Positive results in first ever SEC Mandarin exam

Malta held its first SEC Chinese (Mandarin) examination last May with 57 candidates registering for the exam.

Of these, 48 were private candidates and only nine were school-based, with most choosing the higher-level paper and performing well. The results show that 33 out of 55 of those sitting for level 2 and 3 obtained a Grade 1 mark.

The low number of school registrations reflects the fact that Chinese is only offered in a limited number of schools, including Santa Klara College Secondary School in Pembroke and St Aloysius College in Birkirkara. Last year, seven Maltese students and one Chinese student opted to study Chinese at Santa Klara College Secondary School in Pembroke.

Examiners reported that candidates performed very well in listening, reading, and writing tasks.

In Paper I, candidates wrote emails to Chinese friends about Malta, discussing local food, the weather, and seasonal activities. Most candidates had to resort to Maltese when writing about typical foods like pastizzi, as there is no official standardised translation for such terminology yet.

Many candidates were familiar with the official term Ma Er Ta (Malta). Examiners suggested that candidates also familiarise themselves with terms such as Wai Lai Ta (Valletta) and Ge Zuo Dao (Gozo).

They also expressed disappointment that some candidates failed to note that the term Wai Lai Ta (Valletta) had already been provided in a previous task in the same exam. Candidates wrote other place names, such as ‘Rabat’, ‘Mdina’, and ‘Sliema,’ in Maltese.

The exam also included tasks such as short messages declining a friend’s invitation and letters describing activities in spring and summer. In another writing task candidates were asked to respond to a short iMessage asking them whether they are free on the following Saturday to watch a film and to eat Chinese food afterwards.

Candidates generally handled multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank tasks well, though sentence-form answers proved slightly more challenging. Writing tasks required between 30 and 130 characters, depending on the level, and most candidates achieved good marks.

Examiners noted that some students even exceeded character requirements while staying on topic, showing engagement and effort. Overall, candidates demonstrated strong language skills, though examiners advised future learners to pay attention to writing Chinese characters clearly, using the correct stroke order, and to familiarise themselves with the SEC syllabus before sitting for the exam.

According to a 2020 study by Christiana Sciberras published in the Malta Journal of Education adult learners in Malta are motivated to study Mandarin both for work and business purposes and for personal interest.

Many adult learners view Chinese as an additional foreign language that enhances career opportunities or facilitates travel and communication in China. Others are driven by curiosity about the language and culture, or by the challenge of learning a language very different from those they already know. The study also found that while writing and recognising characters are considered the most difficult skills, highly motivated learners enjoy the process and are committed to continuing their studies.

Alongside Chinese, four other new subjects have been introduced to the SEC curriculum: Maltese as a foreign language, theatre, dance, and core science.