This Mandarin Monday, instead of giving you a list of vocabulary to work on, we’re giving you some tips on learning the language from 15-year-old student correspondent Fiona McFarland, who speaks five languages.

I have lived in China since age two and went to a Chinese school from kindergarten to grade 8. I learned English at home through talking with my family and reading books until grade 6 when I began taking English courses online. In grade 6 I also started learning French through Duolingo and then in grade 7, I began taking online French courses. At the same time in grade 7, I started learning Russian by chatting with Russian friends. Since I progressed rapidly I soon began to learn reading, writing, and grammar as well. In grade 8 I picked up Spanish on Duolingo as a hobby. I supplemented this with listening-based SpanishPod101 and attending a weekly online Spanish Club as well as watching movies, listening to music, labeling objects, and other activities associated with my other languages, I am now fluent in English and Chinese, am fast approaching fluency in French and soon after Russian, and can have basic conversations in Spanish. Here are my tips for learning a language, any language:

Change your cellphone’s language to whatever you are learning.

This exposes you to a lot of vocabulary, such as “phone,” “calendar,” “push the button,” “talk with your friends,” etc. as shown to the right since it also changes every app to that language. You can do this with any device, just be careful: make sure you can change the language back to your native tongue so that when an important message comes up you do not make a mistake. Also, when you try to translate something in WeChat, it will automatically translate to the language set on your phone.

Write a journal/diary.

Don’t worry about your grammar, just write whatever comes to your head. If you think you do not know enough words, look them up in a dictionary or just supplement English words wherever needed. Make sure to write the date how people would in that language since each country writes the date differently.

Tape the names of objects all over the house.

For instance, on a mirror put the word “mirror;” beside your toothbrush put “toothbrush;” beside the kitchen door put “kitchen,” etc. Just remember that tape gets sticky and if you leave a note on something for a long time it does not come off easily.

Play games.

If possible, play board or card games with someone else who speaks the language. Some games work via facetime and others, such as Minecraft or Words With Friends, are specifically made for online and come in all different languages. However, if you would rather play face-to-face games but have no one else to play with, games like UNO, Carcassonne, Pandemic, and most cooperative games use lots of important vocabulary and work well when alone. Just chatter to yourself and pretend to be all the players.

Talk talk talk.

Similar to 4, ideally you can talk with someone else, no matter how bad you think your grammar or pronunciation is. Even voice messaging with someone once in a while can help a lot! However, if this is not an option, have conversations with yourself. This will probably feel embarrassing to most people, but there are things you can do to help that. I sometimes chatter to myself with earbuds on or my hood up so that I can just pretend I am talking to someone on the phone.

Watch movies.

With or without subtitles, you are bound to learn some new words while enjoying yourself. If you really want to learn a lot of vocab, make flashcards of any words essential to the story that you did not know. E.g. for Cinderella you could write “glass slippers,” “mice,” “carriage,” etc.

Listen to music.

There are all sorts of music out there in many different languages. I personally enjoy Disney and Hillsong music since I already know the lyrics in English, the songs are clean, and they have been translated into many languages.

Read.

Books, cereal boxes, restaurant menus, anything works! For books, choose ones that interest you and that you would enjoy reading, since that way you are more likely to read it all the way through. Of course, depending on your language level and where you live this may or may not work for you.

Cook or bake.

Find recipes in the language you are learning. If you are an avid baker, copy down your favorites and create a recipe box with multilingual recipes. This is a great way to practice numbers, ingredients, and directions as well as try new cuisine.

Practice any way you can!

Websites and apps like Duolingo, Babbel, or LanguagePod101 can teach you a lot. Making flashcards of words you learn also reinforces your vocabulary learning. If you wish to communicate with native speakers there are penpal websites such as studentsoftheworld. Honestly, the possibilities are endless! Whatever you chose to do though, practice your language every single day, even if it is only for 5 minutes. To make your learning fun, vary it up. For instance, you could watch a movie one day, bake something the next, and then practice on Duolingo the day after. The most important thing, though, is to just do what you enjoy while learning a language!

KEEP READING: A Giraffe Among Horses: Growing up as a (Tall) Foreigner in a Chinese School

Images: Fiona McFarland

As COVID-19 continues to sweep across the globe and more areas are placed under lockdown, folks are doing what they do best, pooling together resources to help alleviate the burden and boredom of quarantine.

In Australia, an unnamed individual set up Covidhelp.com.au, a crowd-sourced collection of various amenities to survive your time at home. While some are specific to Australian residents, i.e. grocery delivery, utilities services, and employment options, other services such as entertainment and health & fitness are available worldwide.

