not waste their efforts while some just blank out. Neither is good.
How should model Chinese compositions be used then?
Model Chinese compositions are a good resource to have when you are learning about composition writing. However, it’s important to use them the right way.
You can think of Chinese model compositions as the training wheels of a bicycle. Your child can read them for inspiration and learn from them, but once they are ready, it’s time to take away the wheels and let them try practising on their own. After all, the act of writing their own Chinese compositions is what helps them develop their writing skills and individual style.
What you can learn from model compos:
1. Vocabulary and interesting ways of expressions
When it comes to Chinese composition writing, some children might be more used to English and get stuck at thinking of the right Chinese words to use. Model Chinese compositions that are arranged according to themes can help them overcome this challenge.
By reading these compos, children can learn the correct Chinese words and how to write them so that it’ll be easier for them to craft their compositions in Chinese. In addition, they can also get exposed to better Chinese words and phrases that they can use.
2. Learning grammar and sentence structures
Children who are used to speaking English usually struggle with Chinese sentence structures. As they start to read more model Chinese compositions, they’ll be able to learn how sentence structures in Chinese work and express themselves more fluently over time.
3. Organization
Besides improving basic Chinese vocabulary and grammar, reading model Chinese composition can also help children get a sense of how a good composition should be organized.
By referring to the model compo and their pictures children can learn how to group the relevant pictures together and organize their paragraphs in a logical and structured way when they are writing their own compositions.
4. Elaboration
For children who are weaker at elaboration, model compos offer some ideas to help them learn how they can describe a certain action or feeling in detail and expand on what they are writing to make the story more interesting.
5. Writing techniques
One good way of using model compositions is to look at the given pictures and try to write a piece of composition on your own. Once your child is done, encourage them to compare what they’ve written with the model composition to spot the differences.
As your child is exposed to alternative ways of writing, their writing will improve much faster.
Your child has the writing skills, they just need to hone them
Composition writing should be an enjoyable journey of self discovery and personal growth.
Every child has the ability to write their own compositions (zuo wen), they just need the time to go through the thought process, make mistakes and struggle a little before they see growth.
Just like exercising, the more they practise writing, the more comfortable they’ll get when it comes to expressing their ideas clearly.
Making mistakes and learning from them is part of the process. Hence, although developing these essential skills on their own takes a longer time, let’s be patience and use these Chinese model compositions in the right way that builds their confidence to write.
I’m sure it’ll pay off in the long run.
