My Strong Opinions

  • Must educate parents. We can guide but you are responsible with the effort and how do it.   More chance of success if you try everything and see what sticks .   Maybe return back to it later.
  • Create an artificial positive environment. Oliver Tu’s Chinese  Language Ecosystem
    Associate positive emotions with Chinese. No more Chinese homework and nagging- No presure and low expectation environment. Spend more time playing and somehow slip in a word or two…
  • Must have laughs and giggles. Paying for lessons and classes is the “easy” part.  it’s the psychological construct that you have to build layer by layer.   Given them many options but all of them in Chinese (. But it has to be good options)
  • It’s not a class, subject.  More of lifestyle thing. Best method is Interest based or child lead but in Chinese. 3 hr class + 1hr of homework / week does not equal quality  Chinese language environment(does not have to academic)
  • Create a fun environment where they are required/no other option/ pulled out of them- to speak Chinese.-  FOB immigrant parks at sunset(6 months before they learn English and constant cueing- speak Chinese or no more park),  Chinese only babysitter, Chinese only bigger sister,
  • Must use YouTube Kids, not YouTube. ( only approved channels with Chinese )
    Compile an age-appropriate Chinese YouTube Kids channels list so the kids can self-select content.
  • Separate older kids into Chinese-speaking or non-speaking homes. Do the parents communicate with their child in Chinese on a normal basis?  Do they respond back in Chinese? Have they rejected Chinese/trauma already? Easier to start earlier.  See video below of how to do it….
  •  Must be able to play/interact in Chinese, or the academic has nothing to hang on to.- completely forget academics until other pieces are there.  Litmus test-   Any situation- are the kids playing in Chinese?
  • For the older kids, it is a cultural exchange.
  • -dynamics-child to media(YouTube kids), child to parents(ignorance/ repeat after me )- can outsource to babysitter/tutor, child to peers (use bigger sister dynamics).
    Critical videos to watch
  • Order- Listening , speaking , Reading , Writing.   
    • Writing is not important- can type , argruments that it helps retain. 
      • Can Chinese Write Their Own Language? | ASIAN BOSS https://youtu.be/zxHskrqMqII?si=32LlkV8NVTJ1zr4L
  • No magic formula here….  Exposure is everything… with enough listening, a bit of pulling / right situation will get them speaking.   Make sure you can keep them Comming back and wanting more- before u can imbed the teachings into the playing.
  • Whatever u do, don’t teach phonetics first, pinyin or zhuyin.   Learn at least 200 characters first.   Immersion school doesn’t teach pinyin until second grade.   it is just a clue to read the character.   there mights be confusion between phonics and pinyin.   Also habit of blending all the time instead of recognizing character.
  • U have to extort the Chinese out of them….  Read Chinese book and we go to park later(with Chinese friends).