Breaking the language barrier

FOR Dan and Sharon Peterson, sending their son Andrew to a Chinese school so that he could learn Cantonese and make friends with the local children was the most obvious option when it came to mapping out his education.

Andrew, aged four, is now almost fluent in Cantonese and has started learning Chinese characters. With neither of his parents speaking Chinese at home, it has not been easy. While he was struggling to master the language he did not move up a class with his peers at Lamma Island's Our Lady of Lourdes school. He was, though, young enough for his initial disadvantage not to affect him. In September he will rejoin his peer group at the Canadian International School where he will continue learning Cantonese.

The Petersons are among a growing number of expatriates who are not satisfied to let their children grow up in a Chinese environment without being able to communicate with the majority of people around them and understand the local culture.

How to acquire such an education involves difficult choices. There are two options - trying for a place in one of the international schools that teaches Chinese or joining a local school.

However there is one consensus among parents and teachers, that the younger the children start the easier it will be. Kindergarten seems the best time, when children will pick up the new language without even being aware of it.

Unless the child is already fluent in Cantonese, they will almost certainly not get into the best local schools, such as St Stephen's Girls College in Mid-Levels, at primary or secondary level.