I’m still trying to learn a little Mandarin Chinese in honor of the Beijing Olympics. I’m embarrassed to admit I haven’t made it too far past Hello and Goodbye:
Ni hao - Hello
Zai jian - Goodbye
But now, thanks to Big Bird, I can add one more expression to my repertoire:
Wo ai ni – I love you
I am truly at the novice, beginner-beginner level. Thank goodness for pinyin (Chinese written with the Roman alphabet) and for Sesame Street!
Children’s programming is just my speed. You’ll have to check out Big Bird in China. This award-winning special originally aired in 1983. While in New York’s Chinatown, Big Bird learns about the magical phoenix that lives in China. So, off he goes on a Chinese adventure in search of the beautiful foreign bird. Barkley the dog comes along for the international experience, too. And Oscar the Grouch decides to dig his way to China. Here’s a cute, short language-learning clip from Big Bird in China:
