Hi all. I have just looked at the Wink-To-Learn Package. I hope that it will assist my DD to speak Mandarin eventually. I accept that there have been some criticisms with the different colours used for the radicals in the Chinese characters - but the characters are very clear and so are the pictures on my 22" computer screen.
It's quick and easy to show my daughter sitting in front of the computer. The lessons are approx 2 mins long - the words are repeated twice - once with a picture and once with the Chinese character(s). There are 10 words per lesson in the beginning levels then phrases at the end of the programme. The lesson is finished off with pictures and music so if your child does lose interest by then, they've had the flashing of the pictures & characters with the Chinese voice over. At 3 months she hasn't lost interest - yet.
The other thing I like is that Hazel has included a vocabulary list for each lesson - in both Chinese characters, pin yin and English, or English for the Wink-to-learn English product.
It will be very interesting to see whether she picks it up. We are a non-Chinese speaking household ... so I will need to look at other ways of exposing her to Mandarin (eg Mandarin baby sitter or if I can find a Mandarin playgroup/daycare <seems unlikely).
Plus the other bonus is that I'm also learning vocabulary whilst watching it with her - mao, gou, ji ...
It's a shame that the lessons weren't randomised - eg. 6 versions of lesson 1 etc. If there was a way of importing it into Little Reader or some other way of randomising the contents of the lessons - it be even better!
Has anyone shown it to their children and what sucess have they had? My DD is only 3 months old so it'll be a long time before I know if it has worked for her!
Digg
