“London Bridge is falling down…” I started singing with my hands patting on my knees. The tots quickly stood up, moved to their parents’ knees, and were ready to sit down for the song, London Bridge is falling down.
Many of the tots in this class didn’t talk very much yet in their native language, English. But, they listened to Chinese and followed my direction.
They giggled as they were getting ready for the song.
Listen! Listening to the target language.
When I first started the program with babies and tots none of the parent-child pairs spoke Mandarin. The Chinese language is new to the moms, the dads, and the very young kids in this class. Almost all the children were under 3 years old and there was one who just turned 3-month old.
Listen! Listening is the most important language input for language learners young or old. It is the same for adults. Not just for Mandarin Chinese learners but for all languages.
During consultation sessions parents often tell me:
“My child does not remember what he has learned in her Chinese program.”
“I am frustrated that my kid does not speak in sentences and remember how to ask questions in Mandarin.”
“Do you know why my kid walks away when it’s time to learn Chinese?”
“My child has been in the Mandarin immersion preschool for over a year but he is not speaking very much Mandarin. Can you help?”
“My child is not learning. We watch shows in Mandarin from time to time.”
“He doesn’t remember how to write Chinese characters and he does not remeber the words.”
kids need more time and they need to learn in a playful setting. What you understand in a short time doesn’t mean your child understands. What you’ve learned in Mandarin as an adult is not the same as the way your child is learning. Your comprehension and cognition are beyond that of your child. But, your little ones have the amazing ability to learn a new language with a well-designed program for young learners.
Children need more target language input. They need to listen, listen, and listen more to the target language whenever there is a chance. I have worked with thousands of children and families over the years in my ESL programs and Mandarin courses on four continents.
The one thing I want to share with you about learning is kids and adults learn the best when they feel safe, playful, and fun. You will always want to build success for your child. Yes, you will want to build success for your kids on this Mandarin learning journey and all learning!
How long does it take a baby to say her first word? Answer this question first before reading more.
Have you seen babies in a Mommy and Me class learn how to speak English if English is the community language? Babies and toddlers are there to play. They are playing in English. It is language input.
Did you speak to your baby in your native language before she produced her very first words? How long did it take her to say her very first word?
Do you hear parents sing to their babies before the little ones sing on their own? How about reading stories? Do you see parents read to their kids before they read on her own?
In my program for the little ones and their parents, they come to play in Mandarin even though their parents speak none or very limited Mandarin. When they go home they listen to my bilingual English and Chinese audio program to reinforce the learning.
Immersion programs work well if you and your child understand what is going on in the program. Bilingual programs work beautifully when you and your child are having fun learning together and you can share the Mandarin expression that you have learned in the program with your child on a daily basis.
Listening to the target language is the key. Consistent language input with meaningful activities is how your child will acquire and remember the words and expressions you have been repeating and using with her. I have repeatedly seen parents with limited Mandarin helping their kids acquire basic Mandarin with quality Mandarin learning resources.
Is immersion the only path to help your child learn Mandarin? No. Your child needs to feel comfortable and happy with the learning environment, no matter it is at home or at school. She needs to have comprehensible input in the target language (Mandarin) so she can be familiar with the sound and the meaning. That just once. But, many times. With fun.
What is on your Spotify, Amazon echo, iTunes, or GooglePlay streaming playlist? One song at a time. Add a few simple tunes to your repertoire and start singing with your child now!
If you are a parent who is new to Chinese you can consider “Let’s Learn Mandarin Chinese with Miss Panda!” audio album – it is now streaming on Amazon, iTunes and Spotify in addition to its CD and MP3 format. You can download the lyrics with pinyin support for free. There is also a companion learning guide to the album so you and your child can connect the spoken words with the written language.
I hope to see you and your young child in the program! Join the community here.
