How Good Is Your Little One's Chinese?

Being able to speak two languages (or three, or four) is an amazing skill. But beyond the obvious benefits of simply making one's self understood to a wider range of people, the cultural benefits can really broaden your horizons.

Teaching your children Mandarin can be invaluable, and if your stay in Beijing is intended to be a long one, it will be a necessity.

An interesting article in US family magazine Cookie, sung the praises of embracing more than one culture and language:

"In the global culture, what could be more important than knowing several languages?" asks Orville Schell, dean of the University of California at Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, who, with his Chinese-born wife, Baifang, has raised sons Sebastian and Sasha to speak three languages. The boys have interacted in Mandarin with their mother and her relatives ever since they could talk, and they were enrolled in a French lycée as soon as they hit school age. Now 13 and 14, they can switch effortlessly among English, Mandarin, and French. "They feel more confident and have an infinitely greater awareness of the world," Schell observes. "They are like skilled dancers or fine sportsmen who know that they have something of a secret power. They almost never find themselves embarrassed or fearful that they will be laughed at as they try to communicate."

If you're looking for a crash course in Mandarin for your kids, check out these free Chinese language classes run by the China Trade Commission. Here's what the CTC has to say:

As part of a cultural exchange program, the China Trade Commission is sponsoring an 18 week basic Chinese language program for foreign children ages 3 to 8 years of age to learn Level 1-5 Chinese from local University Students majoring in language and linguistics. The special program is offered in cooperation with the Rainbow Theater which has donated the classroom facilities in Haidian – close to the Suzhoujie Subway station on Line 10. The classes will start on January 15th, February 3rd, and February 27th.

The classes are offered every Wednesday or Sunday evenings from 7pm to 8.30 pm with a 15 minute snack break.

After only two lessons children will be able to introduce themselves, and ask basic questions like who, what, when, where, and how? After 18 lessons, students will be able to ask directions, find locations, telephone numbers, ask for help, and how to handle an emergency – all in Chinese! All students who complete the course will receive a certificate of completion from the CTC and be eligible to enroll in private tutoring programs if they wish to continue their language studies.

Programs for teens are also being arranged and will start after the Spring Festival holiday. This special offer is limited to 300 students, so if you are interested, don’t delay and contact the CTC for further information. E-mail: ChinaTradeCommission @Gmail.com.