Slow process results in fine work is a Chinese saying. The original expression in Chinese is 慢工出細活 màn gōng chū xì huó 慢工出细活 literally means slow work produces fine products.
I was finishing up a class with first graders and I started singing the Goodbye song. That was probably the 68th time they heard me singing it. I stopped two sentences in, they looked at me and thought maybe I forgot the lyrics so the kids continued singing and got every word right to the end.
“Did you just sing the Goodbye song in Chinese all by yourself?” I asked the kids while packing up my magic bag filled with “secrets” for the class.
“Yes!” one boy said. Two girls heard the boy and nodding their heads. They looked proud.
Have you read a book over and over again to your child? They love this particular book so much and they ask for it 238 times a day. If you stop reading in the middle of a sentence your child might be able to say the next few words to finish the sentence.
How about a movie that your child has really enjoyed? You can stop anywhere and they can continue the next line.
In a fast-paced environment, we see Instapot, 15-minute meals, apps to save you time, hacks to learn things faster…, etc. Then you see the progress of our children in Chinese. It seems like it is at a standstill for days or for weeks.
You have been doing the same thing over and over again. They should have learned it by now. What now?
It’s time to move forward and add something new to what you have been doing with your child.
What activities can you do with your child that you can use Chinese numbers? What story can your child listen to or read so she can catch the colorful words?
Do you also connect the spoken language with the written language? How about combining different topics and add new hands-on activities to it?
This hands-on project approach also works for big kids who have started reading books in Chinese.
Think about the book that your child wants to read every day. Think about the movie that your kiddo wants to watch over and over again. Your child is interested in the book and the movie. It almost like there is some kind of “magic” in it. So what is it?
Add some “magic” to your Chinese daily routine.
Slow process results in fine work.
Slow does not mean you are not moving forward. It means you can add a little of something new along the way to keep the kids interested so they come to you and ask for more.
Learning a new language is an exciting journey. Language is life and it is culture. What can you add to your Chinese language routine?
You are not behind. You and your child have a pace. Your pace.
After all, the slow cooker does make amazing soup.
“Let’s learn Mandarin Chinese with Miss Panda!” CD/MP3 audio album is now streaming on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, and GooglePlay. You can start with any track.
This album is designed for families whose native language is not Mandarin Chinese and for heritage speaker parents who have limited Chinese language proficiency. The Chinese English bilingual format of this program ensures you and your child can understand everything from the beginning! The companion learning guide to the album connects the written language with the spoken words.
