Hua Language Centre Review - Our Toddler Experiences Mandarin Classes in Singapore

Hua Language Centre Review - Our Toddler Experiences Mandarin Classes in Singapore

Disclaimer: We received a sponsorship of one term of "Playgroup" classes for Maeleth in exchange for writing this review.  All opinions stated are my own, based on our experience during the classes attended for the year 2018. Mae's teacher was Teacher Deng Ying.  

If you're reading this blog post because of the giveaway, here are the terms and conditions of the giveaway:

1) Trial class is limited to playgroup and preschool classes at Parkway Parade.
2) Trial class is limited to new students who have not tried Hua Language Centre's trial classes before.
3) Trial classes are not exchangeable for cash and cannot be re-sold. 
4) The trial classes must be redeemed by 31 March 2019.

I used to attend Hua Language Centre during my Primary School days for tuition, and it's certainly nostalgic to see my daughter attend the same enrichment centre to learn and improve! Wow, time has really flown by. 

We have been bringing Maeleth for her Playgroup classes at Hua Language Centre's Parkway Parade branch on Saturdays to learn mandarin!
We began in July 2018 when Mae was 2 and a half years old, and at this time of writing this blog post (November 2018), Mae is already able to count from 1 to 10 in mandarin, and say some nouns in mandarin. 
Most importantly, she has developed an interest in the mandarin language which I believe will help her to enjoy learning it in school, and throughout life in the future. 

We don't really speak much mandarin at home, except when we need to say things that we don't want Mae to know, like when discussing how to hide her medicine in Vitagen bottles. Therefore, I find it really important that she has some exposure to well-spoken mandarin.

When we attend trial classes for different enrichment centres, one thing my wife Amilee and I always listen out for is the teacher's spoken accent. If he or she doesn't have an accent that we want Mae to emulate, we won't sign Mae up for the classes, since we believe that children will probably imitate the manner of speech that they hear.  

Mae's mandarin teacher in Hua Language Centre has a fluent Taiwanese accent.

She is probably the most energetic teacher that Mae has ever had, and Mae has already been to a few enrichment centres to learn.

​The playgroup classes are effective

She is able to engage Mae well with her friendly and fun personality, and she patiently encourages every child in the class (mostly 3 - 4 students) to repeat mandarin words after her.
I believe that one of the most accurate measures of a teacher's success is the results of the students.

I can see the improvement of all the students after this one term, whereby students who didn't or couldn't repeat after the teacher in the first class can now speak them more confidently. 

For example, at one point in the term, Mae was saying words like 我要 (I want)，飞机 (aeroplane)，请 给我 (please give to me)，关灯 (turn off the lights)，and 再见 (goodbye).

She has since expanded her mandarin vocabulary. The other day when we were driving in the car, she pointed to another car outside and said “汽车” which means “car” in mandarin. This happened of her own accord without us prompting her. 
Whenever something like this occurs, we feel happy to see that she's learning and progressing in a meaningful way. 

I feel that kids are never too young to start learning a second language, and that if one can afford it, they should invest in their child's early learning. I believe that this will build a strong foundation for lifelong learning success. 

Enjoy the photos below! My wife took them during the classes. Through them, you can get a sneak peek into the fun and learning that your child can experience.  

​Learning from my failures

As a child, I never had the opportunity to practice mandarin. I was raised by English-speaking parents, and most of the time, while they were at work, I was looked after by my Teochew-speaking grandmother.

So the first language I picked up was Teochew and I can speak casual Teochew quite fluently today. It all began with regular practice in daily life.

I remember watching mandarin drama programs on Channel 8 on TV with my grandma every weekday night at 7pm and 9pm.
Even though I could understand what they were saying and learnt the meaning of the words through reading the subtitles, I could not speak the language well.

As a result, during my schooling years, I struggled during mandarin oral examinations.

I still recall that in primary 5, I was the head prefect of my school, and I was asked by my mandarin teacher in class to read out a passage from the textbook. I fumbled with it and couldn't do it properly.

She mocked me publicly and said "Head prefect and you can't speak mandarin properly?", while shaking her head in disappointment. I heard my classmates giggling quietly around me. It remains as one of the most humiliating moments in my life so far.

