Are you looking for a Chinese tutor to teach your child, or do you want to learn Chinese yourself?

Some considerations first in selecting your tutor, besides speaking Chinese fluently:
- up-to-date on the best materials available
- also very familiar about Chinese culture.
- can create a doable plan for the student
- Very encouraging, easily motivates the student.
Please add if I missed any :-)

Now, where can we go to find tutors...

1. Referrals. Perhaps one of the the most convenient ways to find a good tutor is by asking friends and relative for a few recommendations. Ask them about the teaching style and if the tutor is very trustworthy.
2. Chinese Forums. Most people check out the internet when they need anything, including educational services. Simply google "Chinese forums" and once you’re taken to the site of your choice, join up. Or why not start a thread? Post exactly what you need and from what area you are. Many people interested in studying Pinyin or CSL (Chinese as Second Language) frequent these forums to offer tips, make friends, find students and tutors. Chances are they already know the people for the job. Ask them for referrals and some tips as well. However, always exercise caution when dealing online and check references.
3. Flyers. Tutors use flyers to advertise their services at places where they can meet prospective students. They usually leave their flyers in the library, grocers, and supermarkets, so keep your eyes open if there are any posted by a Chinese tutor. When you have the contact numbers, set an interview. Always remember to check the tutor's credentials, and ask for references.
4. Tutorial Centers. Visit these center and request for brochures. Feel free to ask about their Chinese language programs, their Chinese tutors, and of course, their tutorial fee.
5. Exchange tutorial. If you are pretty good in a subject area, why not find someone who can use your help, but also be able to teach you Chinese in return? You will be able to learn Chinese AND help another person out as well. You may also gain a good friend (or more than good) along the way. :-)

Those are just some of the ways to find tutors that can help you learn Mandarin Chinese. If you've done some other way to find a tutor and have had successful results, please do share it so other people may do the same thing too.

I hope you find a great tutor!

Labels: Learning Chinese

Have you ever sung to read-along cassette tapes when you were younger? I used to have several read-along stories, but we also had a multiplication tables cassette. My mom bought it for us to be able to memorize our multiplication facts faster.

Surprise! Now that I’m a parent myself, I still remember the lyrics to that multiplication song. Turns out the part of the brain that processes language, is also the part of the brain that processes music. Therefore, it is easy for us to remember words when learned together with music.

The implication for those of us raising bilingual kids, using music for our kids to learn Chinese words will help them with remembering words better. Childbook has several sing-along cassettes that have simple songs with starter words for small kids. A customer favorite is Teach Me Chinese and Let’s Sing Mandarin. For bigger kids, you can look for Chinese pop songs and ask what sounds catchy to them. It will help a lot with remembering words and understanding phrases.

Labels: Learning Chinese

A friend of mine expressed concern the other day about her 5 year old child inserting Chinese words into English. Sometimes, the order of her English sentences are topsy-turvy, noticeably the proper order if she was speaking Chinese.
Many parents are concerned that learning 2 languages at the same time may lead to confusion and lack of proficiency. Actually, mixing words and grammar (code mixing) is perfectly normal in the early stages of learning a language. If it says anything, it signals that the child HAS learned something. The child now knows what a certain thing is called in Chinese, or is familiar with the correct order of a sentence.

Anyway, the big picture of learning to become bilingual is that it is a long process. Kids will grow out of code mixing as they become more proficient at the 2 languages.

So I told my friend to not worry about the mix-ups. The important thing is that the child is learning. There are a lot of things that we don’t perfect immediately when we start learning a skill. Languages are the same. What is needed is continuous guidance and validation from parents, so that a child will be inspired to learn through the years.

Labels: bilingualism, Learning Chinese

Excuse the bad pun, but I feel US China relations is becoming a game of chicken and this not good for either side. Especially if neither side blinks and keeps on escalating, both sides are going to lose.

China to levy anti-dumping duties on U.S. chicken - Reuters.

This probably has not got much play in the US, but it's even more disturbing in some ways if true:

China removes accreditation from University of Calgary after Dalai Lama Visit

I am becoming worried their may be a backlash against China and it could be a lot stronger than China expects by the US and Europe.

Labels: US Chinese Image

Facing up to China - The Economist.

Interesting article. I agree with this closing sentence: Nobody will prosper if disagreements become conflicts.

