From The Straits Times    |

PHOTO jedimaster

1 COOK UP A STORM
“Children love helping their mothers to cook, so use this as a learning moment. Take them shopping for ingredients, and as you browse the aisles, ask them if they know the names for what you’re holding up and explain what you’re cooking tonight – all in Mandarin.”

2 GROOVE TO POP TUNES
“Listen to some Mandarin songs on your own first to find out if you’ll be comfortable exposing younger children to them. Then play them for your kids; you can even run through the meanings of the lyrics with them. For older kids, tune in to a Mandarin radio station occasionally, at home or in the car.”

3 WATCH MOVIES AND CARTOONS IN MANDARIN
“Consider getting your child’s favourite movies or cartoons in Mandarin. They’ll be practising their listening skills by paying attention to the dialogue and can pick up words and the nuances of communication.”

4 MAKE IT ENJOYABLE
“Kids tend to be less shy outside the classroom, so organise play dates or excursions with your kids and their friends. Make speaking Mandarin fun by turning it into a game – for example, tell them they can speak to one another only in Mandarin for the next 15 minutes. This helps them to develop two-way communication skills.”

 

This article was first published in Simply Her September 2014.