“Chinese is fun!” “What are we going to learn next time?…” The kids are having a good time and they are eager to know what is coming up in the next class. I am gathering all my materials and am ready to head to the classroom next door.
When young learners are engaged and enrolled in learning they are excited and fearless about learning something new.
“Miss Panda, I know that song!” As I started singing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” in Mandarin, Jay, a first grader widened his eyes and looked at me with a big smile that also made me smile.
This is actually his first time hearing this song in Mandarin. When he heard these two expressions…
and with the movements that go with the song, he really enjoys this “new” experience.
Jay has made a connection between the song he knows in his native language (English), the movements, and the Chinese lyrics he hears.
A big smile is always a good sign. It is an indication of joy.
What picture are you painting for your child when you introduce something new to her?
Is she curious about it?
Curiosity can lead to learning and engagement. Fun can keep kids being curious and wanting to learn more.
At the same time, we know that learning can be challenging at times.
But, the existed positive experience can help children understand they can put more efforts in and they can comprehend better on a certain topic as they move forward.
Keep going is the key. Not running away.
Tween and teen learners enjoy comparing the Chinese language with the English language. It is interesting to them.
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How do Chinese people talk about things in the past, present, and future since there are no verb tenses in the Chinese language?
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Can all Chinese people read both traditional characters and simplified characters?
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Do Chinese kids read with the assistance of pinyin or Zhuyin?
These are interesting questions for big kids.
People seem to have a different mindset when we are told something is “hard”. “It is hard so I might not able to understand…” a narrative shows up in the mind of a learner.
However, it is can just be something that is different or something that is new.
If you are curious and you want to learn more about something and you would be open to it and try it out. You might end up with a new discovery and a new experience about something you don’t know before.
So, that is a picture you can give to your child when you introduce something new to her.
Is it a playful one? Is it a challenging one?
Which one do you like to have when you encounter something new?
image by Michael Coghlan.