Of the eleven categories, one is specifically for kids, which currently includes links to four freebies.

Free Selection of Kids and Family Content on Amazon Prime

Free 3 Month Subscription to Rosetta Stone

50 Free Sesame Street E-Books

Free Audiobooks from Audible

According to the website’s admin, “The goal of this site is to help Australians and businesses to work together to get through this crisis and then eventually help rebuild the country and our economy.” Likewise, the admin is looking for “any offers, assistance, freebies, etc. from big brands to small businesses wanting to help the community.”

Despite the fact that we’re all based in Beijing, we can still help in this noble effort by “simply [spreading]this site to friends and family and across your social channels.” Moreover, if you would like add content to the site, you can email the admin at covidhelpau@gmail.com.

Photos: covidhelp.com.au, vocativ.com, everydayfamily.com

I became obsessed with educational play as soon as I found out I was pregnant. What could I do in and outside of the home to help my baby’s brain and character develop in such a way that he would reach each milestone with success, and of course have the best emotional, physical, and cognitive start to life?

Economist-turned-academic Ron Ferguson has forged a career out of studying the achievement gap. It may be common knowledge that factors such as a child’s race and socioeconomic status will create a wide learning gap between kids, but Ferguson discovered that these gaps could begin to take form and become visible at the tender age of just 2.

Which brings us to: how caregivers can encourage brain development before a child starts any formal learning. Here are five cost-effective, researched, and positive ways that parents and caregivers can help support their baby’s brain development. It’s as simple as interacting with our children and being responsive to them. These five principles have been named by Ferguson as the Boston Basics

1. Maximize love, manage stress

This might seem like an obvious one but can be hard to maintain or overlooked because of its simplicity. I’m a firm believer in moms and dads really looking after their physical and emotional well-being first. A happy parent will always equate to a happy child and according to this principle of Ferguson’s, babies pick up on negative emotion, so looking after oneself and offering unfettered and limitless love and affection will have a lasting influence on a child’s development.

2. Talk, sing, and point

This is a favorite of mine, and one that I try to do daily with my little one at home. Pointing at something helps babies to start associating words with objects. Some babies point before they can talk, and singing offers fun and engaging interaction in addition to helping your baby develop their vocabulary.

3. Count, group, and compare

I was happy to learn that babies love numbers and counting, and so embrace even more the endless counting that goes on in Mandarin with Ayi, and in English with mom and dad at home and playgroups. Ferguson also suggests that parents can introduce their kids to math vocabulary by using sentences that compare things: “Oh look, dad is tall but mom is short, ” or “There are two bananas and three mangos in the fruit basket”.

4. Explore through movement and play

This idea is based on the concept that your child is always learning while playing. In my post about Mommy and Me movement classes, I have written about how moms and dads can stay active and encourage learning and bonding through music and movement, so joining a class like this one can help encourage us to support our kids’ brain development!

5. Read and discuss stories

One of my fondest and earliest memories was having stories read to me, like my childhood favorite Peace At Last by Jill Murphy (and now the chosen night-time read for my little one). There were animal and object noises, the concept of not getting enough sleep, and problem solving, all in one short story about Mr Bear who found peace at last just as the alarm bell rang in the early hours of the morning to wake him up. Ferguson says it’s never too early to start reading aloud to your kids.

Hearing words increases vocabulary and relating objects to sounds, like the noise of the owl at night in the story I was read, starts to create connections in the brain. The Basics also places importance on discussion. If there is a elephant in your story and your little one so happens to have elephant in the toy box, point it out.

Have fun using these simple but key principles to support your baby’s brain development. I know I will!

Photos: Pixabay

According to this China Daily info-graphic made for Disability Prevention Davy, over 85 million Chinese are currently living with a disability. And what most of us, across cultures, consider to be life milestones (education, friendships, a love life, and a career, for example) can be demonstratively more challenging to achieve for these facing these challenges. There is still often a stigma in China and beyond in terms of addressing these issues for both young and old. While resources for addressing these development issues are still limited, there seems to be a growing number of platforms out there to help young people.

This is one of the reasons why we were so elated to check out the range of services being offered at The Learning Frontier. The fairly new educational company based out of BCIS in Shuangjiing is dedicated to providing bilingual, personalized guidance, and support services for children and families residing in Beijing.

They have on their team a variety of specialists focusing on mental health, education and learning, applied behavior analysis, and speech and language and occupational therapy to assist children and families to better understand their development and to help each child live up to their full potential in school and life.

With extensive facilities designed with both learning and play in mind, they have created a very conducive environment to help children and families work on improving critical thinking, improving motor skills, developing literacy, and more.

