Many Singaporean parents worry they can’t support their child’s Chinese learning if they aren’t fluent themselves. The good news? You can still play a powerful role.
Here Are 5 Effective At-Home Strategies:
1. Create a Chinese-Rich Environment
Label items at home in Chinese, play Chinese nursery rhymes, or use Chinese subtitles on familiar cartoons. Accompany your Primary School learner to ‘netflix and chill’ over a Chinese movie or tele-series – and remember to turn on the subtitles so that you could listen and recognise the words during the movie!
2. Use Chinese Learning Apps
Apps like Luka Reading Robot provide interactive, child-friendly ways to build vocabulary. Pleco is especially useful for primary school learners, as the interface allows children to ‘write’ the words while discovering their meanings and pronunciations.
3. Read Together
Even if you can’t read every word, the act of exploring picture books, looking up unfamiliar characters using apps such as Pleco, and asking questions shows your child that they are not alone in this journey to mastering Chinese! This encourages them and helps build their interest.
4. Celebrate Small Wins
Praise your child for trying, even if pronunciation isn’t perfect. Building confidence is key to long-term progress.
5. Stay Involved With Their Enrichment Classes
Talk to teachers, review take-home materials, and ask your child to teach you a word they learned that day.
Conclusion
You don’t need to speak fluent Chinese to help your child master Chinese. With the right tools and mindset, your support at home can make a lasting impact!
Let Yuexuele support you and your child every step of the way in your journey to mastering the Chinese language —from toddlerhood to primary school. Book a trial class today and see how we make Chinese learning joyful and effective.
