2025年9月16日

On the 15th of September, Dr. Ka-lai CHAN, Instructor of the Chinese Department at the Senior Section of ASJ (Dongguan), delivered two lively and practical open lessons for Grade 12E students. The sessions not only captivated the students but also provided valuable insights for the observing teachers. 

9月15日上午，东莞暨大港澳子弟学校高中部中文科组长陈嘉礼博士在G12E班带来了两节生动有趣的公开课，令学生与前来观课的教师们都收获颇多。

The lessons focused on composition writing for DSE Chinese Paper 2, using classic past paper questions such as “Smile Through It” (微笑以对), “Forbidden Zone” (禁区), and “Footprints” (足印) to clearly explain high-score writing techniques. Dr. CHAN helped students avoid common mistakes and enhance their overall exam preparedness.

本次公开课围绕DSE中文卷二的命题作文写作展开，以“微笑以对”“禁区”“足印”等经典DSE真题为核心案例，从题型辨析、论点深化、解题方法、案例拆解四大维度，讲解高分写作逻辑，帮助学生避开偏题陷阱、提升答题能力。

Dr. CHAN guided students step by step with confidence, humour, and clarity, from analysing questions to developing ideas, and from structuring arguments to deepening perspectives. The classroom atmosphere was both engaging and focused. He emphasised interaction with students, ensuring that everyone could truly grasp essential writing skills through reflection and discussion.

陈博士教学生动、语言幽默，一步步引导学生从审题到立意、从构思到深化，课堂氛围积极而专注。他不仅讲得清楚，更注重与学生互动，让大家在思考与讨论中真正掌握写作要领。

- Differentiating open-ended questions from open-ended argumentative questions: For example, “Smile Through It” (open-ended) allows flexibility in writing style and requires focusing on two key aspects (e.g., “methods of social response” or “attitude towards life”). In contrast, “My Views on Gift-Giving” (open-ended argumentative) must be written as an argumentative essay centred around a single core idea (e.g., “gift-giving is undesirable as it may lead to bribery”).

- 开放题与开放式议论题区分：以“微笑以对”（开放题）和“送礼之我见”（开放式议论题）对比，前者文体不拘、需围绕两个重点（如“社交应对方法”“处世心态”）展开，后者限定论说文、仅聚焦一个核心观点（如“送礼不可取，易引发贿赂”）。

- Being wary of similar words and lexical pitfalls: Dr. CHAN highlighted easily confused expressions such as “think of others” (想想别人) vs. “miss others” (想念别人), “smile” (微笑) vs. “laugh out loud” (大笑), and “my views on gift-giving” (送礼之我见) vs. “my views on gifts” (礼物之我见). He stressed the importance of accurately understanding keywords and used past DSE questions (e.g., “Footprints” and “Forbidden Zone” as nouns; “Think of Others” and “Smile Through It” as verbs) to illustrate how word class affects writing approach, thus avoiding misunderstandings.

- 警惕相似词与词性陷阱：列举易混淆表述，如“想想别人”≠“想念别人”、“微笑”≠“大笑”、“送礼之我见”≠“礼物之我见”，强调精准理解题目关键词；同时结合历年DSE真题（如“足印”“禁区”为名词，“想想别人”“微笑以对”为动词），说明词性对写作方向的影响，避免因词意偏差跑题。

- Core principle for deepening arguments: Ensure that associations or interpretations are “closely reasoned” and “multi-dimensional.” Using “Smile Through It” as an example, valid arguments include “optimistic mindset,” “tolerance towards others,” and “composure in the face of helplessness,” while avoiding deviations such as “equating it with mere positivity” or “focusing only on laughter.”

- 论点挖深核心原则：围绕题目核心（如“微笑以对”），确保联想或诠释“紧密合理”且“不止一种维度”。以“微笑以对”为例，合理论点包括“乐观心态”“对他人的包容”“面对无奈的豁达”，需规避“等同于积极”“只谈大笑”等偏离题旨的论述。

- Three-step method for argument development: Follow the “internal → external,” “superficial → deep,” and “seeing → doing” pathways to expand viewpoints progressively. For instance, start with “smiling as an expression of optimism (internal),” move to “resolving social conflicts (external/deep),” and finally “practising smiling through setbacks (doing),” ensuring arguments are both broad and deep.

- 三步深化论点方法：遵循“内在-外在→表面-深层→看到-做到”的路径，层层递进拓展观点。例如从“微笑以对是乐观心态（内在）”，到“能化解社交矛盾（外在/深层）”，再到“在挫折中践行微笑（做到）”，让论点兼具广度与深度。

For noun-based topics like “Forbidden Zone” and “Footprints,” Dr. CHAN provided a standardised problem-solving approach:

针对“禁区”“足印”等名词类题目，陈博士提供了标准化解题思路：

- Extract core characteristics: Identify at least three key traits (e.g., two common and one unique). For example, “Forbidden Zone” might include “requires authorised entry,” “serves a protective function,” and “involves safety considerations,” while “Footprints” could involve “clear or vague traces” and “imprints left by predecessors.”

- 提炼核心特质：至少找出3个关键特质（可“2个常见+1个独特”），如“禁区”需具备“需授权进入”“保护功能”“安全考量”，“足印”有“清晰/模糊痕迹”“前人留下的印记”等特质。 

- Draw analogies with real-life scenarios: Relate to familiar settings such as airports, military zones, or concert backstage areas for “Forbidden Zone,” and beaches, forests, or urban asphalt roads for “Footprints” to make discussions more concrete.

- 类比现实场景：关联真实场景辅助构思，如“禁区”可对应机场、军事区、演唱会后台，“足印”可联想沙滩、森林、城市沥青路，让论述更具象。

During the lesson, Dr. CHAN cleverly used emojis—familiar to students in daily life—as an introduction to vividly illustrate the multiple meanings and open-ended nature of the topics. By connecting theory to real-life examples, he instantly built rapport with the students and helped them understand the content more thoroughly.

此外，陈博士还巧妙引入了同学们日常熟悉的Emoji表情作为例子，形象说明题目的多义性与开放性，将理论与生活结合，引起学生们对课堂的兴趣，使学生更深入地了解相关内容。

Thank you, Dr. CHAN, for delivering such a substantial and inspiring lesson to our Grade 12 students. These valuable methodologies are not only applicable for exam preparation but also serve as important foundations for future writing and thinking training. This open lesson was undoubtedly a valuable learning experience for both students and teachers.

感谢陈博士为课堂的辛勤付出，相信这堂公开课对学生及老师，都是一次宝贵的学习体验！