My Chinese Toolbox中文练习本

The idea for this notebook came from the half-used exercise books that kept accumulating in my classroom: books left after Year 7 and 8 language taster courses, or by students who didn’t continue Chinese after Year 9. Some were neatly organised. Many more were a jumble.

I often ask students to build their own vocabulary lists, but ordinary exercise books don’t always give them the space they need. The lines are too narrow for Chinese characters. Add pinyin and meanings, and the finished page can be something nobody particularly wants to look at again. Smaller books don’t fit A4 worksheets either. Everything gets folded and tucked in, and finding the right sheet takes a little digging.

After seeing this enough times, I felt students needed a notebook designed for learning Chinese. Somewhere with room for characters, a way to track vocabulary reviews, and a place to collect words they’d got wrong or forgotten, ready for another try. Bingo, vocabulary tests and writing practice could all fit in the same book.

I’ve tried online vocabulary lists too. But every time students open a screen, how many detours do they take before reaching the page they actually need? Sometimes, before they’ve even seen the vocabulary, they’ve already been busy elsewhere. Paper and pen are more straightforward: open the book, pick up a pen, begin. Paper also offers something simple: a place to concentrate, without notifications. Writing by hand brings eyes and hands together. As students form each stroke, they also pay attention to how the character is built. The words they’ve written, forgotten and corrected stay on the page, ready to revisit.

That’s the notebook I wanted to make: something practical and easy to use, so students can spend less time sorting loose sheets and more time with the Chinese they’re learning.