Ways on How You Can Help Your Children Learn New Languages Faster
How you can help your child learn new languages faster:
- Make language learning a daily habit. Research shows that your child only needs 15 minutes a day to make progress while learning a new language. Some ways in which you can instill this habit in them is by making them listen to podcasts or watch a movie in a foreign language.
- Learn cognates. Languages like Spanish have a lot of words that we commonly use while speaking English. Learning these words will help your child transition better into the new language.
- Use flashcards and spaced repetition. Flashcards are proven to be the most effective way to memorize new languages. Flashcards use a concept called spaced repetition that basically prioritizes things your child does not know and helps them prioritize and work on their weak areas.
- Use a notebook and take it everywhere. Ask your kids to write down all the relevant vocabulary that you come across whenever your child is exposed to a new language.
- Speak the language from day one. There are 3 ways to achieve this. You can enrol your child in group learning in a good language school. This is great from a social perspective as your child will be studying with kids their own age and they can collaborate and work together on their skills.
This is where we can help you!
At Sydney Language Solutions we offer the best prices and deals for an atmosphere of fun and engagement in which your children can develop their language skills and aim towards a brighter future.
Advantages of Bilingual and Multilingual Children
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BILINGUAL/MULTILINGUAL CHILDREN:
– Better academic results: research has shown that bilingual/multilingual children can often concentrate better, have better problem-solving skills, understand language structure better and are better at multitasking.
– More diverse and interesting career opportunities later in life: employees speaking two or more languages can form better connections/relations with clients and other business partners. Therefore, multilingual candidates are preferred by employers.
– Children who speak more than one language have a better sense of self-worth, identity and belonging.
– Bilingual/multilingual children are said to be more educated since they can indulge in reading books written in various languages, enjoy movies and music in different languages.
– Children who learn foreign languages appreciate other cultures more and feel a sense of affinity while communicating with people from other countries.
BENEFITS OF LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR CAREER GROWTH:
Learning starts at a very young age and learning new languages as a kid not only has a positive impact on your child’s personal growth, but it also gives them an edge in the professional world when they grow up.
Here are some advantages of learning foreign languages as a kid:
- Your kid will automatically become more attractive than other candidates when it comes to Global companies. In this dynamic world of globalization, employers are seeking candidates that are multilingual. International companies are trying t0 widen their reach across the globe and hire employees that can blend in with other cultures and fill in the communication gaps between the company and its clients.
- Career growth opportunities: being fluent in foreign languages doesn’t always mean your kid will have to go abroad. Many small local businesses prefer multilingual candidates who can help them explore new business opportunities and bring in more clients from other countries.
- Higher salaries: research shows that multilingual employees earn at least 10%-15% more than monolingual employees.
- Relationship building: having the ability to speak and understand different languages will allow your child to relate to various cultural groups at a personal level. Having a good relationship with colleagues is essential in a professional environment.
- Increased job opportunities: being fluent in foreign languages can be extremely beneficial for an individual’s professional growth. Many companies now require only employees who are bilingual or multilingual.
Benefits of Having Children Learn a Second Language
Why must children learn a new language from a young age?
- Experts say that children have more time and ability to pick up a new language faster than adults and develop a native-like pronunciation.
- Learning a new language also boosts a child’s creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, and listening skills.
- In the long run, a second language will also be advantageous for them in the workplace where being multilingual gives one a competitive edge over others.
What makes our program different from other community language schools?
At some community language schools, the programs are designed to be beneficial if only both parents speak that particular native language at home for the children to have a chance to hear and practice the language. While this is advantageous for some children, others with only one parent who speaks language cannot have the chance to hear from their parents’ interaction. In fact, there are numerous households in Sydney with only one bilingual parent. In such circumstances, going to a language class with a structured program will help the students.
At Sydney Language Solutions, we offer language courses for children from all backgrounds, regardless of the number of parents who speak that language at home. These courses are also tailored for children whose parents are second-generation language speakers in Australia, or those parents who do not have enough background knowledge in speaking, reading, and writing their language to teach their children at home.
What are simplified characters and traditional characters? Which should I learn?
Traditional characters are the original set of Chinese characters that have been used since long ago in China’s history. They are usually made up of many complicated strokes.
Around 1950, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) began standardizing a simplified version of many of these complex characters.
This simplification began as the PRC’s attempt at decreasing nationwide illiteracy, but has unfortunately become a geographical divider, since different countries use different character systems.
All you need to know right now is one major difference: simplified characters have fewer strokes.
