Some kids, upon encountering Chinese expressions they are unfamiliar with, would immediately seek assistance from their teacher. Even after receiving an explanation from the teacher, they persistently rely on the teacher for the same problem in subsequent instances. This behavior may make learning Chinese ineffecitve for kids. To address this situation, parents can implement the following measures:
1.Communication with the teacher
Parents should communicate with the teacher and request that the teacher refrain from repeatedly explaining the same question to kid, unless kid genuinely did not understand. If kid continues to rely on the teacher without making an effort to think or seek solutions on their own after a certain number of attempts, the teacher should encourage kid to think independently or find solutions themselves.
2.Cultivate kid’s self-directed learning abilities
Foster kid’s independent learning abilities, such as having the teacher teach them how to find Chinese learning resources on their own. Encourage kid to try using these methods to search for Chinese learning resources independently. This way, they can avoid relying solely on the teacher. When resources are obtained directly from the teacher, kids may perceive them as readily available and naturally skip the cognitive process. However, when they search for resources on their own, they go through a process of reinforcing memory. As they engage in more independent searching, they naturally remember better.
3.Create opportunities for kid to use Chinese
Try to provide kid with opportunities to use Chinese. This can involve finding online friends to chat within Chinese, spending a few months living in China during summer or winter breaks, or visiting areas with a significant Chinese population such as Chinatowns. The key is to find people with whom kid can communicate in Chinese and encourage them to apply what they have learned. By using the language frequently, they will be more likely to remember it. Merely inputting Chinese knowledge without outputting it will make it difficult for kid to retain what they have learned.
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.