How Parents Can Support Their Children In The Learning of Chinese Language in Primary Schools

Read on for some tips on how you can help to reinforce and enrich your child’s learning of Chinese Language by providing a supportive home environment.

In primary school, your child will be taught the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. In addition, there will be an emphasis on spoken and written interaction skills. A differentiated approach has been adopted in primary schools to cater to the needs of children with varying language abilities. Interesting instructional materials and activities are used to engage your child in the learning of the Chinese Language. 

As a parent, you can help your child by adopting a positive attitude towards learning Chinese Language and providing a conducive home environment to use the language. Here are some tips on how you can support your child’s learning:

• Interact with your child in Mandarin and encourage the child to verbalise his/her thoughts in Chinese Lanugage. Be nurturing and provide support and encouragement along the way. This will boost your child’s confidence in using the language.

• Read Chinese Language storybooks as often as you can with your child. Explain words and phrases that are unfamiliar in simple spoken terms. Explore the content further by letting your child ask questions and discuss with you about the characters, plot events and themes. Publications such as Thumbs Up????? and Thumbs Up Junior????? by Lianhe Zaobao can also be used to enhance your child’s reading skill.

• Write with your child to improve his/her writing skill. Assist the child by giving pointers. Not only will this encourage self-expression, it will also deepen the bond between you and your child.

• Play language games with your child to make learning of Chinese Language fun. Use resources such as The Chinese Language Word Games ?????????and the character flash cards Zi Bao Bao????? to reinforce his/her learning of the language in an enjoyable manner. These games will help to break down apprehensions that your child might have towards learning Chinese Language.

• Sing along with your child or simply be your child’s audience. Children enjoy singing which helps them learn the language in a fun way.

• Learn with your child. Encourage your child to use the iMTL Portal to learn Chinese Language. You can also learn along with your child. Help your child to create self directed learning tasks and guide your child to improve his/her presentation.

• Expose your child to Chinese culture such as celebrating traditional Chinese festivals and appreciating Chinese music and songs with him/her.

These activities will increase your child’s exposure to Chinese Language in authentic settings and support his/her learning of the language. Keep these sessions short and as frequent as you can. Always be positive and encouraging. Do not dwell on mistakes. Use every opportunity as a teaching moment for the language. Make learning Chinese Language fun for your child!