How to Help Your Kids Learn Chinese Language Better
How to Help Your Kids Learn Chinese Language Better
More kids are learning Chinese and parents are facing a wrenching question in the midst of a westernized generation in Singapore.
You might ask yourself: How to help my kids learn Chinese?
Many parents that come to our Mandarin School ask us that question. It’s a common question, but it’s not easy to answer. Why? Because we’re living in a westernized society. Everything we learn, we learn from the west. Yes, although China is rising as a world power, but Singapore has yet to catch up in terms of their Chinese language skills.
After much thought, we’ve put together 4 ways to help kids improve their Chinese:
1. Start Speaking Chinese Young
Kids pick up languages faster than adults. If you want to have an English-speaking family, so be it. But it doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. You can occasionally communicate in Mandarin when your kids are young. Let your kids begin with 一, 二, 三 (1,2,3 in Chinese) as A, B, C when you learn English. The sounds and characters of Chinese numbers are simple. Thus it should be a good start and see how the numbers can be taught in a fun way. You can move on to simple Chinese words, simple phrases and then simple sentences step by step.
2. Keep Them Interested
The saying “interest is the best teacher” is so true, especially in learning Chinese. Therefore, you need to keep your kids interested in learning Chinese language. Show your love of Chinese and your kids will imitate you. Put Chinese books around the home, speak Chinese to your kids, watch Channel 8 drama together etc.
An effective way to learn and memorize anything is through singing. Pop in a CD of Chinese songs while you are driving with your kids, and you will be surprised your kids would be singing along in no time at all.
3. Practice Makes Perfect
As is well known, practice makes perfect. Encourage your child to use his Chinese, and make it clear that he or she does not have to be embarrassed by mistakes. Many children are afraid of being embarrassed, but the only way to become fluent in Chinese is to communicate in the language more frequently. Practice with your kids. It does not matter what you do, reading books, singing songs or baking cookies, as long as you do it all using Chinese language.
4. Ask a Professional Chinese Teacher or School for Help
It is difficult for kids to concentrate on one thing for an extended period of time. The Chinese teacher can play the role of holding their attention. Your kids can learn Chinese with peers. Your kids can lean Chinese in a fun and engaging way. Find out a Kids Chinese Program and go through the curriculum from the Kids Chinese lessons. Children are like sponges. They are very quick to pick up, absorb and learn things.
Just let your kids have fun learning Chinese!
Ask for more info for Chinese course offered by Chinese Edge.