by Marjorie Duncombe
Learning a second language, for some people, cannot be easy. This short article aims to give some suggestions to help children learn Mandarin, and help parents learn Mandarin:
- ‘Ni Hao, Kai-lan” is an animated cartoon that features Chinese culture and the Mandarin language. It is a mix of bilingualism used by Dora the Explorer, and the “play along, think along” concept of Blue’s Clues. “Ni Hao, Kai-lan” is aimed at preschoolers aged 2 to 5 years, and can be viewed on Foxtel’s Nick Jr channel.
- Songs in Mandarin. While the child may not understand the song, the repetitiveness of listening and singing along will result in a better grasp of the pronounciation. It is possible, in fact, to obtain Mandarin versions of popular English children songs.
- There are several good websites that provide all kinds of assistance. For example:
- The Chinese Reader is a tool designed to aid non-fluent readers of chinese. It provides an intuitive interface to help you explore the language.
- Semanda offers quick and simple review and download of Mandarin Chinese vocabulary cards and online multiple choice quizzes for children/kids
- Serge Melnyk provides free mandarin lessons which are theme-based. He has a strong American/Canadian accent which is a little distracting however the Mandarin speakers are good.
We will be adding these, and other useful links to our website. If you have found any interesting and useful websites, please share them with us.
Learning Mandarin as a 2nd Language