For example, the common character 邊 (bin1) – “side” in Cantonese has 18 strokes in traditional form, while its simplified form (边) only has 5.
The good news is, 20% of traditional and simplified characters are written exactly the same way, so you’ll automatically be able to read some of both.
If you’re planning to travel or live in either Hong Kong or Taiwan, you’ll mostly see traditional characters, so you might want to start learning those.
However, if you plan to travel mostly in Mainland China—where simplified characters are standard — you should learn simplified characters.
Unusual Cantonese Superstitions
Despite an official ban on religions, however, China remains a surprisingly superstitious society, and some people can take these beliefs so seriously that the government has actually had to initiate programs to remind people not to follow them too closely.
I’ll get into a few of my favorite Cantonese superstitions below.
1) Aversion to Used or Second-hand Things
In a red-hot, fast moving economy with a “Wild East” reputation, you’d think there’d be a big market for second-hand, or “ji6 sau2 (二手)” (literally “second hand”) goods.
After all, people are moving between cities and apartments all the time and new versions of products come out with crazy frequency.
Oddly enough, though, there’s a superstitious aversion to second-hand or used products that’s a subtle but important force in Cantonese commerce.
Part of it comes from the classic “face” construct, wherein one’s reputation takes a hit if it becomes known that they’re using second hand products.
Another part of it is that many believe while being in possession of a secondhand item, they’ll inherit whatever bad luck or misfortune of the item’s previous owner. For that reason, estate sales, which typically happen after bankruptcies, divorces, or deaths, rarely occur in China.
The continuation of this superstition in modern times may also be because that “new” is the norm in China, and has been for a whole generation now.
It’s the world’s global manufacturing hub and construction is constant and ever-present given the low price of labor and materials, leading to a culture and atmosphere in which repurposing old goods or extending their lifespans is rare – there’s always something new on the horizon because new stuff is relatively cheap to make here.
2) Aversion to the Number 4 and Affinity For the Number 8
Lots of cultures have numerical superstitions, but Cantonese tends to take this to the next level.
It’s commonly known that the word for the number 4, or “sei3 (四)”, sounds a lot like the word for death “sei2 (死)”, and thus is considered highly unlucky.
Many, though not the majority, buildings in China lack a labeled 4th floor, and license plate numbers, phone numbers and even addresses with 4’s tend to be considered less desirable. A study even proved that in North American communities with large numbers of Cantonese immigrants, addresses ending in a 4 sold for 2.2% less than average.
Addresses ending in an 8, on the other hand, sold for 2.5% more than average, which speaks to prosper, superstitiously attributed to that number.
The reasoning here is that “baat3(八)” sounds a bit like “faat3 (发)”, a shortened version of “faat3 coi4 (发财)”, or “to get rich,” which is a nice linguistic lesson in the way that words with the same tone but different sounds can be considered a strong rhyme in Cantonese.
What I Say Does Not Equal to What I Write
For Mandarin speakers who are trying to learn Cantonese vocabulary and/or make an effort to read written Chinese in Cantonese; you will quickly discover that there is nearly always 2 forms for each word: The written version and the spoken version. It amazes me how Cantonese learners/Hong Kong students learn to write/read Chinese (based on Mandarin) and speak Cantonese. The words and grammar can be so different that you wonder how people manage to achieve any written fluency.
An example I’ll give is: What do you want to eat?
Spoken:
你想食乜嘢呀 ?
nei5 soeng2 sik6 mat1 je5 aa3?
WRITTEN:
你想吃什麼東西 ?
nei5 soeng2 hek3 sam6 mo1 dung1 sai1?
Especially listening to Cantonese music (eg. Canto Pop), the lyrics are more often than not exclusive to Written Chinese in Cantonese pronunciation. In fact, all newspapers and books are written in written Chinese (based on Mandarin), so to be read by all speakers of other dialects. In some cases; writing in Oral Cantonese is discouraged, though can be seen on Internet chats, forums and entertainment magazines.
Ocean Park Hong Kong
Opened in 1977, Ocean Park Hong Kong is a marine-life theme park featuring animal exhibits, thrill rides and shows. In 2012, its impressive ability to offer guests a world-class experience that blends entertainment with education and conservation was confirmed when it became the first Asian winner of the biannual Applause Award, the most prestigious award in the amusement and theme park industry.
The park is located on the southern side of Hong Kong Island, covering more than 870,000 square metres. The Waterfront and The Summit areas are connected by the Cable Car and Ocean Express funicular train.