Check out this cute animation that they recently made explaining some of the services they offer to develop social skills. If you want to learn more or have a consultation about some more of the specific programs they have, email The Learning Frontier or give them a call to arrange a consultation.

The Learning Frontier
4th Floor, No. 11 Dongbai Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东柏街11号四层
(6775 3268)

Photos: Kipp Whittaker

It’s Thursday afternoon and we are sitting together with my daughter’s new library book on my knees. My son, Paz, is on my right and Echo is doing somersaults off the couch to my left. I’m only on the second page.

“Why aren’t you listening to Mommy reading?” I ask her, irritated.

“Because.” she says, as if this 5-year-old answer is adequate.

I can already determine that the book she has chosen is not what she expected. It’s a complex story about Santa and a hibernating dormouse. There are too many words for her age level. Oh, and it’s in French.

Echo goes to the French International School. When she began at age 3, she only had our brief visits to Montreal in which to frame the language. I speak French with her Quebecoise godmother (my best friend), but at home I have actively chosen to focus on English considering my minority status within our predominately Chinese household. Now, after two years of French school, she understands a lot more than she speaks, but it’s still her weakest language.

“Aren’t you enjoying the story?”

“But Mommy, why can’t you read it in English?”

Every week, I have to trigger a toggle switch in my linguistic cortex before I station myself on that couch. I use a “read / verify understanding / translate / re-read”—style approach that takes forever. I inwardly sigh in patient resignation. Today, I had to look up the word “loir” (dormouse) on the internet before even starting the story. Clearly my French animal names vocabulary needs some practice.

“Echo,” I say gently, “first hear it in French then tell me what you think the words mean.” Before I’ve finished the next sentence, she somersaults again and my patience falters. I shut the book.

This triggers Paz’s complaints. He has been quietly absorbing the pictures and wants to continue. Echo climbs back up on the couch with exaggerated reluctance, whining about the French being “too hard.”

“Well, you chose this book,” I say, trying not to sound accusing. Then I ask, “What did you like about the cover?”

She perks up pointing to the “cute, fluffy little animals” pictured in the snowy forest with a bearded man in red.

“So what do you think the story’s about?” I ask. A new tactic.

“Playing in the snow!” she shouts. My son yells “Nuts!” because he has seen the second page showing the dormouse with its hibernation stash.

“Let’s find out!” I announce, opening the book once more. I directly translate page one into English to start the momentum rolling. I get to the second page, and she sees the nuts and exclaims that her brother is right, which makes him smile proudly. By the third page, I’m inserting more French words into my translation, and we have restored a rhythm. Eventually she is fully absorbed, and I can read the French sentences entirely back-to back with their English translations. No more losing her to somersaults.

By the end, with book closed, her first comment is this: “Mommy, why did you keep saying the loir was a ‘door mouse’? There’s no door on that mouse’s house!”

I laugh. “It’s just what that kind of mouse is called in English,” I say and then add: “No porte on the maison du loir! Pourquoi? Pourquoi? Pourqoui?” I stand up repeating this rhythmically until they’re both up with me dancing and giggling.

Maybe simultaneously combining three languages for my kids might seem like a question of “Why? Why? Why?” but I simply must believe in the figurative doorway it will provide for their futures.

About the Writer

Ember Swift is a Canadian who has been living in Beijing since 2008. She has a daughter, Echo (5), and a son Paz (3). She spends a lot of time on stages making original music, writing blogs and columns, doing voice over work, and advocating for vegetarianism, LBGTQ rights and multilingualism. (www.emberswift.com).

This article originally appeared on p。 44 of beijingkids June 2017 issue.
Download the digital copy here.

“Are you Chinese?”
“Are you Chinese?” On a sunny winter day in December, an ayi wearing a beige quilted jacket, a receptionist in the new compound we’d live in temporarily, throws this question at my 2.5 year old toddler son. To the receptionist, this question is probably on par with asking “Have you eaten yet?” And to my toddler son, the answer is as simple as the question: “I am.” The female receptionists all laugh about his answer. My son grasps my hand tightly, and we leave for the elevator.

These days, I take care of my baby and toddler son during the day. Some days are chaotic, and I’m just glad we’ve made it to the evening. On other days, everything works perfectly during the day: my sons both get their needs met on time―food, naps, clean diapers, and cuddle time with mommy are all completed. Whenever we leave to go bobsledding or buy fruits and vegetables in one of the shops down the street, I bundle up my toddler son, dress my baby, put him in the sling, and add a blanket for another layer of warmth.

