Learning Mandarin doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are ten tips to help you support your child as they learn Mandarin and improve their speaking, reading, and listening skills.
Tip 1. Practice makes perfect.
The adage “practice makes perfect” is the key to language learning. Encourage your child to speak Chinese every day and engage with the language outside of the classroom.
Chinese isn’t just spoken in China—it’s a world language, and the more comfortable your child feels speaking the language in daily life, the better their Chinese will become. Essentially: practice, practice, and more practice.
If you're a Chinese-speaking parent, simply speaking to your child in Chinese will make all the difference. Encourage them to express themselves and talk to you about their interests and daily life in Chinese. How was their day at school? What did they learn? What is their favorite animal? Their favorite color?
If you’re not a Chinese-speaking parent, encourage your child to teach you what they have learned. By actively learning alongside your child and having them teach you, you create excitement for the language and engage their newfound language skills.You might even learn some Chinese along the way.
You should also give them other opportunities to speak Chinese. Throw a ‘Chinese-speaking only’ party with their language classmates. Join a Chinese-speaking parent group. Take your child to Chinatown. The opportunities are there, you just have tobe proactive in finding them.
Tip 2. Hire a Chinese language teacher.
Hiring a professional Chinese language teacher will make all the difference in accelerating your child’s Chinese language skills. LingoAce provides immersive live online Chinese classes for children 5-15 years old. Our courses are designed to meet your child’s language needs, whether they just started learning Chinese or come from a Chinese-speaking family.
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Tip 3. Watch Chinese language drama and cartoons.
Watching kid-friendlyChinese language dramas and cartoons will drastically improve your child’s listening skills. Simple, engaging shows can serve as great learning resources. English language shows like Thomas & Friends and Postman Pat have dubbed,Chinese language versions that are easy to follow and provide enough context clues for new language learners.
Since the show is originally written in English for a Western audience, the themes and characters are easier for a Western child to understand. If your child has a favorite show, chances are there is a Chinese language version, especially if it’s a popular children’s show. Simply search: “[show name] Chinese language dubbed” to find them.
Even if your child is unable to understand some of the Chinese, they will still gain important listening skills and learn how to utilize context clues and body language to determine meaning. Here is a list of 12 Mandarin language dramas to get you started.
Tip 4. Learn words based on your child’s interest.
What words does your child use often? Encourage your child to learn words based on their interest. Does your child love unicorns? Make sure to help them learn unicorn-related words like “sparkle” or “horn”. Does your child love animals? Make sure to help your child learn words related to different animals, like “scale” or “fur”. Language is about communication. and the more children learn language that helps them express their interests and passions, the more engaged they’ll be with the language.
Tip 5. Make your home an interactive, language learning environment.
Making your home an interactive, language learning environment will help your child learn faster. Here’s something you can try: tape flashcards with Chinese characters and pinyin for common everyday household items and activities. For example, tape a “厕所 (bathroom)” flashcard on the bathroom door or “窗户 (window)” on the window. This way, your home becomes an engaging environment that encourages speaking Chinese language in an every day context.
Tip 6. Take them to Chinatown.
Most urban cities across the world have a Chinatown, a neighborhood that celebrates Chinese culture and is a haven for the Chinese diaspora. If your city has a local Chinatown, plan a trip with your child. Go shopping together and name different articles of clothing, or eat at a local Chinese restaurant and encourage your child to order in Chinese. Chinatowns are a great way to experience Chinese language and culture without flying all the way to China!
Tip 7. Engage with your local Chinese community.
Wherever you live, there is likely an established Chinese community. Do your research to find local Chinese cultural activities and events. Is there a Chinese-speaking church? A Chinese cultural center? Are there events to celebrate Chinese holidays in your city? Whatever is happening in your community, you and your child should be involved. Language is not just about words or phrases, it’s about culture. The more engaged you are with your local Chinese community, the more immersed your child will be in Chinese culture.
Tip 8. Learn with your child.
For parents that don’t speak Chinese, supporting your child’s language-learning journey can be a daunting task. How do you help your child in a language that you don’t even speak? By learning Chinese with your child.
Ask your child what they learned during their Chinese lesson. What new wordsand phrases did they learn? Become engaged in their language learning process and have them teach you what that they learned. It's not as Important for you to remember or even actually learn Chinese.What’s most important is that during the process of explaining, they’re engaging with the language and reviewing materials they learned in class in their own words, ultimately helping them learn and retain information.
A fun activity to do with your child is having them read you a bedtime story in Chinese. First, ask their teacher for book recommendations that are appropriate for their language level. Then ask your child questions during story time based on the pictures you see. Remember to have fun and make silly faces and sounds along with the characters in the book. If you notice your child struggling with a book, ask their teacher for help.
Tip 9. Make Chinese language fun and not a task.
Chinese is a language and language is meant to be fun. Always remember that your child is learning Chinese so that they’re able to communicate with over 1 billion Chinese-speaking people around the world. Your job is to make their experience fun and not a task.
Tip 10. Celebrate small and big milestones.
Did your child just pass their Chinese test? Did they learn a new word or phrase? Did they help you order at a Chinese restaurant?
Celebrate milestones big and small throughout their language learning journey. This will further motivate them to learn the language and celebrate their accomplishments along the way. It can be as little as giving them a high five when they share a new word they learned to going out for ice cream after they pass a Chinese test. Celebrating these milestones is not about the celebration itself, but rather acknowledging your child throughout their language-learning journey. You’re the cheerleader who is motivating them along the way.
We hope these tips help you support your child during their language journey. Do you have a tip of your own? Share your tips with us at [email protected].