Polar Adventure – Explore the North and South poles in one day
Ocean Park’s newest attraction, Polar adventure lets you explore the North and South poles from the exhilaration of a bob sled ride, to the wonder of meeting king penguins up close. You’ll also see long-tusked Pacific walruses, spotted seals, arctic foxes, snowy owls and other extraordinary animals. And when you need a break, Tuxedos Restaurant serves refreshments with a view of more than 70 penguins frolicking on the ice.
Old Hong Kong – Relive fond memories of times gone by!
Old Hong Kong, brings the unique culture of Hong Kong in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s back to life. Savour the sights and sounds of yesteryear aboard the Heritage Tram! Be mesmerised by the colour and buzz of life in accurate recreations of old streets and scenes. Take a trip into nostalgia and take home some antique souvenirs to keep the memories alive!
Thrill Mountain
In this zone, guests can dangle off a cliff on the floorless roller coaster, Hair Raiser, or hang upside down while swinging on The Flash. Soar with The Aviator to feel the sensation of flight, before knocking around on bumper cars. Don’t leave without a ride on Rev Rooster, a high speed and energetic classic.
Rainforest
Hop aboard a raft and become immersed in the exotic sounds of a tropical rainforest. On this journey, you’ll encounter some of the most fascinating animals in the world! Catch the antics of the world’s smallest monkey, the Pygmy Marmoset; or see weirdly wonderful critters, including the Capybara, the world’s largest rodent, and Kinkajou; as well as the Green Aracari, the world’s smallest toucan.
Aqua City
Aqua City is a world-class marine themed area that will redefine your underwater experience. Here you can watch Symbio, a multi-sensory show featuring the world’s first 360-degree water screen. You can also embark on a journey of exploration into the Grand Aquarium featuring 5000 fish from over 400 species and other aquatic wonders. View them from the world’s largest aquarium dome, which has a diameter of 5.5 metres, or through an 8×13 metres giant viewing panel. Make sure you drop by Neptune’s Restaurant for Hong Kong’s first aquarium dining experience!
Amazing Asian Animals
At the Amazing Asian Animals exhibit you can visit some of Asia’s rarest animals. Take an interactive journey of discovery at the Giant Panda Adventure where you’ll get to know some of Asia’s most precious native animals, including giant pandas, red pandas, Chinese giant salamanders and Chinese alligators. Admire the spectacular display of goldfish at the Goldfish Treasures exhibit, or visit the colourful birds and playful Asian small-clawed otters at Panda Village.
Other popular attractions include Sea Jelly Spectacular, The Abyss turbo drop, Mine Train roller coaster and the show at Ocean Theatre are also not to be missed.
During festive seasons, Ocean Park Hong Kong will organize special events, such as Halloween Bash, Asia’s biggest Halloween party, and Summer Splash water play activities.
How to get there
Bus 629 from Central Pier 7 or from MTR Admiralty Station, Exit B and alight at the park.
Info
Website:www.oceanpark.com.hk
Lucy, Cantonese teacher
LanKwai Fong
LanKwai Fong is one of Hong Kong’s most popular nightlife hot spots and home to over 90 restaurants and bars. The atmosphere ranges from stylish wine pairings to raucous jelly shots and the food on offer is as diverse as the clientele.
Thanks to Hong Kong’s dominance in Asian cinema, this centre of late-night revelry is so renowned that its official street sign is more photographed than many of the celebrities who haunt its clubs. Mostly, the area is crowded with people from the surrounding offices of Central, eager to shake off the working day or week. Get in the thick of it with a street side perch, or watch the antics on the road below from one of the upper floors.
LanKwai Fong usually hosts carnivals and other celebrations during major festivals, such as Halloween, Christmas and New Year and has its own beer festival.
How to get there
MTR Central Station Exit D2, walk along Theatre Lane, and up D’Aguilar Street.
Info
Website:www.lankwaifong.com
Lucy, Cantonese teacher
Some Stories About Our Japanese Course 18
Hi everyone, 皆さん、こんにちは。
My Japanese classes/lessons included the practices to develop speaking, reading, listening, writing, interacting, constructing and creating dialogues as well as culturalskills and knowledge upon Japan. As usual, we used textbooks (our major one is Genki Book 1), pictures, ads, children’s books, magazines, CDs, videos, DVDs, songs etc.
A few high school students of the previous Beginners 2 and now in Pre-Intermediate 1, said they wish to learn the vocab related to colours and seasons. So, I used the book of FudekoReekie and taught such vocab and use of that as application exercises while also using colorful posters and pictures.
