Chinese
Foreign Language Numbers Game Inspired by Highlights: Eleven
I was just looking through my son’s Highlights magazine (www.Highlights.com) and I came across a fantastic game that can be effectively adapted to help kids practice numbers in Spanish, French, Chinese . . . any foreign language. In the March 2010 issue there’s an activity on pg. 38 by Jennifer Coleman called “Make 11.” Two [...]
Little Pim: Foreign Language DVD’s for Kids
I’ve recently become a fan of the award-winning Little Pim language learning dvd’s for children. They are cute, eye-catching, and age-appropriate for the littlest language learners. The short segments are just right for holding my 4 year old’s attention. He repeated some words in Spanish with no prompting, and then he asked to watch the [...]
Kids Learn Chinese
Ni Hao! I just came across a few fantastic online articles about the benefits of learning Mandarin:
Why You Should Learn Chinese by Ryan Edward
Why Let Kids Learn Chinese from NewsForNatives.com
Starting young is the way to go! In case you don’t have access to children’s Mandarin classes in your area, check out some of [...]
Foreign Language Education in the News
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I’ve come across a few interesting articles this week that I’d like to share. Here are some news stories from the world of foreign language education:
Utah leads the nation in public school students learning Mandarin. Not only is there a high percentage of secondary students learning Chinese, but the language is finding its way into [...]
Say Thank You in Many Languages This Thanksgiving
When I think of Thanksgiving, my mind goes to turkey and pumpkin pie, parades and football. Of course, the real reason is to give thanks to God for all that He has given us. On this special holiday, I’d like to say Thank You in as many ways and as many languages as I can. I’m [...]
Learn Numbers and Fruits in Mandarin Chinese with Bao Bei the Panda
In many areas of the U.S., there is a push to offer Mandarin Chinese instruction in our schools. My area of Michigan is no exception. A local initiative among public schools, government and businesses has already brought Chinese language instruction to several districts close to home.
There isn’t Chinese in my son’s school just yet, [...]
Learn Chinese Colors and Animals with Bao-Bei the Panda
I just discovered the cutest DVD to introduce my boys to Mandarin Chinese. It’s called Early Start Mandarin Chinese with Bao Bei the Panda. Ni Hao Productions, LLC, offers a series of Chinese DVD’s recommended for children ages 1 to 5. The host of the show is a panda puppet with a child’s voice named [...]
Do You Know How to Say Beijing?
I apparently don’t, but at least I’m not alone. I was just reading a story on Yahoo Sports about “NBC’s pronunciation conundrum in Beijing“ (August 15, 2008.) AP Journalist David Bauder writes about the pronunciation faux-pas of several American sports commentators as they report on the Olympic host city. The correct pronunciation is “Bay-jing” not “Bay-zhing”, which [...]
Teach Olympic Sports in French, Spanish, Chinese, and More!
We’ve been celebrating the Olympics for the past couple of weeks in preschool French class. Whatever your language, teaching sports vocabulary is fun and active.
Get your little ones on their feet with the Total Physical Response (TPR) method of language learning. Dr. James J. Asher developed this effective approach calling for physical movement in [...]
Big Bird in China: Learning Mandarin for the Olympics
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 [...]
