I was recently thinking about Elizabeth Weise’s book A Parent’s Guide to Mandarin Immersion. (I highly recommend this book by the way and it’s currently a bargain on Kindle at $2.99). One part of the book that has really stuck out to me is an analogy she uses about visiting a home and noticing that there are no books on the shelves. None. In fact, no books in the whole house. Would we be surprised if the child struggled a bit with reading? This scenario in fact describes (for most of us) our homes – in terms of Chinese books and media. So the question is, what will do as parents to provide opportunities for our children to learn Chinese?
The Chinese Breeze book series is a good choice for students (the easiest level can probably be read by 5th graders). The link only goes to four of the books, but there are more in the series. We’ve also written before (here and here) about resources for parents in terms of a variety of shows and activities that kids can participate in.
Recently my family has enjoyed watching the Chinese Drama series “A Love So Beautiful.” It’s a fun, squeaky clean show that follows the story of five high school students in China. English subtitles are available (and for most students will be necessary for full comprehension). But it’s a fun way to practice Chinese listening skills and some cultural insights will come as well. Consider having a Chinese movie night where you watch an episode or two together. Hopefully your children will like it enough to keep going!
Another great series is “Love 020.” This series is a little more intense than “A Love So Beautiful” as it takes place on a college campus and includes scenes that take place in a fantasy world, but it’s still very clean and my kids have loved it so far.
Searching YouTube, Amazon, and other venues will yield further movies and books that could entice your children to spend a little more time immersed in Chinese. We welcome any comments as to specific media you have used to help your children practice their Chinese in the home!
Utah Mandarin Immersion Parent Council 