Corporation Primary

[Kabby]

Hi expatMom,

I can understand that. It's tough indeed. My son finds Chinese much tougher than English even though we are Chinese and I can help him.

They have much more singing and talking and stuff than we had when we were in Pr school, for sure, and I read in the papers that soon there will be even more emphasis on conversational and practical skills.

That's tough for even my son too, though I admit it will be much more useful in society. Why tougher? Cos if it is just learning to read and write, that can be memorised. If a kid is hardworking, but does not get exposure to the language, he can still score high marks through rote learning, especially if they just test on word recognition and writing.

However, because we don't use the language much, their Chinese vocab is not good and they don't know how to sustain a conversation in Mandarin meaningfully (yet). If assessment scores shift towards a higher percentage in oral or aural/ listening, I can tell you, my sons will score worse.

But I think it is a move in the right direction because in future, such skills are more important, so I have to buck up myself and try and speak to them in Mandarin.

For your ds, perhaps learning in a fun environment is also important. The Tien Hsia at Jurong Point (3rd floor) has very fun camps in the hols. I sent both ds before. For weekly enrichment, I heard Berries is very fun too, yet can learn a lot to reinforce whatever he studies in school. You may want to try that. I haven't tried Berries (mainly cos they don't have a branch in JP, and it's difficult for me to travel).

With the tutor, at least he can ask or clarify whatever he is not sure in school on a 1-1 basis. But I think group learning is also important for him to feel that Chinese is fun and most importantly, useful (cos he gets to use it with his friends).

Finally, whenever you go to the hawker center you can get him to order food for you (in Chinese) and you can organise playdates with Chinese-speaking kids. These will help him feel important, that he can translate for you, help you order food, and make him feel that it is useful to learn another language?

Hope everything looks up for you soon!

[ExpatMom]

tjm:

I read in the papers that soon there will be even more emphasis on conversational and practical skills.


That's tough for even my son too, though I admit it will be much more useful in society. Why tougher? Cos if it is just learning to read and write, that can be memorised. If a kid is hardworking, but does not get exposure to the language, he can still score high marks through rote learning, especially if they just test on word recognition and writing.

However, because we don't use the language much, their Chinese vocab is not good and they don't know how to sustain a conversation in Mandarin meaningfully (yet). If assessment scores shift towards a higher percentage in oral or aural/ listening, I can tell you, my sons will score worse.

Hm, interesting. I think my son's scores would probably get better if they focused more on conversational skills.

If he sees a more practical use, if he starts getting to use it and see a benefit or advantage to doing so, he will be more motivated to learn it. Not only that, but I think he would enjoy it more. Being able to apply what you learn is a very powerful motivational tool. Rather than pushing kids to learn a skill for a reason they cannot yet grasp, it pulls kids in to want to learn so that they have the ability to apply it in their day-to-day life. I was hoping they would make the changes sooner than later, but I believe I read it wasn't happening for at least another few years.

[ExpatMom]

On that note, can anyone recommend a good place to go for a beginners conversational Mandarin class for adults while school is in session (in Jurong)?

[Kabby]

ExpatMom:

On that note, can anyone recommend a good place to go for a beginners conversational Mandarin class for adults while school is in session (in Jurong)?

I always pass by the Confucius something center in JP B1, which shares the premise with a tuition center? I am not sure if they have something for adults?

About your previous post, yes, for your son, and for you, since you may not be here very long, and your aim would be to pick up a new lang in a fun way that would be useful, conversational skills would be most important. Writing will not be that useful when you go back, isn't it? Even when you tour in China, recognizing signs or being able to ask for directions would be more impt.

Rote learning is the easy way out. From now on, a lot of us cannot rely on that anymore. Have to really use the language!

To fully implement new changes, and train all the teachers etc, I guess would indeed take quite some time.

I have a suggestion which I thought of yesterday when I was reading the Straits Times, and I thought of you when I read it. The papers were saying that kids with difficulty learning Chinese can opt out of it. Wrt some dyslexic kids in particular. But some parents with dyslexic kids said they'd still expose the kids to Chinese lessons and see how it goes.

For you, since results in Chinese at the PSLE is not important, maybe you can email or talk to the Chinese teacher, and convey the idea to her/ him that your aim for your son is to learn a new lang in a fun way, to acquire conversational skills more than anything. I know you'd be able to put it in a way that sounds better than what I wrote, but the gist would be that perhaps the teacher would be less demanding or \"fierce\" if he misses a word or writes something in tingxie wrongly, or whatever?

Also, if you convey the idea to her that you would like to help him but can't because both of you didn't understand what \"homework\" was to be done, perhaps she will give you or him more help, like even write in English in his handbook, should she require something extra from him?? Just a suggestion, not sure if that will work for you?

[Kabby]

LKVM:

I heard some disturbing thing from my son yesterday...

He said there is an Indian kid in the class.. during chinese lessons the FT ask the kid to face the wall and sit during the class... he feels quite bad about it... the kid has not taken chinese maybe some other language.. but I feel its very rude for the teacher to do that... if the child is facing board as all other students how should it mater to the teacher :shock:

ya, sounds weird... do you know any parents of kids of that class? maybe can find out more or ask the FT?

[Kabby]

LKVM:

tjm:

[quote=\"LKVM\"]I heard some disturbing thing from my son yesterday...

He said there is an Indian kid in the class.. during chinese lessons the FT ask the kid to face the wall and sit during the class... he feels quite bad about it... the kid has not taken chinese maybe some other language.. but I feel its very rude for the teacher to do that... if the child is facing board as all other students how should it mater to the teacher :shock:

ya, sounds weird... do you know any parents of kids of that class? maybe can find out more or ask the FT?

Its my son's class lor[/quote]i know
i mean, do you know any of the other parents? or better still, the Indian kid's parent?

for me, it is very hard for me to verify anything ds says cos even though i know the other parents by face, i don't have their contact, so if i have Qs, can only ask through here! or email the trs... (but some trivial things don't dare to ask the trs all the time)

[Kabby]

ya, indeed…poor boy.

if my son didn’t take the class, at least he can read a book or do something quietly, i guess.
face the wall?
(or did the chinese tr mean: mian bi si guo?)

[Kabby]

:lol:

the kid won't understand

[Ningval]

Hi all, I am new here as my girl is in P1 in CPS this year.

Any parents here with kids who is P1 this year?

Maybe we can share our thoughts here in the forum.

Just to share that my girl just fell down yesterday and not really fell down as she claimed that her bag was too heavy and it pull her down so kindl of bump her buttock. Did any parents here get luggage bag for your kids in P1?

I refuse to get one for her as i worry that when she go to 2nd floor, with such a heavy bag, how can she bring up…

care to share?

[Kabby]

Ningval:

Hi all, I am new here as my girl is in P1 in CPS this year.

Any parents here with kids who is P1 this year?

Maybe we can share our thoughts here in the forum.

Just to share that my girl just fell down yesterday and not really fell down as she claimed that her bag was too heavy and it pull her down so kindl of bump her buttock. Did any parents here get luggage bag for your kids in P1?

I refuse to get one for her as i worry that when she go to 2nd floor, with such a heavy bag, how can she bring up...

care to share?

hi ningval.
welcome!
yes quite a few with p1s here. would you like to read the whole thread? they also posted what class their kid is in.

regarding bags, we also discussed this earlier in this thread. most of us did not buy the luggage bag for that reason too. my son's in p2, on 2nd floor, tough to lug the bag up and down indeed.

yes bags tend to be heavy, and the younger kids are still so small, so they struggle with it. someone mentioned that the school is looking into lockers, hope it'll be settled soon.

hope your girl is happy in school!