Learning Chinese has become too difficult for kids today, and that’s not okay

[Fightfat]

When did the switch occur?

I need to remind my kids to speak to me in mandarin. Elder kid once asked if he can use english instead and I said no.

Probably during secondary years.
I think this is the trend .
My brother's 2 kids can speak Cantonese when young , nowadays also speak English with his parents except with my father and mother.

 

[Lss]

Probably during secondary years.
I think this is the trend .
My brother's 2 kids can speak Cantonese when young , nowadays also speak English with his parents except with my father and mother.

Thanks for the heads up. My wife and I trying something similar too for our kids. Using Cantonese and mandarin respectively. But they converse between themselves using English.

Hopefully they won't switch to English in their teens.

 

[ramlee]

Yea can Convo ok liao. Must see the environment 1 is in.

何必为难自己？没事找事？吃饱太闲？

因為我吃飽沒屎放

 

[ramlee]

Thanks for the heads up. My wife and I trying something similar too for our kids. Using Cantonese and mandarin respectively. But they converse between themselves using English.

Hopefully they won't switch to English in their teens.

Just tell them 唔講廣東話就無飯食

 

[ramlee]

Have nuanced difference bah. Also when rapping need to 押韵

You mean 押韻

 

[mummynew]

JC still have mandarin leh. Unless go poly?

If she enters JC, by then I sort of expecting she will be matured enough to study on own with those 10 years of 功力 (a 'system') that I passed to her. Have to treat it like 姑姑 is no longer around.

 

[ramlee]

can use 心知肚明 or not?

More of 心照不宣

 

[ramlee]

basically .. the mother tongue is given native speakers an unfair advantage. (Yes, Dont give me the example of sinkie chinese scoring AL1 for it. percentage and probability)
sinkie chinese mother tongue is hokkien/teochew/etc..
malay mother tongue is malay.
indian mother tongue is tamil (but seems like non-tamil speaking can request to take their native tongue as exam)
PRC chinese mother tongue is chinese

English is nobody's mother tongue here.hehe ... so anyone's game ..fair go

Not AMDK?

 

[ramlee]

Do we want our children to speak Shakespeare prose?

All the perfume of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand

 

[mummynew]

Thanks for the heads up. My wife and I trying something similar too for our kids. Using Cantonese and mandarin respectively. But they converse between themselves using English.

Hopefully they won't switch to English in their teens.

Kids have their own linguistic talent and aptitude that parents actually can know their strengths and weaknesses.

My two kids both grew up in same home and pr school environment. My girl sailed through Chinese with As/Distinctions since P1 (until now still reading Chinese novels) but my son when saw Chinese would 'shiver' kind (always borderline pass since P3. I actually told him to drop Chinese for his O levels since poor 'ROI' but he got a C5 at the end).

 

[Lss]

Just tell them 唔講廣東話就無飯食

Hasn't gotten to that stage yet. They are still keeping up.

Quite fun when we eat together. They will switch between the 3 languages seamlessly.

 

[mummynew]

Just tell them 唔講廣東話就無飯食

I really enjoy Cantonese 'cursing' vocab such as

你個仆街！

 

[Lss]

Kids have their own linguistic talent and aptitude that parents actually can know their strengths and weaknesses.

My two kids both grew up in same home and pr school environment. My girl sailed through Chinese with As/Distinctions since P1 (until now still reading Chinese novels) but my son when saw Chinese would 'shiver' kind (always borderline pass since P3. I actually told him to drop Chinese for his O levels since poor 'ROI' but he got a C5 at the end).

Ya no 2 kids are truly alike.

 

[Lss]

You mean 押韻

Sorry I sg education system de

 

[Hypernova]

Yes it can recognize most languages that can be found on the internet

Unit 1

Chinese English

把握 grasp; seize
融洽 harmonious; on good terms
隐瞒 conceal; hide
强迫 force; compel
诵读 read aloud
聆听 listen attentively
操纵 manipulate
徒劳无功 futile; fruitless
清晰 clear
疲惫 exhausted
目睹 witness with one’s own eyes
流淌 flow; stream
确凿 conclusive; irrefutable
癌症 cancer
衡量 measure; evaluate



---

Unit 2

Chinese English

韵律 rhythm; cadence
扩展 expand; extend
均衡 balanced
负面情绪 negative emotion
脱险 escape from danger
鼎盛 prosperous; peak
调匀 blend evenly; harmonize
普及 popularize; make widespread
监赏 appreciate; examine
消暑 relieve summer heat
风靡 popular; fashionable
雨后春笋 spring up like bamboo shoots after rain (rapid emergence)
蓬勃 vigorous; flourishing
顾名思义 as the name implies
娱乐 entertainment
高潮 climax; high point



---

Unit 3

Chinese English

发掘 excavate; discover
织织 weave; knit; organize
黎明 dawn; daybreak
晚霞 evening glow
夜幕降临 night falls
砖砖加瓦 contribute bit by bit (brick by brick)
穷困 poverty
辛苦 hard; toilsome
暖流 warm current; warmth (figurative)
危急时刻 critical moment
心力交瘁 exhausted mentally and physically
缠绕 entangle; wind around
体验 experience
生活开销 living expenses
熟悉 familiar
渠道 channel; medium



---

Unit 4

Chinese English

描述 describe
铿锵有力 powerful and resonant
雅俗兼顾 appeal to both refined and popular tastes
僵硬 stiff; rigid
魅力 charm; charisma
呼唤 call; appeal
枯燥乏味 dull; tedious
不胜枚举 too many to enumerate
抱腕叹息 sigh in regret
体恤 show sympathy and care
谦虚 humble
严峻 severe; grim
流言蜚语 gossip; rumors
祥益 (likely a typo for “祥益” → “beneficial”)
崛起 rise; emerge
频繁 frequent



---

Unit 5

Chinese English

阶段 stage; phase
摹写 depict; describe vividly
分析 analyze
震撼 shock; impress deeply
腹胀 abdominal bloating
循规蹈矩 follow rules and conventions
渺小 tiny; insignificant
奥妙 mysterious; profound
热忱 enthusiasm
干涸 dried up; parched
持之以恒 persevere; persistent
敦行 practise faithfully
滔滔 surging; rolling (as in waves)
逆水行舟 row upstream (struggle to advance)
平庸 mediocre
楷模 model; exemplary figure

why your list got different words from the picture one?

 

[Hypernova]

I would question my teacher's logic. Why must ethnic Chinese know Chinese?

You go to US find one caucasian who can't speak English. See can find or not.

 

[ST Optimist]

Correct. Knew a p5 kid with sg father cn mother - during cn school holidays he entered our local sg school for a month. He told me the 普華 Chinese is so easy , he already learnt such things in kindergarten back in China. Maths homework so little - in China their school is whole day until 6pm , go home eat dinner then have at least double digits pages of maths homework daily. He also said over here teach unnecessary subjects - music , art , social studies, to quote him he said “教這些沒有用浪費時間的科目”.

Who say music, art, social studies 没用。。dun understand social problem....grow up become smarter char siew only ....

 

[TopGun]

You go to US find one caucasian who can't speak English. See can find or not.

The question would then be....why must ethnic Caucasian speak English?

But Americans, regardless of their ethnicity would know how to speak English.

This is Singapore. So by your response, the question would be "You go to Singapore find one ethnic Chinese who can't speak Chinese". Does this question even makes sense?

 

[Rainstrike]

This mum hao lian lah.

Ya I read so long, only see this woman hao lian her china beri good. Dunno what's her point

 

[mynickname]

This mum hao lian lah.

This mum promote blog la