With more and more online Chinese language lessons available nowadays, it is easy for you to prepare your kids for their brighter future. Children can grasp languages easier and faster than adults can, making it great for them to take online Mandarin classes.
As long as the classes offer various fun materials and activities, your kids will comfortably learn Mandarin at home. Even better, if there are also professional native-speaking teachers who will better assist your kids in the learning process. Below are some tips that can help your children practice Mandarin better outside their online classes.
Games
Games can improve kids’ comprehension of Pinyin (Chinese writing system) and Chinese characters’ basic strokes. The themes can be about introducing themselves, greetings, colors, animals, fruits, and many more. The game may involve matching characters with pictures, picture dominoes, or a magic box.
Singing
We know kids love to sing. So, singing can also be a fun way of learning Mandarin, and it doesn’t take a great singer to sing Chinese nursery rhymes. The matching melody with the lyrics makes it easier for children to pick up words by words of the language. It is also an effective way to build their vocabulary. As parents, you can learn the songs yourself to be sung together with your kids at home.
Reading
Kids love stories, and they also love the bonding created as parents read the stories to them. Let it be a ritual before bedtime so they can enjoy learning the language with you. If you are not yet confident reading the stories to your children, use audio storybooks. It is absolutely a great method to improve their vocabulary while absorbing the language’s expressive dynamic.
Role-Playing
Despite not being a good Chinese Mandarin speaker, you can show an interest in learning it. It would be best to encourage your kids to use the words or phrases they learnt from their Mandarin classes. Ask them the meaning of the words or phrases and use them in simple dialogues or role-playing. It is also good to raise your kids’ self-confidence as they get to create their dialogues and situations.
Story Telling
Online Chinese classes usually teach storytelling to your children. Kids are asked to narrate a short story based on topics and short sentences they have grasped beforehand during this lesson. The topics generally cover countries, seasons, time, and many more. You can also do this with your kids outside their classes.
Finally, never expect too much from your kids as learning a new language can be a lifetime of study. Keep on supporting them with love and positivity to improve their Mandarin classes better day by day.