“Where did you learn to speak Chinese so well?”
Once outside, strangers wearing layer upon layer of dark winter clothes will stop in their tracks when they see us, turning their heads when we walk by. A mom taking two kids out on her own is basically unheard of here, even more so taking them out in the midst of winter, no matter how warm winter might be this year. Winter is not measured in degrees, it is counted in days of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, a calendar pre-dating the thermometer by hundreds of years and thus having proven its credibility by age. One or the other sturdy Chinese grandmas will stop in her tracks and reach under the blanket to touch my bundled-up baby, crying out loud with surprise over the fact that his feet are, indeed, warm. While the grandmas are wondering if my baby is warm, the aunties and uncles are much more interested in my toddler son’s language acquisition.

“Can you speak Chinese?”
“Did you understand what your mother just said to you [in that foreign language]?”
“Where did you learn to speak Chinese so well?”

These are all questions frequently thrown at him. Everyone is amused at his local Northeastern Chinese dialect when he answers, a dialect he is more apt at speaking than his Northeastern Chinese dad. Some will excitedly exclaim: “He speaks our tongue!”

Not all questions are easy for my son to answer. When a shop owner, penned in between the cashier desk and piles of pink bags of washing detergent, asks my toddler son if he has a Chinese name, he says he doesn’t. The shop owner changes the question: “What’s your name?” My son replies with his Chinese name. Having grown up as part of the majority culture, it is easy for me and for the shop owner to make mental captions of “Chinese” and “foreign.” To my son, his Chinese name is simply his name, just as much as his German name is his name. Chinese and Austrian are not separate, but instead inseparable entities for him.

“A Chinese child should have a Chinese mother”
“Little brother”, one day a Chinese girl two years older than my son says, “a Chinese child should have a Chinese mother.” I’m not sure if I should applaud her for seeing him as her equal―Chinese, or if I should tell her that he carries an Austrian passport, just like his mom. I decide to simply let it go. The girl seems too young to understand the connotations of what she just said, and my son didn’t even listen. He looks at a red kite flowing on the clear blue sky. He couldn’t care less about these questions. In the future, they will be his to answer, or―if he doesn’t like the questions asked―his to ignore. I hope that no matter which questions my sons are asked and which answers they choose, they’ll always know that they are loved and perfect just the way they are. I also hope that they will be able to choose an identity they are comfortable with, but unlike the kite floating in the sky, that they won’t be held down by strings attached.

Ruth Silbermayr-Song is an Austrian illustrator, German teacher and mother of two. She writes about life in China as a foreign woman, her cross-cultural marriage to a Chinese man, and child rearing bridging cultures and languages on her blog China Elevator Stories. Her story of pregnancy and parenting in China has appeared in the anthology “Knocked Up Abroad Again”.

Photos courtesy of Ruth Silbermayr-Song

Did you know we have a family events WeChat group? Join two hundred other internationally-minded families for the latest information on what’s going on in Beijing. Send an email to editor@beijing-kids.com with your WeChat id or add vanessajencks on WeChat. Please note that readers should confirm with each organizer if events are cancelled or scheduled as planned.

Free
Boarding School Reception at Hyde Academy, Nov 8
5+. Hyde Academy will host three boarding school receptions this fall at their Shunyi campus. Admissions Directors and other school officials will be present to answer parent and student questions and provide insight into the boarding school experience. Free. 6.30pm to 8pm. Hyde Academy. (8046-7085, office@hyde-education.com)

St. Martin’s Lantern Walk 2016, Nov 11
All Ages. House of Knowledge International School and Kindergarten will host a lantern walk this week. There will be traditional songs and after finishing the walk parents and children will able to try typical St Martins foods and drinks, such goulash, sweet treats, hot mulled wine or a cup of hot cocoa and more. Free. 5pm to 7.30pm. House of Knowledge. (vg@hokschools.com).

Christmas DIY Cards, Nov 13
All Ages. Monikards is hosting a special Christmas DIY Card making class this week. Come to celebrate the Christmas holiday and have fun with the whole family! RMB 280. 2pm to 4pm. PAPP’s Tea Lab.

Riviera Christmas Chic, Nov 8
All Ages. Gather at the Riviera Club on Tuesday to enjoy a unique and varied fashion show. Designers vendors include Taozi Yoga, Jenny’s Dresses, Yellow Pumello, and more! Free. 10am to 4pm. Riviera Clubhouse.

