The Rodriguez family moved from the Philippines to Hong Kong in early 2022 due to the father’s job relocation. They have two children: 6-year-old Sofia and 10-year-old Alex. Before the move, Sofia had never been exposed to Mandarin, while Alex had attended a Chinese school in the Philippines where he learned basic Mandarin, but his level was quite basic low. As the family settled into their new life in Hong Kong, they quickly realized that improving the children’s Mandarin skills was essential for them to keep up with school and fit into their new environment.
Soon after arriving, it became clear that while many people in Hong Kong speak English, Mandarin remains crucial in international school education. Sofia felt lost in kindergarten when the teachers interacted in Mandarin, and Alex struggled to keep up with the fast-paced Chinese lessons at his new school. The parents understood that without addressing these language barriers, their kids would face increasing challenges in both academics and social life.
For Sofia, the focus was on building a solid foundation in Mandarin since she was still young and had time to gradually catch up. The parents knew that as she progressed through primary school, she would need to be comfortable with Mandarin to interact with classmates and follow the curriculum. They decided to introduce her to the language in fun and engaging ways. They played Chinese nursery rhymes, pinyin songs, and cartoons like Journey to the West to spark her interest and familiarize her with the sounds of Mandarin.
Sofia’s kindergarten also hosted regular “Mandarin Learning Days,” where teachers used toys, flashcards, and games to introduce basic vocabulary and phrases in a relaxed setting. For example, Sofia learned to identify colors like “red” and “yellow” through games and picked up common greetings and responses.
At home, the parents reinforced this learning by having her watch simple Mandarin children’s programs like BabyBus, which featured easy-to-follow content and playful characters. Over time, Sofia grew more comfortable with Mandarin’s rhythm and tones, gradually imitating phrases she heard and even starting to use basic Mandarin sentences at home.
For Alex, the approach was different. Although he had some prior knowledge, his classroom experience in the Philippines was mostly theoretical, lacking real-world application. In Hong Kong, he couldn’t keep up with the teachers’ rapid Mandarin instructions.
The parents encouraged Alex to join a Chinese calligraphy club in the neighborhood. This not only deepened his understanding of characters but also provided opportunities to practice conversational Chinese with peers. By engaging with others in the club, Alex grew more comfortable expressing himself in everyday scenarios.
To further enhance his speaking skills, the parents arranged for Alex to meet weekly with a language exchange partner who was fluent in Mandarin. They spent time doing homework together and playing games while using Mandarin, which made the learning process more enjoyable. Gradually, Alex became more confident speaking Mandarin and began using it more naturally in conversations at home. Both Alex and Sofia were also encouraged to watch Mandarin TV programs daily, making Mandarin a consistent part of their environment.
Meanwhile, the parents also enrolled both children in an online Chinese learning program with eChineseLearning. The teachers there designed personalized lessons tailored to each child’s specific weaknesses. The kids followed the lessons daily, not only catching up on what they missed at school but also getting ahead with new content. As a result, their Chinese skills improved rapidly.
After several months of consistent practice, Sofia could hold simple conversations with her kindergarten classmates and showed genuine enthusiasm for learning new words. Meanwhile, Alex caught up with his school’s Chinese curriculum and even started participating in group discussions with his peers. His progress was evident when he eagerly took part in a school Mandarin speech contest, a milestone that highlighted how far he’d come since their move.
Their story shows that even if newly-immigrated non-Chinese children struggle to keep up with Chinese in Hong Kong, they can catch up by fully taking advantage of the local environment and online learning resources. For younger children, it’s especially important to focus on early language exposure and build a strong foundation for future Chinese learning.
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