Subject Combinations: The Humanities (Part 2) - Introducing China Studies in Chinese, and Chinese La
Introducing China Studies in Chinese (CSC):
China Studies in Chinese (CSC) is a subject that revolves around understanding China. It explores issues regarding China’s political structure, economic progress and other various social issues and their resulting implications. For students who have been part of the Bicultural Studies Programme Scholarship since Year 3, it is compulsory to select H2 CSC as one of their H2 subjects. However, non-scholars are also eligible to select this subject and may also sign up for the BSP scholarship in JC1.
Students taking up CSC are required to write a thesis in JC2. More information will be given below.
Part 1: General Questions
1. What are the skills involved in understanding the subject?
Similar to any humanities subject, possessing analytical skills is extremely crucial to mastering the subject. Moreover, as CSC involves topics spanning across history, society, international politics and economic development, it is multi-disciplinary; hence you must be able to master multiple topics at the same time. It is also important to be effective in understanding the different topics while simultaneously learning to manipulate the various concepts so that you are able to apply them. Linking the concepts and adapting them to construct your own arguments are essentials.
Moreover, you would need to understand how to structure an essay and be relatively fluent in Chinese. Passion always helps.
2. What are the challenges in learning the subject?
As the subject is content-heavy, constant revision is necessary so that you are able to keep up during lessons. It is imperative to have a high threshold for stress so as to handle the heavy workload. Thus, due to the high-stress nature of this subject (just like every other H2 subject), it is important for the student to possess a passion towards CSC so that he will be able to overcome these challenges.
3. Is there a steep learning curve?
The skills taught are relatively similar to those applied in the other humanities subjects. However, the concepts taught may be foreign.
4. What are the benefits of taking up this subject?
This subjective enables you to cultivate a more worldly perspective as you would be exposed to multiple political, economic and social mechanisms. It helps you to better understand how a country functions (in China’s context) as well as the different challenges which China encounters and their root causes. Even though the subject places emphasis on China, the concepts learnt are also extremely applicable in other areas and will help you to understand the international order better.
Taking CSC would also enable you to stand out more from other students and connect better with your Chinese counterparts in the future.
5. How do you improve in this subject?
It’s important to maintain a positive mindset as adjusting to the CSC syllabus requires time and effort. Being open to gaining new knowledge would help you to gradually improve. Drawing mind maps to understand the links between the various topics would also help. Moreover, it is also helpful to create your personal list of statistics pertaining to the various topics as CSC is not purely conceptual and involves a lot of real-life application. Practice makes perfect.
To sum up briefly:
Part 2: The Thesis
Special thanks to Lijing (6R) and Debbie (6M) for contributing to this article and providing us with their valuable insights.
Students studying CSC are required to write their thesis while simultaneously prepping for their A-levels. Here are some of the anecdotal answers which we have obtained from the Y6s regarding the queries you may have:
1. What does the thesis constitute? What are you required to do?
The thesis is a 4000 word paper whereby students select a topic of their choice pertaining to China and examine it rigorously. It often explores the causes and effects of two subjects or evaluates effectiveness of certain policies adopted by the government. (E.g. To what extent has China's cultural diplomacy improved its global image?) Possible areas explored would be diplomacy and international relations, China’s economy, political and social issues.
There are two components which you would have to submit. The first is a proposal form which is to be submitted during the January-February period and this has to include:
Your selected topic
Rationale behind choosing this particular topic
Intended research methodology and a summary of the preliminary research based on the selected topic.
This is slightly similar to the "Preliminary Ideas" segment of Project Work, a compulsory A-level component in Year 5. To prepare for this submission, students would have to research and read up on the topic to ensure that there are enough materials that would support the thesis, and these materials are often provided by scholars and academics. This is known as the 文献综述, which is essentially a summary of the current topic and the resources which you can refer to in the future.
SAP scholars can utilise their immersion trips to consult professors in the local universities while non-SAP scholars can choose to hand in their questions to the scholars or approach the CSC teachers. This happens in JC1 (Year Five).
In January the following year (JC2), the official 文献综述 would be submitted to SEAB for approval of thesis topics. Most first submissions are approved and it is very rare that a second submission would be required. You would have to collect your own data for your thesis and the thesis would be due during the middle of September, a week before your preliminary exams in JC2.
2. How is the workload? How do you cope with writing your thesis while preparing for your A-levels?
The workload is manageable, but the onus is on you to constantly read up and improve on your thesis as the quality of your work is a reflection of the effort invested. It is all about managing your time and priorities. However, your September holidays may be more stressful since the submission deadline is right before your preliminary exams. The thesis would not hinder your A-level preparations a lot as the submission deadline is two months away from the exams. As it constitutes 30% of your CSC A-level grade, the time spent on it may not necessarily be a bad thing.
