Do you know how to say the popular Chinese rhyme for counting frogs? If not, you can easily learn it by watching this video. If you are good with math, you could continue the rhyme by adding more frogs, one at a time. Don’t forget to multiply the number of mouths, eyes and legs by the number of frogs!
How to teach our children Chinese?
Recently I was presented with a question that may concern many Chinese families who live abroad:
“I was originally from China. I think it is very important to teach our children Chinese. But they are reluctant to study Chinese. Do you have any suggestions?”
Knowing a second language, particularly one’s parents’ native language, will enrich one’s life in many ways. Children are like sponges, always ready to absorb new information. They learn quickly, and they are able to distinguish between different languages. After they have a good handle on one language system, say around five years of age, it is safe to teach them a second language.
I often hear Chinese parents tell their children, “Speak Chinese.” Or, they ask, “Why don’t you speak Chinese?” I’d smile and wonder why they are not speaking Chinese themselves. I think if Chinese parents want their children to understand Chinese, it helps to consistently speak Chinese to them, teach them Chinese songs and tell them stories in Chinese. They could select appropriate Chinese story cartoons and children’s song videos from Youtube for their children to watch. Speaking Chinese at home will not hinder the children’s performance at school. Of course, you will still supervise their English homework and tell them stories in English as well.
It is harder to make the children learn to write Chinese. As a parent, you could introduce them to a small set of basic characters and encourage them to write simple notes or short letters to their relatives in China or Taiwan. Ideally there is a weekend Chinese class that they could attend, and they also have the opportunity to spend some time (such during the summer vacation) in a Chinese-speaking community. When there is no one around who understands English, then your children will speak Chinese pronto.
“Thank you very much for the advice. They are great. I guess learning a foreign language is a progressive process. We learn it day by day and little by little.”
Yes, language abilities are like one’s muscles – They will grow strong when you flex them daily. 🙂
Decorate a gift box using tissue paper flowers
Mother’s Day is coming up. Here is a quick and easy way to make a few flowers to put on the gift box for your mom. All you need is a few pieces of tissue paper and a small wire tie to hold them together.
In Chinese, flowers are called 花 (huā)
What are some of the names of flowers in Chinese?
牡丹花 (mǔdan huā) are tree peony blossoms
玫瑰花 (méigui huā) are roses.
百合花 (bǎihéhuā) are lilies.
鬱金香 (yùjīnxiāng) are tulips.
菊花 (júhuā) are chrysanthemums.
梅花 (méihuā) are plum blossom.
櫻花 (yīnghuā) are flowering cherry blossoms.
桃花 (táohuā) are peach blossoms.
Have a Happy Mother’s Day!
Make your own jigsaw puzzles for Christmas
What will you be giving your little sisters and brothers this Christmas? I have an idea. Why not make a few jigsaw puzzles for them?
In Chinese, jigsaw puzzles are called 拼图游戏 (pīn tú yóuxì).
You can ask your parents to get some blank puzzles that are 5 1/2 inches by 8 inches in size. Use a pencil to draw a picture on each blank puzzle. Maybe a Christmas tree with lots of pretty decorations? How about a Sata Claus,
圣诞老人 (Shèngdànlǎorén), saying “Ho, ho, ho!”
If you like the candy cane picture on this page, you could make one just like it. You can color it with crayon or water color then use a black marker to go over the outlines. You could write a short message on the puzzle. You could also add little stickers to some of the puzzle pieces. If you do, make sure the stickers don’t go over the jigsaw lines.
Take the puzzle apart and put the pieces in an envelope. Ask your parents to stuff the puzzles in the Christmas stockings for your brothers and sisters. They will have fun putting them back together. And they will be so happy that you made the puzzles just for them.
圣诞快乐﹗
Shèngdàn kuàilè﹗
Merry Christmas!
Sweetie & Bobo & Friends - Copyright (c) Lydia Lin 2011-2014 