Dictionaries are important for language learning. Visual dictionaries are especially important for young language learners. This is especially true for Chinese learning. Visual dictionaries normally have both pictures and words next to each other. The vivid pictures make Chinese learning much more fun because learners can easily make the connection between the image and the Chinese …
AA question many Chinese learners ask is: which textbook I should choose. Indeed a good textbook can raise the interest of students and provide the interactivity to engage and involve the students in the learning process. When choosing a Chinese textbook, we need to consider the purpose and the age/level of the student. Here is a list of …
“ Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive and comprehend language (in other words, gain the ability to be aware of a language and to understand it), as well as to produce and use words and sentences to communicate.” (Wikipedia). Acquiring a second language is a whole different process. …
5 Stages of Children’s Chinese Acquisition as a Second Language Read More »
Hooray, 2020 has come and we just started a new decade. At the beginning of a new year, we all make new plans. For my readers, improving your Chinese or helping your kids to get better at Chinese is for sure one of your plans. Am I right about that? In this article, I will …
Use These Chinese Study Planners to Help Learning Read More »
It is again the time of the year: we want to wrap up the year by looking back, recognizing our achievements, adventures, people we’ve met and especially the people who have given us a hand, brought joy to our lives and those we appreciate and love. Maybe you are thinking of giving some gifts, gifts …
Students come in a classroom, ready to learn. Relevant and motivational messages in the classroom help create a positive learning environment in which students feel safe, be inspired, stay open-minded and be willing to work hard. Here are some Chinese inspirational posters we can use to tackle 7 areas of learning: [Tweet “Isn’t it a …
When learning English, children usually start with sight words. Sight words are a collection of common, frequently used words that a child should recognize in order to prepare for reading. The famous Dolch’s list (published in 1948 by Edward William Dolch) features 220 words. These 220 words serve as a foundation for children to improve …
It is now the most exciting time for everybody – the school is starting, teachers, parents and kids are all getting ready for the new school year! Most of the time, a child receives a supply list from school and knows what to shop. Sometimes we need a little bit help especially for a subject …
Back to School Mandarin Chinese Studies Supply List Read More »
Another new school year is starting, what an exciting time of the year! To set this year a big success, let’s have a look at 10 selected motivational quotes in Chinese that can be used in signature or written on the front page of a notebook. #1 相信你自己！ xiāngxìn nǐ zìjǐ! Believe in yourself. ＃2 …
Research supports the idea that “learning is an integrated process, a process focused on constructing meaning, and a process largely dependent on the ability to communicate. “(Sandra Rollins Hurley, Ph.D., and Sally Blake, Ph.D.). When we identify the facts and ideas that connect with each other across subjects, we construct meaning. When we learn to …
Successful Theme Based Chinese Learning Starts from Topic Focused Chinese Vocabulary Read More »
At the end of the school year, it is a good time to set aside some time to conduct some end-of-year activities. Just to name some activities: summarising the key things the kids have learned during the year; recalling and recognise the important person, special moments and interesting subjects during the year, etc. One activity …
End of Year Chinese Learning Reflection Questions and Task Cards Read More »
Flash cards are a simple and common tool for studying foreign languages. It is well used for Chinese learning, especially for learning Chinese vocabulary – Chinese characters, words, and Chinese expressions. There are many ways, and here I am going to talk about 4 types of flash cards we can usein Chinese vocabulary learning. Text-Only …
4 Types of Flashcards We Can Use for Chinese Vocabulary Learning Read More »
There are two approaches we can use when learning Chinese as a foreign language: proactive and reactive. Proactive approach means creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened. On the other hand, reactive approach means acting in response to a situation rather than creating or controlling it. Let’s …
Proactive and Reactive Approaches of Learning Mandarin Chinese Read More »
For many people who want to learn Chinese, it is confusing when they learn that what they are about to learn is “Mandarin”. What is Mandarin? Is it a different language other than Chinese? Or, are Chinese and Mandarin the same language? Indeed, these are very meaningful questions. Chinese vs Mandarin For non-Chinese people, the …
Chinese and Mandarin – Are they the same Chinese language? Read More »
Have you seen children playing? They often take on several roles to act out situations they’ve seen or experienced, such as class, shopping, riding a bus, etc. Role plays are great for kids to practise their language skills as well as social skills. In this article let’s talk about the importance of role play in …
Use Role Plays to Motivate Children to Learn Chinese Read More »
First of all, we should keep in mind: all children love books by nature. Children love to read Chinese books if we pay attention. The reading journey usually starts early when parents read books to their kids. Gradually children learn to read together with their parents, to read with friends, to finally read independently. The …
How not to discourage children from reading Chinese books Read More »
A common issue a lot of Chinese language learners face is how to retain the vocabulary and all the rules. It seems to be so difficult to remember all those characters or learning points even if it might have seemed to be easy at the beginning. Unfortunately it is an unavoidable issue for all the new things …
Use Spaced Repetition System in Chinese Learning Read More »
Like all the other languages, Chinese language can be broken down to units. The smallest uint in Chinese is characters. Characters form Chinese words or phrases. Combinations of Chinese words and/or phrases make sentences. From there we can compose paragraphs and articles. So the logical solution to learn Chinese is to learn Chinese characters, the …
Use Chunking to Increase Chinese Vocabulary Efficiently and Effectively Read More »
For most children around the world, summer has already started. In some countries, summer vacation is about 6 weeks; in others, it is 2-month long. What a blessing for many of us to have such a long free time! However, having it wide open can be a bummer. We need to have some sort of …
As we all know, it’s not easy to practise spoken Chinese outside China. The lack of the language environment and input is the biggest issue. Lessons taught in the classroom cannot include all scenarios and the class time is also limited. One needs more practice to ensure the pronunciation and the flow are correctly spoken. …
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