Strictly speaking, you have at least 6 months to write it, so if you plan your schedule well enough, you would have ample time to complete it. However, the workload varies from person to person because some topics require more statistics while others require more supporting evidence from external sources.
3. Is this thesis similar to the ones in which the Y4 BSP Scholars were required to do?
The CSC thesis is lengthier and focuses solely on China whereas the Y4 BSP thesis compares the differences between Singapore and China. Moreover, the Y4 BSP thesis topics might be considered more "interesting" since it examines topics like marriage and entertainment. However, the CSC thesis topics largely derive from the CSC syllabus and is usually about current affairs. However, it is fineto explore the mainstream topics such as entertainment as long as it is approved by SEAB.
The CSC thesis also requires consistent research and refinement. The level of analysis required is far deeper compared to the Year 4 BSP thesis, because the ones written at the Y4 level usually revolve around “shallower” topics like entertainment that do not require as much rigor.
4. Were there any challenges or obstacles faced writing your thesis?
One of the biggest obstacles for me was to find a topic that was neither too broad, nor narrow, which had not been previously explored by the seniors. It was also challenging to determine the correct way to approach and write your thesis as it has to be set before you can expand the arguments. Moreover, your arguments would have to be different from the scholarly articles which you have researched on. It is also difficult to find reliable source materials sometimes. – Debbie, 6M
Ultimately it boils down to time management and how well you handle crises. Some of my friends managed to finish it before the September holidays while my friends and I only managed to finish it during the holidays itself, due to word count or content issues. This definitely took a toll on our revision time. – Lijing, 6R
5. Do you have any advice for the juniors considering CSC?
When deciding whether CSC (or any other subject, for that matter) is a subject you should take, always follow your passion and interest. As for the thesis, it may not be as torturous and scary as it is perceived to be. You can always see it as a good opportunity to further explore your area of interest and it would give you experience when you have to write papers in university as well. You are always able to consult the teachers for help. Good luck! – Debbie, 6M
Start early. Do not procrastinate. Slow and steady wins the race. Remember to exercise and demonstrate logical and analytical reasoning. It is very important to start brainstorming for a topic which you are interested in and do detailed research early so that the subsequent writing would be easier. If possible, try to consult teachers, interview more professors and refer to more books/scholar and articles/newspapers to enhance your credibility. This is akin to writing a written report on your own so it is quite tedious, but slowly you would enjoy the process as it is insightful and helps with building your foundation for CSC. – Lijing, 6R
More information regarding the CSC syllabus can be found here.
Introducing Chinese Language and Literature (CLL):
Chinese Language and Literature (CLL) is a H2 subject offered by the school. From its name, it can be inferred that the subject is divided into two parts: language and literature. Students are required to rigorously examine and critique various forms of mediums such as poetry, prose and plays. Through this, students are required to both understand the linguistic features of the Chinese Language and examine the necessary literature involved.
1. What are the skills involved in understanding the subject?
After interviewing a few CLL students, we have learnt that it is imperative for a potential student to possess a strong foundation in his Chinese language. As one senior aptly puts it: “In my opinion, your Chinese grades should fall around the A1-A2 range.” Moreover, as it is a H2 subject, CLL is heavy in content. Hence, the student would also need to have a good memory and learn to utilise the knowledge gained to predict exam questions. Lastly, as time is always an issue during exams, it is necessary to write fast.
2. What are the challenges in learning the subject?
As the subject is heavy in content, you would need to do constant revision and practice. You would also need to possess a lot of stamina and have a fast writing speed due to the tight exam format. For instance, in Paper 3, a student would have to answer 4 questions in 3 hours. An interviewee also mentioned that one may encounter challenges in understanding the comprehension passages in Paper 1 due to their abstract and complex nature.
3. Is there a steep learning curve?
Not really. The skills required are the bread and butter of every literature subject.
4. What are the benefits of taking up this subject?
If you have a strong foundation in the Chinese language, you are more likely to perform well during your exams. Even though the subject may not be as intellectually challenging as compared to other subjects, it enables you to cultivate an appreciation of the Chinese literature and language. Thus, if you are more inclined towards the humanities, it may be easier for you to understand this subject and enjoy it.
5. How do you improve in this subject?
Read more literature, practise more and listen attentively in class.
More information regarding the CLL syllabus can be found here.