Chinese Language School Translates Into Fun Learning Opportunities

An interesting article about kids learning Mandarin. It is so good for kids to learn more than one language. DP

By Tammy Adamson-McMullen, For the Kitsap Sun

kitsapsun.com: "How to say 'crawl?' " Pei Wang asks in broken English, pointing in the book to a picture of a baby. "Pá," respond her young students, who eagerly watch Wang's face for approval. "Yes. Pá," Wang says with emphasis.

"How to say 'hello?' " "How to say 'sit down?' " Wang continues the review. Sometimes she slices through the air with her hand to suggest that a sound has a sharp accent. Other times she extends her arms wide to stretch out a sound or waves her hands upward to suggest a lilt. The children follow her lead and respond in perfect unison.

During a break, one of the little girls runs up to Wang. "Guess where I came from?" asks Rao Lang, age 6. "Mainland China," replies Wang. "Same as me."

The Bainbridge Mandarin Learning Center began offering weekly Chinese classes on Sept. 9. Just three weeks into lessons, students were showing a higher degree of proficiency than teachers and parents thought possible. Even the youngest students were picking up the language rapidly. Wang's 6- and 7-year-old students could count to 7, sing a song and speak some conversational phrases in Chinese.

The center teaches students of all ages, from 4-year-olds to adults. Children's classes meet on Sunday mornings at Hyla Middle School. Adult classes meet Tuesday evenings at Bainbridge High School. Class sizes so far are small but growing as the word spreads about the students' progress.
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