These days, parents often get together to discuss their children’s progress in school. Inevitably, the topic often shifts to how our toddlers are coping with their Chinese classes, since that seems to be the biggest hurdle that most of them face.
Many parents do not speak their Mother Tongue consistently at home, passing on their own insecurity with the language to their kids. Some parents choose to send their toddlers for extra Mandarin lessons. For others, a Chinese immersion preschool could be the perfect solution.
Why is it so important to get children on board with speaking their Mother Tongue?
Fluency in Mother Tongue helps children treasure their heritage
The biggest and most emotive reason for ensuring our children are fluent in their Mother Tongue is to keep our culture alive. As generations grow up speaking English as a first language, it can sometimes seem like we are losing our grasp on our second languages and therefore, our Asian heritage.
In fact, becoming fluent in our Mother Tongue is essential to provide a full and holistic appreciation of our culture and ancestry. Many of our Asian morals and values are tied into the history of language, such as with Chinese proverbs.
MindChamps Chinese PreSchool builds on this by delving into cultural and art appreciation in a way that even toddlers can easily understand. This helps its students grow a deeper understanding of their heritage even though they are only in kindergarten.
Read also: How Mandarin for Toddlers Can Be Taught by Non-Mandarin Speaking Parents in Singapore
Chinese immersion preschools give toddlers higher chances of success
Studies have shown that toddlers who are effectively bilingual have longer attention spans and are even able to multi-task better than monolingual children. Children who are able to speak two languages fluently are also much more likely to pick up a third easily.
Many parents mistakenly think that learning two languages might result in their toddlers not being fluent in either one. Good news! In actual fact, research shows that children who learn a second language actually perform better in their first language than monolingual children.
Sending your children to a Chinese immersion preschool, where the language is infused into the curriculum, therefore has long-term benefits for both their English and Mandarin capabilities.
Read also: Creative Ways to Teach Your Toddler Mandarin in Singapore
Chinese classes can prepare our children for the world
Ensuring that our children are effectively bilingual means that we are nurturing and equipping them to go out into the world and succeed as adults. Being able to speak more than one language opens up career paths and business opportunities.
Since people who are able to speak more than one language also tend to be able to pick up other languages faster, this means that they are better able to cope when travelling or when interacting with people from other countries.
Being able to speak Mandarin fluently would be a huge benefit to your children as they grow up.
If speaking a second language consistently at home is a chore for you as a parent, imagine how easy it could be to let your children’s Chinese kindergarten immerse them in the language. Not only would your children thrive in the familiarity of everyday use, but they would also gain a deeper understanding and love of their culture.
Written by JoBeth Williams