https://www.scmp.com/rss/325226/feed Anita Shum is the founder of Mini Mandarins and specialises in Putonghua learning for children. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com If Mandarin is a foreign language for your child, but you wish them build a solid foundation in order to be prepared for the future, this article may offer some tips to help them establish a firm basis. What are the problems parents are facing now? If you ask young children nowadays what their least favourite subject is, the chances are, especially if they are in an international school, that Mandarin will be the answer. Their parents, in turn, will share their grief and anxiety as they simply... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2184678/stepping-stones-firm-foundations-mandarin-foreign-language?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2184678/stepping-stones-firm-foundations-mandarin-foreign-language?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Feb 2019 09:00:30 +0000 Tutoring: for some families, it’s a love-hate relationship. The struggle is heightened when it comes to finding a Mandarin tutor. During the selection process, parents’ concerns may be skewed towards either finding the most economical cost or the best teaching qualifications. These are not the only criteria affecting your child’s learning efficiency. One thing is for sure, though – the last thing we all want is someone who leaves your child feeling bored, frightened or demotivated about... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2176126/how-find-best-mandarin-tutor-your-child?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2176126/how-find-best-mandarin-tutor-your-child?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Dec 2018 02:02:34 +0000 This article is dedicated to mummies and daddies out there who have just had a baby in the last, let’s say, 24 months. Other than congratulating you on having survived your first years of parenthood, if you have plans for your child to learn Mandarin as a second language in the future, this article might help you make a life-changing decision for you and your baby. The solution is simple. You need to give your child ample opportunity to listen to Mandarin, the same amount of listening that you... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2171658/three-little-pigs-approach-laying-foundations-mandarin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2171658/three-little-pigs-approach-laying-foundations-mandarin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Nov 2018 03:15:45 +0000 Understanding daily conversations, check. Basic conversations (at least try to), check. Starting to read entry-level book, check. Then it comes to writing in Chinese, a milestone most parents find hard to reach, myself included. Writing with the correct stroke order seems to be the Mount Everest to many, even those whose mother tongue is Chinese. Unlike languages such as English or Spanish, writing in Chinese requires more than memorising a few dozen alphabets or symbols. The Chinese writing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2166950/3-simple-suggestions-brush-stroke-success-writing-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2166950/3-simple-suggestions-brush-stroke-success-writing-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Oct 2018 02:00:00 +0000 Families in Hong Kong who want their children to learn Mandarin as a second language may find this a challenge as, unlike mainland China and Singapore, it does not have an immersive Mandarin environment. More importantly, parents who want their children to learn the language using traditional characters face even greater problems, as much Hanyu pinyin – the romanisation system for Chinese reading materials – is often associated with simplified characters. This is exactly our predicament. Earlier... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2161442/joining-dots-holds-key-boosting-mandarin-skills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2161442/joining-dots-holds-key-boosting-mandarin-skills?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Aug 2018 02:00:00 +0000 Parents often say their children don’t read enough, especially when they are learning Mandarin as a second language. Youngsters often find such bookwork too difficult beyond their mother tongues and their reading-level gap can widen to the point that some children might hold a “Harry Potter-level” book in one hand, and a “one sentence per page” Chinese book on the other – and still be unable to read all its characters independently. Luckily, parents and teachers have phonetic tones that help... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2153554/zhuyin-sounds-key-children-learning-mandarin-second?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2153554/zhuyin-sounds-key-children-learning-mandarin-second?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jul 2018 06:30:30 +0000 There’s no better way to learn a language than to speak it, and there’s no better way to “make” you speak it than travelling to that country. To practise Mandarin, China is a preferred choice for most as it is the only official language, but you can choose other destinations such as Singapore, Taiwan and even Malaysia, where Mandarin is one of the official languages. Check beforehand whether your children will be learning simplified or traditional Chinese characters. Taiwan is the only one of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2147075/spending-time-china-best-way-children-learn-mandarin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2147075/spending-time-china-best-way-children-learn-mandarin?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 May 2018 02:00:30 +0000 Think back to how your child learned his or her mother tongue language. From the day he or she was born, you gave them a “silent language acquisition period” lasting for anything up to 3 years, during which they were immersed in the language 24/7, able to observe, listen and absorb the language before trying to speak their very first word. Now compare this with the expectations of our children when they are learning a second language, such as Mandarin. Many parents complain that their children... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2133444/learning-mandarin-can-be-childs-play-right-approach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2133444/learning-mandarin-can-be-childs-play-right-approach?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Feb 2018 04:00:30 +0000