中文
Met a lady from Beijing some time back, and never did managed to speak to her long, as my Mandarin sucks! Then the other day, after last Tuesday's farewell lunch , I offered to drop her home as she lives about 2 streets away from me. So "terpaksa" converse to her in the car. Although her hubby is caucasian, her English is still not very good. Our conversation was in a mixture of English and Mandarin. Don't know why, but whenever I speak mandarin, my Thai seems to spring out smoothly replacing certain Mandarin words. For example, I like to use "IF" in alot of my sentences, and in Mandarin, it is "lu kuo", right? But I kept on saying "tha", which is Thai. "Tha" comes out so effortlessly that I do not even realise that I've used my words incorrectly. Another example is "ALWAYS". I do not know what is the Mandarin word for this. Again, I used Thai in its place, which is "sem-mer".
Well, she offered to teach me Mandarin. My mandarin must be soooo atrocious that she felt compelled to educate this LEMON! But she nicely put it that I have potential. What was the word she used "piow choon". In my heart, I was thinking.."NO need to teach me lah. Teach my sons, can ar??". Although boys have been going for their mandarin classes at a center twice a week for 1 1/2 hours each time, don't think it is enough. Plus, they absolutely do NOT speak it at home nor at the school. So how like that?? S1 is progressing very sssssloooooowly but S2 is like not progressing at all. *SIGH* Some more, NOT cheap sending them to these classes. But I am adamant that these classes must NOT STOP. This S2's mandarin is really really bad. I screamed at him the other day over his lack of interest in mandarin. Made him cry.... So, how do I encourage more interest in the language?
12 comments:
i guess kids are more active in learning the language if something interest them..say they like a certain singer (so will learn his lyrics right to follow his/her songs), or comics (forced to read the words), like u mentioned, if u dont speak to them at home, they wont get to use it too. listening to stories or watching chinese cartoons helps too..i find that when u can listen and converse, its something more 'practical', eventually when u can see and read the words than really writing which can come a bit later..just my 1 cents tots :)
good luck!
I am lucky in a way, Kopi Boy begged me to let him learn mandarin, I was very hesitant for both Kopi Hia and I no speak Mandarin. But finally i relented and surprisingly Kopi Boy is doing well. I reli do think that the interest has to come from the kids then there will be less struggle, the same goes for music lesson adn everything else. But then hor sometimes if left to kopi boy to decide then all oso dowan except stay home watch TV, hehe.
eh just learn not enuff lor..got to converse..see la my son...in school he will be conversing in English with his friends...i've learned that in any language, got to keep using it if not sure gone one la.. (same thing as piano la,,that's why keep screaming at my son to practise!)
Misha also cannot speak mandarin .. only english .. arghh .. die lar .. but at least learning the basic in school now :) hehehe ..
I hated mandarin because my mother was the one who taught me and you knowlah whenever a mum teaches a child, disaster will happen. So if you scream some more, your son will soon hate it.
were you in Thailand for a long period??
Try and speak a bit of Chinese to them, if you can. And your boys probably can understand more than they speak it.
But I know what you mean, my older one also just goes for class, and his is only once a week. Younger one, the Chinese school said to wait till he's older.
Winniethepooh - I supposed you are right...as my S1 is currently trying to learn Cantonese as he is reading some KungFu legend book with some cantonese words... But as for my S2, ...abit difficult. Whatever interesting in mandarin, sure got something better in English one. So how to learn? Got to slowly slowly "FORCE" lor... and also cross my fingers that eventually, it will masuk his brain!
Firehorse - YOU are lucky lah...your son wants to learn the language himself. No need you "tor huik".
True. If leave to kids to decide, sure wanna watch TV than do anything else. Told them I won't DEMAND them to take any other classes...but Mandarin and Swimming is a MUST lor..
Laundryamah - Aye..at least yours still in CHINESE School leh. Mine in angmoh school. Mix with angmoh lang... how ler?
Misha's Mum - In HK, the language is taught everyday, right? MUST be frequent...then only Masuk Kepala..Now..only twice a week...
WMD - Okay. Okay. Will stop screaming over his MANDARIN. Scream over other things can lah hor? Heee hee.. Yeah. Think I have to find some interesting Mandarin songs to sing.. If I sing, then he will sing along.
Thailand? Just 1 1/2 years....
bp - But you speak and read Chinese?
Your younger one should start already lah.. just for fun ones..sing and play..before he develops the "I don't like Chinese" syndrome!!
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