Comparing Chinese Enrichment (Primary/Preschool)

[KingRascal]

Highly recommend 喜洋洋与大灰狼 (Xi yang yang yu da hui Lang). Healthy content & dialogue. Available on iPhone app "wtv".

[markfch]

Fuzz:

markfch:

DS used to be a potato kid, refusing to reply in chinese even if spoken to in chinese. He understood 100%, just refused to speak it.

Yes that sounds like my boy! sigh. But i've also heard that berries is more suitable for younger kids and not so much for the older ones. Any feedback on this? My boy's 3 so for now berries would be fine. But being kiasu mum, i'm considering all options!!

To take a leaf from Tamarind's posts (at least this is how I interpreted it), the critical step is to help our kids love the language. So that they will willingly read lots of chinese books during their leisure time. Enrichment ctrs are only to facilitate the love for this language. Most of the learning should be done outside of these ctrs.

I fully subscribe to this philosophy, though I must say I'm still very far from seeing the light of the tunnel for ds :oops:

[markfch]

deleted

[hquek]

Agree with markfch/tamarind's beliefs. The odd thing is that I speak chinese at home, but my kid (without any enrichment) can turn banana very fast and even starting talking chinese with a weird accent. It took about a year in chinese enrichment before he's cured of that.


My kids are still not picking up chinese books on their own. but with the good stuff from dangdang/library...they are requesting for some titles to be read to them. I'm taking this as a good sign. I would use enrichment to get them more acquainted with the language but I know I have to do the bulk of work to get them interested.

Key thing for me is, if they are comfy with the language and willing to read in that language, they WILL do well in that subject in time to come. So to me, cultivation of interest and doing well subsequently (hopefully) are actually not different things.

[Fuzz]

KingRascal:

Highly recommend 喜洋洋与大灰狼 (Xi yang yang yu da hui Lang). Healthy content & dialogue. Available on iPhone app \"wtv\".

Thanks for the tip! Would u know where i can find this, besides iphone app?

Thanks too, mrswongtuition! i'll check out the ones u recommended. pasar malam? haha ok will have a look next time i pass one!

markfch, i totally agree, we need to help them get over their dislike/fear of chinese and to enjoy it instead. it's not easy though since hubby and i don't speak it well ourselves! i know many friends who have the same problem. i guess it means extra effort on our part, a gd enrichment centre, n lots of gd chinese books and dvds!!

[znzyzyzx]

Hi, KingRascal,


may I know which channel of wTV ? thanks.

[KingRascal]

Hi znzyzyzx

Go under iPhone app called wtv, followed by the tab \"Categories\". Look for 动漫. Ok this is the tedious part. As the website constantly upload new shows, you have to tap on \"load more\" many times to find the cartoons.

Alternatively you can try to use the search function, typing in ＂喜洋洋＂. Tried that but I realised that it did not display all episodes. Happy searching!;-)

znzyzyzx:

Hi, KingRascal,

may I know which channel of wTV ? thanks.

[Happykid]

Fuzz:

Hi need some advice on which chinese enrichment is suitable. I've heard berries is quite fun and some of the comments i've read in this thread seem to say the same thing. I'm keen on a centre which makes it fun for the kids cos I don't want my boy to dread going for classes. Any other suggestions?


Can anyone also recommend some good Chinese cartoons on DVD? I don't really like the ones I've seen so far. Somehow the english cartoons always seem so much better!

Hi Fuzz,

Not sure have you heard about \"Qiao Hu 巧虎\", i think it's originated from Japan. My child is learning in Chinese Bridge language school and the centre recommends this cartoon to their students.. My dd seems enjoy it very much. But i don't think you can find it in pasar malam... Can try to contact the school if you are interested...

[jemlth]

Fuzz:

Hi need some advice on which chinese enrichment is suitable. I've heard berries is quite fun and some of the comments i've read in this thread seem to say the same thing. I'm keen on a centre which makes it fun for the kids cos I don't want my boy to dread going for classes. Any other suggestions?


Can anyone also recommend some good Chinese cartoons on DVD? I don't really like the ones I've seen so far. Somehow the english cartoons always seem so much better!

Hi there,

there are 2 Chinese classic cartoons that are of very good quality on youtube. Probably need some streaming but worthwhile to check it out.

1) 三国演义 - Romance of the three kingdoms. If I am not mistaken, it is being shown on China national TV now. The animation is very engaging though it may take some time to grasp the storyline cos it is a little complicated. They teamed up with a Japanese team to create the animation series. Good thing is Chinese subtitles are available.

http://www.youtube.com/user/yxuz#p/u/169/o__EUnAiZQ8

2) 西游记 Journey to the west

http://www.youtube.com/user/MikoMew851#p/u/140/hQhVSt07Ly8

This is a lot easier to digest. Good animation, easy to understand. Very action-packed as well. In any case, I find the theme songs for both to be quite cheesy so I normally skip them. Haha.

I am not sure if the DVDs are available in Singapore. Has anybody seen these before?

[crystalbelle08]

Hi,


May I know did anyone send their kids to Orchard Berries?
its located at Palais Renassiance?
That is a branded place, so will they charge higher fees? or lower qlty teacher to sustain their high rent?
Thinking of sending my kid there. But if their fees is higher or teacher is not as good, then no point.
Also any cheap parking there if I’m going for sat class?

Thanks.