Labels: US Chinese Image

Good article that discusses the symbology of many of the traditional foods served on Chinese New Year that happens to fall on Valentines Day.

Chinese foods hold double meaning, Ingredients rich in symbolism focus on family, fertility and good fortune - Chicago Tribune.

More resources references:

• Chinese New Year Calendar Events, Parades, and Festivals
  

• Chinese New Year Customs
  


• Chinese New Year Coloring Pictures


• Chinese New Year Customs Powerpoint


• Chinese Feasts & Festivals, A Cookbook, English, 144 pages, Hardback


• Cooking with Kids - Exploring Chinese Food, Culture, and Language DVD


• Fortune Cookie Chronicles - Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer Lee
  

Labels: chinese cooking, chinese new year, Chinese New Year Dinner

The pictures were taken in 1871/1872 by the renown Scottish photographer John Thompson and there is an exhibition at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool.

Great photos that remind me of the Chinese Kid's Dresses at my wife's site. It's amazing what you can do with black and white.

Labels: elite dresses, qi pao

Sad...

China charges tainted milk scandal activist - UK Telegraph.

I translate this as free speech is allowed in China as long as you stay within certain boundaries. IE don't embarrass the government including their image such as having a web site discussing 300,000 children getting poisoned by melamine. And the route cause of this is a feeling of insecurity by the government.

Labels: china food safety, china's future, US Chinese Image

Interesting about what this says about changes in China's culture/society in the customer service area.

China tourism: the customer is not yet king - UK Telegraph.

Labels: china vacation

Good article...

China v USA: more than froth and bother - UK Telegraph.

I am also worried about US China relations.

Labels: china's future, US Chinese Image

Vancouver's own not-so-quiet revolution - The Vancouver Sun.

Good article. I am surprised at the extent of Chinese classes in Edmonton with 13 schools in a 50/50 for Chinese and English instruction. Wow!

Labels: canada, learn chinese

Both Elitedresses.com and ChildBook.com has a chat feature that give customers a quick way to ask a question online.

I have now had two chats that were a bit crank chats. I hung up on both of them and logged out of the chat. My guess is both were boys wanting to show how smart they are and were bored.

It reminds me of before caller ID, how some kids would also place crank calls. A friend of mine in High School (Eric, the one who now lives in Texas) got a crank call and actually had a good conversation with the boy placing the calls. The crank caller was at a local hotel and was bored. My friend has incredible patience. Unfortunately I don't have that type of patience or time.

What is interesting is one person was from Pakistan and the other was from Canada. My chat software shows where the ISP of a person is giving me some idea of their location.

Labels: childbook

Known:

• China has a huge demand for more power plants so they are buying 9X more than the US.
• The Chinese government is also pushing green energy (10x the investment of the US).
• Lower cost of manufacturing.
• Plus rare metals used in the generators.

Therefore:

• Chinese has become the largest manufacturer of wind turbines in the world.

Results:

• Great for China
• Worrisome for the US.
  

Reference:

• Good article - China Leading Global Race to Make Clean Energy - NY Times.
• China's Rare Earth Update
• China Tightens Grip on Rare Minerals
• China's Green Power Investment
• Red to Green China - A new Sputnik

Labels: china's future, chinese environment

China's government official story is that Avatar in 2D was not doing that well so they pulled it.

But the movie the Chinese government is pushing, Confucius, got a rating of a 4.4 (very unlucky number) of out 10, where Avatar was rated 9.6 on a popular Chinese movie site (similar to Rotten Tomatoes). And Avatar is still doing double the business of Confucius in it's first three days. The result is many movie theaters are still showing Avatar in China in 2D.

Moral - leave those blue aliens alone. If you saw the movie you would have known that...

China’s Zeal for ‘Avatar’ Crowds Out ‘Confucius’ - NY Times


Related Post:

Avatar's Lucky Chinese Numbers

Labels: china's future

Disney toy jewelry recalled over cadmium - OC Register

Feds Probe Cadmium in Kids' Jewelry From China - Associated Press

Lead was big in the news in December 2007 with lots of product recalls. Lots of testing and legislation for lead, but obviously not for cadmium. Zinc is a what should have been used, but I would guess that cadmium cost less. The major use, 80%, of Cadmium is in batteries.

Labels: China Lead