• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
GO TO EXPAT LIVING SINGAPORE
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Expat Living Hong Kong HomepageExpat Living Hong Kong

Moving to Hong Kong and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Hong Kong.

Menu
  • Living In Hong Kong
      • Living Here
      • Where To Live
      • Schools
      • For Guys
        • Sailing in Hong Kong - inclusive sailing courses by charity SailabilityMaking sailing accessible to everyone
        • We chat with two GSIS families
        • 6 super reasons to visit sky100
        • A New Home in The New Territories
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things To Do
      • What’s On/Calendar
      • Competitions & Offers
        • Reclusive Means Exhibition at Pearl Lam Galleries Hong KongTop 35 Best Things To Do In Hong Kong This Weekend
        • 6 super reasons to visit sky100
        • Best playgrounds & parks for the kids
        • What to watch this month – Netflix & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Activities & Things To Do
      • Education & Enrichment
      • Health & Wellness
      • Mums & Babies
      • Podcasts
        • We chat with two GSIS families
        • A boarding school with wildlife on the doorstep!
        • Children's teeth and bracesKids and braces – all you need to know
        • Child reading for web article on Books and Brains - helping children with reading and phonicsHelp for children struggling with reading
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Décor
      • Readers Homes
        • A New Home in The New Territories
        • Transforming an old Hong Kong junk
        • Image of Altfield home furnishings showroomWhere to get designer home furnishings
        • Hong Kong People: Meet Laura Pezza
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Short Breaks
      • Further Afield
      • Travel News & Offers
        • Mount KinabuluClimbing Mount Kinabalu in Sabah
        • Son Doong CaveJourney into the world’s largest cave
        • Famous movie locations in Asia - Hong Kong - Gage Street8 Famous Movie Locations in Asia
        • Gaining access to an EU passport
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Recipes & Groceries
      • Bars & Restaurants
        • 6 super reasons to visit sky100
        • Popcorn Shrimp with Spicy Honey Mayo
        • Indulgent chocolate cake - recipeRecipe: Indulgent Chocolate Cake
        • Spicy Asian Coleslaw - recipeRecipe: Spicy Asian Coleslaw
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • where to get botox in hong kongBotox in Hong Kong – All you need to know
        • Where to buy (and sell!) watches
        • Face masks, spa products, body scrubsWe test body scrubs, creams, masks & more!
        • Hong Kong Spas - Spa at Four Seasons Hong Kong - facial and body treatmentTried and Tested: 2 Luxury Spa Treatments
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Medical & Dental
      • Fitness
      • Wellness
        • family dental clinics and dentists in Hong KongFamily Dental Clinics and Dentists in HK
        • Children's teeth and bracesKids and braces – all you need to know
        • Safe & healthy eating during pregnancy
        • Couples therapy for divorce and separation, MindNLife Hong KongDivorce: how to break up with dignity
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • Magazine
    • Advertise With Us
    • Close

How to encourage your child to speak Mandarin at home

23 November, 2016 by Expat Living 2 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/how-to-encourage-your-child-to-speak-mandarin-at-home/

As a parent of a bilingual child and a language teacher with many years of experience, PEILIN LEE, founder and managing director of Jumpstart Mandarin has some tips for helping children with their Mandarin learning at home.

 

Learn Mandarin in Hong Kong

 

To be or not to be…

With Mandarin being taught in most schools in Hong Kong, it’s not unusual to find parents who are grappling with the idea of having to help their kids with this new language at home. Here are five things you need to be when raising Mandarin-speaking children in a non-Mandarin speaking environment.

 

#1 Be prepared

This is a long and ongoing process, especially for the families that don’t have a Chinese background. If you’d like your child to be fluent in Mandarin, make your plans as early as possible (even from the newborn stage).

 

#2 Be consistent

If you’re a Mandarin-speaking parent, stick to the language when you speak to your child. Your child will register and identify you as the provider of Mandarin, and it will become the only language used when you interact with each other. My daughter speaks English with my husband at home, and with her teachers and classmates at school, but only Mandarin with me. Therefore, I have to be aware that when she talks to me, English doesn’t creep into our conversations, as it will eventually take over if we aren’t consistent.

 

lf-jumpstart-hong-kong

 

#3 Be resourceful

If you’re not a Mandarin speaker, set up a daily routine for your child to practice Mandarin at home, and stick to your schedule. For example: listening to Mandarin audio programmes in the morning, flashcard practice after dinner, or singing Mandarin songs before bedtime. You may even learn some of the language yourself!

 

#4 Be supportive

Even if you and your spouse do not speak Mandarin, you can still maximise your child’s exposure to the language in their daily life. Other than the tuition your child is getting from the school or outside language centres, there are many things you could do at home to help out: for example, watch TV cartoons that can be switched to Mandarin; play Mandarin computer games or apps; enjoy playdates with Chinese friends; have a Chinese pen pal. Even going on a Mandarin camp in China could be a good choice for older children. Children need to feel they have all the support and assistance from home in planning their Mandarin learning.

 

#5 Be persistent

Try not to stop or take a break from your child’s Mandarin learning. Once you do it, you’ll likely have to start from the beginning again, and you may miss that “golden period”. (According to some research, a child’s ability to learn a new language or skill starts to decline from around the age of seven.)

 

To find out more about Jumpstart’s classes for children from 18 months to 11 years of age in Sai Kung and Hang Hau, visit Jumpstart

Categories: Kids Living In Hong Kong Schools

Get the latest events, stories and special offers
sent to your inbox.

By signing up, you'll receive our bimonthly newsletters and offers, which you can unsubscribe to anytime.

You May Also Like

Sailing in Hong Kong - inclusive sailing courses by charity Sailability

Making sailing accessible to everyone

A New Home in The New Territories

International Women’s Day: Nominate Someone Special

Primary Sidebar

  • COMPETITIONS & OFFERS
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Expat Living Hong Kong, All Rights Reserved.