Toddlers learning chinese.

[diva7]

Hi all,

I have just enrolled my daughter in a chinese class. All fun and games in mandarin. Here's the website for anyone in Sydney who would be interested. Located in eastern Redfern.

http://mandarinmandarin.com

[RP98]

The website isn't working at hte moment     How's your daughter finding the classes?

[alfani]

for Melburnian, there's http://kimmba.com.au/ it's a really good bilingual playgroup (it's non-profit organisation)

we are trying to held one in our local area, but it's just really hard to get a community place in our area  , so at the moment I had to drive my daughter every friday (ard 1 hr drive) -but it's worthed!! 

[hypatia]

Diva, have you heard of Mandarin Stars? They seem great too, i wonder about the prices though, does $36 for an hour and a half session seem expensive to you?

[Nikita]

Alfani, I have PMed you about the Kimmba...I'm interested...would love more details. How long does a class go for, what costs are involved, and who are speaking the foreign language...an instructor or some parents?

[diva7]

I have heard of Mandarin Stars and yes it's very expensive. MMBC has a similar fee. My daughter attended only a term and learn many chinese songs and chinese words. To sum it up it was like playschool in chinese with one person speaking 100% in mandarin. They do activities like flashcard, putting the ball in the basket with the correct picture for the chinese word mentioned. Story telling in chinese, craft, have a snack and talk. Its all hands on activities. We ended the lessons as yes it was expensive to go on but I found that my local library has story telling in mandarin and they do similar things but with no involment, more like sit, listen and sing and its FREE. Although my daughter enjoys MMBC more she sometimes asks if we can go to see Jo. Had to explain to her Jo was too expensive. 

[Nikita]

Here's a link to all the multilingual early learning groups aroun Australia..

http://www.lingo.org.au/

[Nikita]

Brisbane has Alphatykes for Spanish Italian and German I think...and cheaper than sydney mandarin!

http://www.alphatykes.com.au/content/at_2008_home.asp?

[Nikita]

alfani...I have PMed you...to see if you live nearby and I could join the cause for a multilingual (I'm assuming mandarin) playgroup in your area...Kimmba does look good and I plan to join asap!

[kimmba]

Talking about Mandarin Star, when my baby Stella was only 2 weeks old, early April, 2008, I was on the computer sending off information regarding my program, helping Dawn, the owner of Mandarin Star in Sydney to establish her Mandarin Star program, and writing to her my program structures and activities we do in Kimmba, with the return of a none payment from her. The confidentiality agreement I sent to her was ignored, payment was never made, few weeks later, Dawn emailed me and stated that she "doesn't need my professional support any more and she doesn't need my program" (after she had a full view of it with everything in detail). She had since found someone that's from China and who's able to help her. If I am a parent wanting my child to learn Mandarin in Sydney, I won't go near them.

I don't believe anyone can single 'ethical' issue out of any learning, especially language is inseparetable with cultural, ethics, tradition, and custom. I've spoken to my lawyer regarding this issue and had decided not to go down the legal path as it appears to be a time and money draining process. This is my first public statement about Mandarin Star and just a thought of letting parents gain some knowledge to be able to look under the super coating of the front that Dawn puts on. I just feel that I need to let it off my chest after I read it in the public forum.

I love children and absolutely refusing to do it as money making 'business' that's the reason why I am (Kimmba) charging less than half of what Mandarin Star is charging. Kimmba is going to have a first OPEN DAY on the 28th of NOV, 09, Sat. All welcome to visit us, FREE entry and face painting and stage show with our children singing and dancing in different languages.

I haven't publicly announce this event yet. Busy writing newsletter at the moment will put more details out this week.

And yes, by singing and dancing with your little toddler in a second language is one of the best ways to get them love the learning and love the language that they are learning.

A couple of hours a week learning a second language is not enough for any young learner so I am busy planning to build a bilingual early learning centre for young children. The country I come from have bilingual kinders all over the place, and yet, its hard to find any early learning centre's program that's designed at equip our young children with a gift of success, a second language. Will keep everyone post about the progress. I am aiming at having 70 children daily, max, (as the bank won't lend me more money to build a bigger centre), with at least 3 languages offering weekly so please register soon for your child (0-6 years) and if the waiting list gets too long, we may have to build a second one, and the third one....... My mission and vision at the moment: Create a bilingual learning system for Australian children from birth.

Have a good night.

Marisha

[Nikita]

I've booked my kids in...3 days, 3 languages...and hope you'll open a centre closer to me, as it's quite a bit o travelling. Yes, it's sad the "early learning centres" in Australia arent all that learning. The best we can hope for is some few centres play your baby can Read throughout the day, or have a basic music class once a week..usually on the day your child isnt there! I'd like to send my children to a REAL doman inspired centre, and I'd love to work at such a centre...

[diva7]

Hi Marisha,

Any chance of Kimmba branching off to Sydney in the not to distant future? Would love to have a bilingual learning centre nearby thats affordable.

[diva7]

Here's a good site for learning languages for kids.

http://www.lcfclubs.com.au/

[Nikita]

Marisha, ever thought Of combining learning sign language with learning the foreign languages? So if a baby can recognise and sign "more", he can understand what a person in a foreign language is saying if they use the sign for it. It might make learning faster, easier, and fire off more neurons and synapses and have more parts of the brain being stimulated and connecting to each other. So you dont have to have a separate sign class, it can be incorporated over all the languages..
If you make it American sign, then you're not only learning another language, technically you're also learning another FOREIGN language (which has dvds and other learning materials much more readily available for reinforcement at home. Auslan is hopeless..there's not much out there, and it's ridiculously expensive compared to the US sign.)

[Nikita]

That's a great link Diva7..not that I can find their price list...still searching...

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