In 2023, 7-year-old Emily from Sydney encountered major hurdles in learning Chinese, particularly with character retention and understanding grammar. Although her parents didn’t speak Chinese themselves, they were committed to helping her progress. They adopted several strategies to accelerate her learning and boost her confidence.
First, they enrolled Emily in online Chinese lessons with eChineseLearning, where her teacher carefully tracked her progress. The teacher set weekly goals, such as learning 10 new characters and practicing two new sentences. Emily’s parents maintained regular communication with the teacher, ensuring she stayed on course. To make these goals tangible, the teacher provided a detailed progress chart that highlighted Emily’s achievements each week while pinpointing areas needing more attention. When she struggled with a topic, the teacher adjusted the approach and offered additional guidance.
To make learning more engaging, her parents introduced multi-sensory techniques. They bought colorful flashcards with pictures to help Emily associate characters with images. They also downloaded Chinese children’s songs and played them during car rides, allowing her to pick up common words and phrases effortlessly. Each night before bed, they dedicated five minutes for Emily to review the words she had learned that day, and she revisited them the next morning to strengthen her memory.
At home, they created an immersive environment. They set up a “Chinese corner” filled with storybooks, character stickers, and bilingual picture books. Every month, they let Emily choose a book that interested her, encouraging independent exploration. Around the house, they labeled objects like “door” and “book” with Chinese words, giving Emily continuous exposure to the language.
To foster social learning, they enrolled her in a weekly Chinese club where she could interact with other children also learning Chinese. The club offered games, simple conversations, and storytelling sessions. Emily quickly bonded with her peers and enjoyed friendly competitions to see who could memorize the most characters, which significantly boosted her motivation.
Her parents also utilized technology to enhance her learning. They introduced apps like Pleco and Quizlet, which offered interactive games and exercises to reinforce her lessons. As a result, her vocabulary expanded quickly, and she could recall new words with ease during tests.
They encouraged Emily to take charge of her learning by letting her choose which Chinese books to read each week or select a Chinese cartoon to watch. Emily grew especially fond of Peppa Pig in Chinese, and every night before bed, she would watch an episode and then try using the new words in conversations with her teacher.
Despite not understanding Chinese themselves, Emily’s parents emphasized applying the language in real-life situations. At Chinese restaurants, they encouraged her to order in Chinese and interact with the staff. These small experiences gradually boosted her confidence in using the language. During lessons, they motivated her to engage more in speaking practice with her teacher.
Lastly, they implemented a reward system to celebrate her successes. Whenever she met a goal or excelled at the Chinese club, they treated her to something special. They also proudly displayed her Chinese writing on a wall at home and invited friends and family to see her progress, reinforcing her sense of accomplishment.
Over the course of the year, Emily made remarkable strides. She went from recognizing only a few characters to reading simple Chinese storybooks fluently and holding basic conversations. Her growing confidence and the unwavering support from her parents set her on a positive path for continued learning. By integrating Chinese into daily life rather than relying solely on rote memorization, Emily advanced quickly and consistently.
If you are interested in having your kid learn Chinese, sign up for a free trial class via the form on this page, and we will be happy to help.