So not only did I not get proper opportunities from my guardians to speak and practice my mandarin, but I was even shamed for not being able to speak it well.
This is why I feel it's important to engage a child at a young age with mandarin, especially if you're planning for your child to take Chinese as a mother tongue (second language) in school.

We must also encourage them if they have a long way to improve. Don't break their spirit and interest in the language by laughing or mocking them when they make mistakes.
Children are very tender and fragile when they are young and inexperienced in life. They don't have the endurance and resilience of an adult yet, so the little things seem like big things to them.
Also, use love, not fear to instill their learning.

I love that the Playgroup class that Mae is attending has a positive atmosphere of learning.
Not only is the teacher encouraging and patient towards the students, but the parents of the children are also very encouraging. We celebrate the small victories of each other's child and I think that is wonderful.

I feel that these classes at Hua Language Centre are by no means the only exposure to mandarin that your child should have.
It's not a place to dump them to absorb knowledge and then not continue the education at home. No, it should be a supplement to their mandarin learning experience.

However I strongly believe that by sending your children to these classes you're helping to develop a foundational interest in the language that you cannot achieve on your own.
There is a saying that "a prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown, and among his relatives and his own family".

Even if you are a proficient mandarin teacher who teaches it at an advanced level in a university, it doesn't necessarily mean that your child will be interested to learn from you.

I feel that our children have categorized us in their minds already. Your child may see you as mummy or daddy, but "teacher" might not be part of it, depending on how you raised them.

But if you put your child in a positive environment of learning like Hua Language Centre Playgroup classes, he or she will be more likely to absorb way more than you can accomplish at home, especially when first being introduced to the language.

The classes are fun. Mae gets to play with toys, sing songs, dance, do arts and crafts, role play, blow bubbles, and more. I read this lot from various sources: children learn best when they are playing.

One thing I want to add is that the songs taught in class are very catchy and well-selected, such that we can even remember the tune and lyrics. I'm not embarrassed to admit that we continue to sing the songs at home too!

I was introduced to the term "edutainment" at a seminar, which means educational entertainment. It's an effective way of learning while having fun, rather than memorizing from a book (rout learning).

Don't think that your child will be forced to sit down at a desk throughout the class and learning from a teacher writing on the whiteboard. It's not like that. Your child will have many years to 'enjoy' that in school and they don't have to be subjected to that now.

​Suggestions for Further Learning

After enrolling your child in the Hua Language Centre Playgroup classes, what next? Besides attending the classes, this is what we do for Mae, which hopefully helps to support her mandarin learning.

1) At home, revise the words taught in class using the revision sheets handed out at the end of each class.

2) Let your child watch Mandarin kids songs and programs on YouTube (make sure to watch them yourself first to ensure that they are good). Use technology for learning. Mae learnt the mandarin words for the different shapes this way.

3) Converse with your child in simple mandarin even if they seem unresponsive or uninterested at first. They are still listening and learning.

4) When encountering every-day objects at home, or outside, tell your child what they are called in mandarin, not just in English.

5) Read mandarin kids books to them before bedtime at night. You can buy books, or you can borrow them from the national library like we do. We borrow 8 books every 2 weeks - a mixture of both English and mandarin books.

In my opinion, learning a language is one of the most useful and applicable subjects that is taught in school. A person who is fluent in a second language gains many advantages and opportunities in life - not just professionally, but also socially. It is also a confidence booster.

With China as a world power today, learning mandarin is getting more practical than ever before. I believe that your child will benefit in life from getting a rock-solid foundation in mandarin, and I hope you entrust Hua Language Centre to do this for him or her - click here to contact the school to begin your child's mandarin learning journey there!

Pinterest Pinnable Image. There are many lifelong benefits for your child to learn a second language from a young age. In this post, you'll find out how they can do so in Singapore by attending Hua Language Centre, and many practical tips to help him or her succeed at it by continuing the education at home.

I hope that you have been blessed by reading this post on "Hua Language Centre Review - Our Toddler Experiences Mandarin Classes in Singapore".

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Many Blessings,
Milton Goh

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