How Do I Find the Right Chinese Lessons For My Kids? 

As a parent, you have many options when choosing a Chinese course for your kids. Taking advantage of a bilingual Chinese program at your child’s school isn’t the only option you have.

In this article, we will explain to you why some lessons work and some don’t. Spend a little time reading it, and do some independent research. We will try to help you compare all the options you have so that you can make a better decision, and eventually make a smart investment for your kid’s future.

Why do my kids need a smaller class size for Chinese lessons?

It’s normal for people to think that kids will learn better in a group setting because they will use the target language with their peers. In reality, it rarely happens.

When was the last time you remember using a second language in high school or college with your friend? It probably never happened. If a teenager or adult can’t do it, kids won’t either.

We understand that in an ideal situation kids are expected to use Chinese to talk to their partners. However, there are many factors to be considered with the younger population.

First, kids learn at a different pace. Quite differently actually. Some kids are more expressive because they’re merely at a better stage of language learning. Others might not yet come to this understanding. We can’t force and much less expect for all kids to learn at the same speed. No matter how a Chinese language teacher adjusts their instruction, a large group class will always have disadvantages to a certain group of kids, either those who need more help or are relatively advanced.

Why don’t most public school Chinese lessons work for kids?

One of the reasons is similarly tied to the same problem of the class size. It’s very hard for language teachers to work with a diverse population because each student's background is different. While some students are completely new to the language, other students may have already acquired full mastery of the language at home.

In addition, we need to take motivation into consideration. We have to ask ourselves: Do the kids want to learn Chinese or do the parents want the kids to learn Chinese? If a kid is unwillingly put in a Chinese language classroom, the student might become resistant to learning the language. And the reluctance that the student may domenstrate in class can potentially be wildly contagious and eventually affect the whole group.

Sounds scary? It happens all the time.

Why is a private learning environment a better choice for my kids?

In the real world, very few people thrive in a group class, both adults and kids alike, due to several factors. A private Chinese class has many benefits over a group class.

1. Your kids will get extra attention. Their teacher will spend more time instructing and guiding your kids. The kids will also get more opportunities to speak and practice the language.

2. Your kid’s language acquisition will progress at the pace they feel most comfortable with. Their teacher will modify the lessons according to your kid’s interests, learning habits, and even personality. The worst result would be your kid becoming intimidated from learning because the learning pace was too overwhelming, or getting bored easily because it’s too slow. The first and most important step to establish for teaching kids is always to make them fall in love with what they learn. A private Chinese class will just do.

3. Some parents might think private lessons are more expensive than group classes. Or, their kids can just take their classes at their school for free. True but not entirely true. Due to the lack of effectiveness in group classes, it might actually cost a parent more money to send their kids to a group class than to a private one. And some kids might become resistant to learning if they find their school’s Chinese class is not what they expected, which is an even greater cost.

Will it be ok for the parents and the kids learn together?

It’s an option but we wouldn’t recommend it. Here are the reasons.

If your goal is to be fluent in Chinese, it’d be much better and easier to find a private Chinese tutor to teach you Chinese. Adults and kids learn in very different ways. The classes for adults are not designed for kids, and vice versa.

Learning with parents could be a very intimidating process for the kids. Imagine your parents watching you playing piano. You wouldn’t like it, right? Nor would the kids. They need an independent place to learn Chinese. And we as adults need to understand and support this.

Parents could also be distracting. Kids will constantly observe their parents consciously and unconsciously. It’s almost impossible to tell them not to pay attention to their loving parents, which could turn out to be a bad thing in a Chinese language classroom.

Adults can be intruding. It’s perfectly normal for parents to help their kids because it’s human nature. However, parents often times unknowingly become instrusive in a language class because they want their kids to learn and succeed. Often times, they will jump in and be the teacher of the classroom.

In the end, our suggestion is to trust your kids. They will be a successful language learner through their own efforts.