Unique
Charity Yoga with CandleX @ Ms. Uptown, Nov 7
Adults. Sooth your soul with a Charity Yoga class at the newly opened Ms. Uptown. Revenue from this event will be given to depression peer support project in Beijing. The class includes a cup of tea, an hour of socializing, and one hour of yoga. RMB 100. 6pm to 10pm. Ms. Uptown Galaxy SOHO.

Women in Leadership Gala, Nov 11
Adults. This year the Beijing Women’s Network will host their annual Leadership Gala at the Intercontinental in Sanlitun. Come for a night of great speakers, networking, and a glorious after party. RMB 780. 5pm to 11.30pm. Intercontinental Sanlitun. (wechat: kwoksamantha).

Six Days Children Yoga Workshop of Angelina, Nov 12-13
Ages 3+. The Beijing Wake Yoga and Cultural is hosting a series of Incy Wincy kids yoga for 3-12 year olds. These classes are designed to incorporate the naturally happy and fun state of children into yoga. RMB 1200-5000. 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm. Beijing Wake Yoga and Cultural. (15869128491).

TaiChi Fan, Nov 27 (register by Nov 18)
All Ages. For those interested in increased flexibility, try 太极扇 (taiji shàn) an ancestral fan dance! You will accomplish flexible and elegant movements. In China, this traditional dance is performed mostly in groups so the perfect venue to meet friends. RMB 100. 3pm to 5pm. That’s Mandarin.

Ongoing
Active Parenting Workshops: Primary School, Mondays
Adults. Parents of Primary School-aged students are invited to attend Active Parenting Workshops every Monday from October 24 through November 28 at Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing). Parents will learn a set of techniques to help their child develop their human potential. Free. 10am to 12pm. YCIS Beijing. (8583 3731).

Active Parenting Workshops: Secondary School, Tuesdays
Active Parenting uses entertaining and informative programs, activities, and discussion to show parents ways to raise responsible, cooperative children who are able to resist negative peer pressure. These workshops will run from October 25 through November. Free. 10am to 12pm. YCIS Beijing. (8583 3731).

Free Public Class – BMS, Mondays & Wednesdays
Adults. Beijing Mandarin School offers free lessons every Monday and Wednesday. Different weeks have a different schedule. Head out to BMS to practice your Mandarin and meet some great people! Free. 1pm to 3pm. Beijing Mandarin School. (8441 8391, info@beijingmandarinschool.com).

BSB Baby and Toddler Group, Fridays
Ages 0-18mnths. Meet other moms of small children at this playgroup with plenty of age-appropriate toys, seasonal crafts, singing, actions, and more. Open to foreign passport holders only, the mother or father needs to attend, not the ayi. Drinks and snacks provided. Register by email. Free. 9-10.30am. The British School of Beijing, Shunyi (8047 3588, play@britishschool.org.cn)

Bumps2Babes Playgroups
Ages 3 and under. This thriving parent community is geared toward parents with kids born after January 2013. It has free playgroups meeting throughout the city. We suggest parents new to the city get involved and hang out with a playgroup in your region. English speakers only. Don’t forget to ask to receive the newsletter and be added to the official Bumps2Babes WeChat group. Free. Time and location vary (beijingbumps2babes@gmail.com)

Best of Next Week
Photography Workshop, Nov 16 – Wednesdays
Adults. This workshop takes you through the steps of manually setting up your DSLR camera using a professional studio and lighting. This workshop is perfect for those who want to take their photography to the next step. You will also to leave with a professional studio portrait of yourself. RMB 1200. 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Sanlitun.

ECE Education Forum, Nov 17
Adults. This week the Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing) will host an insightful education forum. YCIS’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) experts will introduce the attendees to YCIS’s unique Co-Teaching Model and the importance of dual-language acquisition in today’s global world. Free. 9.30am to 11.30am. YCIS Beijing. (info@bj.ycef.com).

Photo: Jill Wellington, Jenia Nebolsina, Startermedia

Editor’s Note: Updated with corrections 9/25/2016.

One of the complaints tourists and expats have in China is about personal space and privacy in public places, especially tourist spots.  While you’ll have to try hard to find a Beijinger ogling at you for looking different, it’s common for country bumpkins, such as migrant workers or domestic tourists, to stare, secretly take your photo, or touch your hair or skin. In the beginning, many will find the experience of being crowded, photographed, and asked to pose flattering and refreshing, but sooner or later it gets old.

When you’re out with children, the situation can escalate quickly as a child can be frightened and parents protective.  As English speakers, we think the world revolves around our language, believing that “NO” is universally known, but we are wrong to assume so.  Here, we’ve listed a few handy phrases from polite to not-so-polite to help you make your message clear when avoiding Chinese “paparazzi”.

Photo: Flickr (John Flick)