The best stuff for kids to learn Chinese
After years and years of looking for the best materials to help families learn Chinese together, the time has come to share insights about what made our list of favorites. Once a month or so, we'll feature something (app, program, book, CD, DVD) we love and use. We won't sugarcoat it - strengths and weaknesses will be highlighted. Although nothing is perfect, the goal is to talk about products we like and use; not to criticize products we didn't purchase or stopped using out of frustration. Readers are invited to add their thoughts and feelings.
Site Owner: ChineseForFamilies
Most Recent Posts from The best stuff for kids to learn Chinese
Why authentic content is best at any level
We just started a thread where our recommended products are all "made for native speakers." Well, sort of. They are dubbed versions of children's programs (cartoons and live action) designed for the very young. This has advantages - first the content is suitable for children - no bad words and no inappropriate content. Second, the language level is rather basic and simplistic. The videos we will recommend feature simple sentence structures in short narratives (approx...Posted on 8 February 2012 | 6:57 pm
Learning Mandarin with Chinese Teletubbies - yes the Teletubbies!
Yuck!!!!! Ewwww!!!! I can hear the groans of parents everywhere. Yes, Teletubbies are our favorite. Why do we love the Teletubbies? The answer is simple - would you like to start your toddler or pre-schooler on the road to speaking Mandarin without pulling you hair out, having them rip the keys off your laptop or break the IPad? What you really need are basic sentences, presented in a meaningful context that you and your child can understand by watching while you listen.&...Posted on 8 February 2012 | 6:25 pm
Chinese Grammar – A Brief Intro
This blog entry will briefly introduce Chinese grammar. The contents of this article are limited to modern, vernacular Mandarin Chinese. Here is the good news -- in contrast to the writing system, Chinese grammar is simple and straightforward. We’ll present “just enough grammar” to get you started. At the same time I’ll explain what you would typically see during the first year of Chinese instruction. The explanations and examples will be in English with limi...Posted on 1 February 2012 | 3:53 pm
Chinese – The Basics
Chinese isn’t as hard as reported (or Chinese grammar is simple) “Chinese is one of the most difficult languages requiring years of study to master.” We’ve all heard this before. Let me contradict this statement and then agree with it. What we often think of when we refer to the Chinese language, is usually the Mandarin dialect. It is one of many dialects currently spoken throughout the world. Spoken Chinese is by no means standard across dialects, but mo...Posted on 23 January 2012 | 6:06 pm
Yummy Vegetarian New Year Food & Event in Philly
Dear Friends - if you are a meat eating family, allow us to apologize. Please feel free to post your favorite meat lovers recipes in the comments. The Vegetarian Times just sent links to some fabulous Chinese New Year dishes that we would like to share:Sugar Snap Snow Pea Stir Fry Stir Fry Rice NoodlesHaricots Verts Stir Fry with Sichuan PeppersVegetable Moo Shoo wrapsFor families living in the Philadelphia metro area, please join us for Chinese New Year at the University of Pennsylv...Posted on 18 January 2012 | 6:35 pm
