Parents in Singapore have seen, especially in recent years, the urgent need to help their children learn Chinese. In the same way you think five steps ahead for major life decisions, such as buying a house or making a job switch, you need all the facts you can get when it comes to investing in your child’s education. What clothes they wear hardly compares with the attitudes to learning and education you make available to them.
What does the best education look like? At least for learning Chinese, we believe it involves learning from native Chinese-speaking teachers. We challenge you to consider beyond your child's academic achievements: you are not just selecting a Chinese language program just to prepare your child for their Chinese exams. You are making available opportunities for your child to widen their horizons. The exposure you afford them at a young age to help them develop well-informed worldviews, which primes them for a future in the globalised world.
We believe that learning from a native Chinese-speaking teacher gives your child much more than mastery of the Chinese language. Here are five practical benefits that your child reaps through learning Chinese from a native Chinese-speaking teacher:
It helps them form an international mindset and cultural awareness
In an interconnected world, where we live and work from anywhere, your child will grow up in a world where physical boundaries are less important. They will eventually grow into adulthood faced with jobs that are remote, and talent is hired from anywhere, anytime. It is important for your child to develop awareness of a global mindset at a young age.
Exposures to native-Chinese speaking teachers from a foreign country at a young age are beneficial for the broadening of their horizons. The native Chinese-speaking teachers embody the Chinese culture. The Chinese language is a core part of their identity and daily living. Learning Chinese from these teachers helps young learners to grasp and develop an appreciation for the Chinese culture. Such interactions foster an open attitude to other cultures.
The impact of globalization cannot be ignored, and our children will eventually become the next generation of world leaders who will live and collaborate on a global scale - including interacting and collaborating with Chinese professionals in the future. Against such a backdrop, providing your child with exposure to interacting with Chinese native speakers helps prepare them for the future.
Your child learns how to make friends, internationally
Acclimatising themselves with people from different countries and cultures at a young age helps them to make friends, and even work internationally in the later years. During classes, our learners and teachers develop close bonding with the high frequency interactions, 1-to-1 and small class interactions.
In their interactions with the native Chinese-speaking teachers, your child is encouraged to practice their use of the Chinese language. They also observe and pick up the nuances of speaking and writing Chinese. These lay the foundation for them to know how to use Chinese language to connect with their foreign counterparts later on.
It equips your child with the proper Chinese command that will serve as effective leverage later on in their life
Set your child up for success with the rigour that comes with learning from a native speaker. Native speakers are better positioned to bring accuracy and precision to the use of the Chinese language in ways non-native speakers simply could not.
For instance, native speakers tend to be more cognisant of pronunciation errors and inadequacy in sentence formations. These little things equip your children with a keener appreciation of the cultural references and nuances within the text. Mastering the Chinese linguistic requirements early on helps them to stand out when the opportunities come later in their life.
All our teachers also have attained a minimum of level “2-A” in the Putonghua Proficiency Test (the official test measures spoken fluency in “Standard Chinese”). They are vetted and selected for their standard pronunciation, rich vocabulary, and nuanced knowledge of syntax.
It develops your child’s global-minded education
Global-minded families have publicly said that one of the key reasons for their relocation to Singapore is Chinese education for their children.
When you engage a native-speaking Chinese teacher, you are telling your children that you want them to develop as a global-minded citizen. Instead of sending them to the traditional classroom, the one-to-one dedicated sessions with native Chinese-speaking teachers gives them the opportunity to see that they are given the best for their life education. Take the opportunity to explain to them and it will help them appreciate your efforts – not just in Chinese education but also in other aspects of their lives.
It sets your child up for success in learning the Chinese language
Our team of over 3,000 teachers are meticulously recruited and rigorously trained. Only 2% of the applicants make the cut to join our teaching team. Put simply, only 1 out of 50 teachers has qualified to be a teacher with us.
All our native Chinese-speaking teachers have achieved International CTCSOL accreditation (official specialized certification for Chinese teaching to non-native speakers). They have undergone rigorous training to understand the local context and Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) system. They are equipped to not only instil in the young learners up-to-standard Chinese linguistic skills but also prepare them for success in PSLE Chinese papers at the same time.
One of the issues with having non-native speakers teach teachers is the lack of depth in the Chinese language. Many non-native speaking teachers teach from the textbook and have trouble giving more cultural examples to make the textbook ‘come alive’. In contrast, here is where our native teachers help your child by fostering real interest in learning through in-depth cultural examples.
Native Chinese-speaking teachers: are they truly helpful? Engaging a native Chinese-speaking teacher is not an ‘extra’ thing to do. It is something you do to equip your children with more than just what it takes to score well in the PSLE Chinese papers. You are foreseeing the globalised world that your child is bound to face. Will they be ready? Our native Chinese-speaking teachers are ready to support.
You want the best for your child. We hear you. Learning Chinese language from our native Chinese-speaking teachers is the best way for your child’s development on a global stage.