As for traditional culture and arts, I got many beautiful and comprehensive pamphlets etc from a Japanese travel agent located near to Kinokuniya, CBD. Showing them, I talked about Noh (Japanese ancient stage play), kyogen (funny talk/performance played during the intervals at Noh in Japan during the Ancient Time, Kabuki, exquisite sight of Mt Fuji and its surroundings, Japanese map with all the route of the bullet trains, Tokyo Disneyland, Universal Studio in Osaka, many gorgeous historical heritage of Kyoto and geisha/maiko of Gion (Kyoto), big and traditional festivals, Japan Rail Pass (e.g. for an adult, travelling anywhere in Japan by Japan Rail group that includes all bullet trains, its buses and ferry in Miyajima are all covered, e.g. 28,300-en for 7 days and for Ordinary Pass), very popular monkies’ hot spring in Nagano, etc.
Similarly, I informed my classes about an article in Jenta (8.3.13, p. 24). It is written by TeruGamoo who is an author of many books. He reports the recent report of “TorippuAdobaizaa” in Internet, i.e. which places/things are mostly popular for overseas tourists in Japan. The most popular one is Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum; No. 2 is Mori Art Museum in Hakone (Kanagawa prefecture). The rest and up to No. 10 include Miyajima in Hiroshima prefecture, Monkey Natural Park (them in hot spring in Nagano), skiing resort in Hokkaido, “Kinkakuji” (temple built in the early samurai period) in Kyoto, “Toodaiji” (temple) in Nara (the Ancient capital city of Japan). Also, the above author informs about “Gion-maruume” in Kyoto. They offer any clients of small groupslovely time of 45 minutes with their highly trained “maiko”. Those “maiko” entertain clients with beautiful traditional dance, performance of musical instruments and gorgeous/traditional tea. Thosepleasant and distinctive services popular with esp. female clients, the article says. The price of that service is reasonably approachable and 4800-en per person.
Japanese Teacher, Toshiko Jackson
5.4.13
Christmas and New Year in Hong Kong
“Merry Christmas” in Cantonese: sing3 daan3 faai3 lok6
“Happy New Year”: san1 nin4 faai3 lok6
Hong Kong WinterFest for Christmas
Not exactly a Chinese festival — but still the people in Hong Kong do celebrate Christmas. Hong Kong used to be a British Colony and it has adopted many of the British traditions such as celebrating Christmas and New Year. Hong Kong puts on a winter festival after Thanksgiving that is a highlight of the Christmas season.
The buildings along the harbor put on a light show with Christmas and New Year’s decorations. During WinterFest, most of the city is aglow with festive lighting, and Victoria Harbor is a dazzling sight especially when the fireworks burst on New Year’s Eve.
Giant Tiffany Christmas Tree at Hong Kong WinterFest
New Year – Hong Kong Countdown Celebrations
The Hong Kong New Year Countdown is a breathtaking display that brings out the dramatic beauty of Victoria Harbour and the city’s renowned skyline. This year’s Hong Kong New Year Countdown will be the biggest in the event’s history and will, for the first time, have pyrotechnics launched from both sea and land. The show will feature an eight-minute display of pyrotechnics, beginning on the harbour and moving landwards in three layers culminating in a display from various buildings in Wan Chai with the iconic harbour-front Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre as the focal point.
Hong Kong Chinese New Year Celebrations
People in Hong Kong also celebrate the tradition Chinese New Year which falls on the first day of the first lunar month.
Shops across town put on sales as both the young and old buy clothes and other goods to make a fresh start to the new lunar year. Meanwhile, the younger generations receive lucky red packets of cash from their elders, homes and businesses spring clean and paste red banners on their doors as blessings, shoppers stock up on auspicious foods, temples fill with prayers of fortune and clouds of incense, and almost every soul in town becomes consumed by one goal – to get home for a family meal on the festival’s eve.
Visitors can impress locals around this time by learning to say the traditional festival greeting, “kung hei fat choy,” which loosely translates as “congratulations and be prosperous.”
The ancient Chinese once welcomed the new lunar year by scaring away evil spirits with firecrackers, but that’s no longer feasible in such a densely packed city. However, Hong Kong makes up for it by putting on a stunning parade and pyrotechnic show on a scale that would send even the most brazen of demons scampering away with its ghoulish tail between its legs.
Lucy Luo, Trainer of Cantonese Language at Sydney Language Solutions
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