Introduction
Learning languages opens up the world of opportunities — we all know that. But at what age and which ones is a taugh question. In this article I will give you our reasoning behind sending our 2 year old toddler to a Mandarin preschool.
Given our family's situation, our daughters have no other choice than grow up multilingual. I am Polish, my husband is British, and we live in Zurich, Switzerland - that gives her an opportunity to be fluent in 3 languages - Polish, English and German - effortlessly. Given that Switzerland itself has 4 national languages of which 3 are widely spoken (German, French and Italian) - she will probably become fluent in another one sometime along the line in her education.
I am big on languages - I speak Polish, English and German fluently, and understand to various extent few more. But even for me, our daughter's language exposure seemed like enough. Funnily enough - not for my husband, who speaks only his mother tongue.
He is so fascinated by the fact that here in Switzerland you can grow up multilingual, he had this crazy idea that maybe it is worth teaching her up for another widely spoken language, perhaps one that is not so easy to learn later on in life. After all, as English will be her first language, so she will "save" the time other kids have to invest countless hours in learning it.
So one thing led to another - and we decided to send Hanna, our then 2 year old daughter - to a Chinese playgroup.
Many people must think we are crazy to do so - after all we have no family in China and her brain has to work out all the nuances of 3 languages already! But for us the results are very encouraging already, which is why I want to share with you what are the reasons why we think you should seriously consider sending children to a Mandarin class.
Our top reasons to send a preschooler to Mandarin classes
1. Early Language Learning Advantage
Children have the unique ability to learn languages. They can hear subtle differences in sounds of all the languages - a skill that diminishes with age and makes it more difficult not only to speak a language, but even distinguish some of the sounds.
They also have this unique way in which they are exposed to new languages - people speak slowly to them, about simple concepts, using mainly descriptive language, using a lot, a lot, a lot, a loooot of repetition. I sometimes think that if some spoke to me the whole day only pointing at things and naming them over and over again I could also learn any language - but this simply doesn't happen in your adult life.
Which is why it is so crucial to use these early years of life to get as much exposure to different languages as you and your wallet can handle. This is especially the case for a language like Mandarin which is so different in terms of sounds and structure from all the other European languages Westerners are normally exposed to.
2. Cultural Exposure and Appreciation
When it comes to Chinese it is not only a useful language - it is also a language that gives a child a key to ancient culture that is still very vibrant today. Whether only during travels or to pursue your interest in Chinese traditions, the knowledge of Mandarin gives you the ability to better understand into people's beliefs, values and history and read books on such topics that might not have been accessible to read otherwise.
For children it is especially fun given so many beautiful and colourful traditions and festivals that are still celebrated in the modern day China.
3. Cognitive and Developmental Benefits
Learning any language is beneficial for your brain. What is fascinating when it comes to children, is that bilingual or multilingual children are able to read a lot from the context and seem to not be bothered by the gaps in understanding.
We really observed this with Hanna - she really tunes in when she hears something that she doesn't quite understand and she seems to be really focused on the nonverbal cues when listening to someone talking a language that she doesn't know - which happens quite a lot here in Zurich. Surprisingly to us, when e.g. friend's parent is speaking French to her, she does seem to respond to the basic commands, and is not at all confused that somebody is speaking words she doesn't understand.
On the speaking front, what is also interesting is that she naturally fills in the gaps in the language - when she speaks Polish to me, she naturally takes an English word and either makes it sound Polish or just puts it in a sentence as is. Being 3 years old now, it is not that she mixes the languages - she only does it when she doesn't know the word - she is actively trying to use the limited resources she have to effectively communicate.
In the same way, in the Chinese playgroup, she naturally speaks much less. But she takes everything in and very often I am myself surprised how much she already knows.
4. Global Opportunities
There are so many reasons to learn Chinese, but for us, especially more so after visiting China few times, it is clear that Chinese will be the language of the future. With the rapid developments of the Chinese industry - especially green energy sector, microchips and high-speed rail technology - it is very likely that the best universities and best jobs when she grows up will likely be somewhere in China.
In this sense, for me sending her to learn Chinese is the equivalent of my parents investing in my English skills back in the day.
What can you do to set yourself (and your toddler) for success?
Don't forget that your child is a person - they have their preferences and interests, but also anxieties and worries. Going to a language class - especially in an immersive environment like a playgroup - can be stressful at the beginning. They might be uncomfortable in a place where they don't understand what people are saying and cannot fully express themselves.
There are plenty of things you can do to make the experience more enjoyable:
- Make sure you pick a school the right school.
Learning environment is important - even for adults. Make sure that you like the space and - most importantly - that the teachers are not only qualified, but also have good contact with kids. At the early stage it is the connection and comfort with the person speaking the language that makes all the difference.
- Find ways to make them interested in the language.
Whether it is through songs, themed-events or travel - there are countless ways to make kids immersed in the culture of the country. Because of our love to travel, we try to go to China as often as possible, but it is not the only way to support your child's learning efforts. You can do it through songs and books - for older kids with cartoons (we are not at that stage yet).
As there are Chinese diaspora in all the big cities in the world, you can try to find local celebrations of the Chinese New Year Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival etc. This will help children to understand the purpose and greater context of the language they are learning
- Go on this journey with them! -
Ideally you should speak the basics of the language you want them to learn, even as a beginner. Why not sign up for the classes yourself? This way you can sing songs together, learn Chinese characters or ask each other questions.
I started learning Mandarin shortly after Hanna did and we have a lot of fun trying to write characters together or singing songs. I really feel that it boosted her motivation.
Start Your Child's Language Journey Now!
In the abundance of online resources and traditional language courses, there have never been an easier time to learn a language. And there has never been more reasons to invest time in learning Mandarin.
If I sparked your interest, now it is your turn to find out what steps YOU can take to unlock the world of opportunities for your child!
For us this is just the beginning of this wonderful language journey, stay tuned for the updates of our language progress.
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments and I will try to answer them based on our experience.
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