Mastery of Chinese is of great importance not only because it is one of Singapore’s official languages but all the more so if it is your mother tongue. Children have the most potential learning languages. They remember everything they are told to and they repeat what they hear, even without fully understand what it means. Some experts say children who start learning a language before the age of 5 are more likely to have the native or near-native pronunciation of that language. Others say this age can extend up to preadolescence. Based on this theory, some people believe the earlier a child is introduced to a new language, the better it is.

Numerous researches have shown that when introducing a second language, the earlier in a child’s life you start, the more promising the results. Many suggest that 6 years and younger are the magic years – with neuro-linguistics, psychology, and social pressure all playing a part. How well a child actually learns the language is, of course, directly correlated to the frequency of exposure, the opportunity for practice, and depth of teaching. Having regular fun and engaging lessons will ensure your preschooler gets a grasp of Mandarin while they are at this prime age to learn a second language. If you have a child between the ages of 5 and 6, how can you make the most of this time to expose your kids to Mandarin so that they develop a love and talent for this potentially complicated language?

Is Mandarin harder for children to learn than other languages?

Chinese is a tonal language—in which the same combination of consonants and vowels can be pronounced totally different ways– and it’s much easier to learn than in earlier years. The younger they learn, the more authentically they can reproduce these sounds. Our focus is on the spoken language. As far as that goes, it’s no more difficult for the kids than the other languages. Here is what you can try to expose your kids to Mandarin so that they develop a love and talent for this potential.

1. Make sure the lesson is fun!

If the kids wanted to watch Power Rangers or a movie, they first had to watch 20 minutes of a movie in Chinese. Stocked up on movies they love—Trollz, Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, Minions—so they’d still have options they’d want to watch.

2. Choose one-on-one Mandarin tuition

When a child starts to learn a language, it is important to associate the language with the person who speaks it with him/her consider one-on-one private tuition so that the Mandarin teacher can cater the class to your child’s interests. You will want to make sure your preschooler’s first impressions of Mandarin are good – that they are fully engaged and have a connection with the teacher. Enrich your kids’ knowledge with the subject fundamentals and experts in learning the Chinese language from our Tueetor app. At Tueetor, your child has wider and easy access to Chinese tutors and tuition in Singapore.

3. Incorporate Chinese into other parts of daily basis

Are you In the car with your kids? Ask them to find something that’s 紫色 (purple) or 红色 (red) or count together with them.

4. Keep a list of new Chinese words we review

Each week, try introducing them to a new set of words. keep a journal so that you can keep track of what they should already know. You can write them out using our alphabet fridge magnets.

Mandarin is the most commonly-used language on Earth and our little ones will experience lifelong benefits by starting to learn today!