We sat down with one our U.S. learners, Caleb, to talk about why he is learning Chinese and the positive impact it’s having on his personal development.
Caleb is a 7-year-old African American boy from the Washington, D.C. suburbs with a passion for languages and exploring new cultures. Caleb started learning Chinese with LingoAce after watching one of our ads on YouTube. From that moment, he was drawn to the language. He asked his mom, Crystal, if he could give it a try. After just a month, he was hooked and decided to continue his Chinese language journey. Caleb has now been learning Chinese with LingoAce for more than half a year — and he is loving it.
Fun and engaging Chinese language classes
Caleb’s mom loves LingoAce because it’s convenient and engaging for her son. “The lessons are just awesome. I am extremely happy that he can learn a language I don’t speak,” Crystal says. Caleb stays engaged during his Chinese language classes and is both learning the language and having fun. Crystal even jokes that she has learned some Chinese too while listening along in the background. Although the class is for Caleb, his language journey has been fun for the whole family. “Caleb is learning from LingoAce and we are learning from Caleb,” says Crystal.
Chinese language learning develops a global worldview
Chinese isn’t Caleb’s first language. In fact, he was taking French with his mom before deciding to learn Chinese instead. Now that his Chinese is getting better, Caleb plans to learn both languages and aims to one day become a polyglot — someone who can speak multiple languages. For Crystal, Caleb’s Chinese language journey is just one way of helping him develop global competence and explore other cultures. She wants to continue to provide opportunities for Caleb to explore and enrich his understanding of the diversity of people and cultures around him.
One of the reasons Caleb has a fascination and curiosity for languages is because of his travels. Caleb and his mom have been to 12 countries so far, including Haiti, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Ireland, Kenya, Jamaica, Aruba, Mexico, UAE, and Panama. They are headed to Tanzania and Zanzibar this summer and plan to engage with the large Chinese populations living there. “Caleb likes to learn about other countries, so learning Chinese has been a highlight for him,” Crystal remarks. “We are headed to Tanzania and Zanzibar this summer and I found out there are large Chinese communities in these countries. I am excited for Caleb to practice his Chinese in African countries!”
Caleb hasn’t been to China yet, but he wants to go for his next birthday. When we asked Caleb what he wanted to see most when he went to China, he enthusiastically responded: “the lucky cat!” (also known as the Maneki Neko).
Boosting children’s confidence in Chinese language and in life
Caleb also seizes the chance to speak Chinese in his daily life. He takes Taekwondo and has wowed his teacher with basic conversation in Chinese. But it’s his boost in confidence that most impresses his mom. “I love that he's practicing with him [his Taekwondo teacher] and he just feels really confident speaking the language,” says Crystal. As Caleb learns more Chinese, he feels more confident to not only express himself, but to also push himself to learn and try new things.
Since learning Chinese, Caleb has also connected with his local Chinese community. With the help of his mom, Caleb has made friends that speak Chinese, and he is able to forge friendships with Chinese language as the bridge. This is further strengthened by the strong ties that Caleb’s local community has with China. Crystal explains, “We live in an area where a lot of people are in foreign service or [work for] the State Department. And so, you have people that have lived in China, traveled there, or have family in China. It has become another way of connecting with his classmates.”
Caleb’s favorite thing about Chinese culture is Chinese calligraphy and music. Last year, Caleb and his mother attended the Chinese New Year celebration at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. “Now that he’s learning Chinese, we try to take him to more places so that he can deepen his understanding of Chinese culture,” says Crystal.
What motivates Caleb to learn Chinese? Of course, he wants to go to China in the future and even study abroad there. For now, Caleb is continuing to improve his Chinese speaking skills, learn a new culture, and discover that he can do anything he sets his mind to.
Want your child to learn Chinese? LingoAce is one of the best ways to learn Chinese for kids. Each one-on-one lesson is the product of nearly 200 hours of curriculum development, teacher training, and quality control. Our classes are tailored to meet your child’s learning needs.
Experience a redefined Chinese learning experience first-hand and book a free trial class with us today.
