Mastering a new language can be intimidating. Many adults and children cite bilinguality as one of the most desired traits, yet few individuals follow up with this ambition. One way to equip learners with the best tools for mastering a second language is to start them young and sign them up for high-quality classes. If you’re considering enrolling your child in a language immersion preschool, it can help to understand that language learning can be challenging, but luckily, our staff is here to make it fun!
Crossing Borders Preschool is here and ready to help every step of the way. We proudly offer top-quality Mandarin language immersion programs in Houston, as well as French, English, Spanish, and Arabic. We understand that learning a new language can be hard, and our language immersion programs in Houston can provide with your little one with the instruction and guidance they need to make the process simple, fun, and effective.
Today, we’ll highlight a few of the top challenges faced by learners at levels in their Mandarin language immersion. If you’re ready to see how fun and productive our immersion programs can be, feel free to contact us today for more information!
TONE USE
One of the biggest challenges for those that speak the Western Languages is adapting to the vital use of intonation. Slight differences in your intonation can create vastly different meanings, making it essential to focus on how you say something in addition to how you organize it. Visual learners will need to understand how and when to change their tones in order to make an accurate statement. If your little one does not focus on this aspect of Chinese immersion, learning can become very challenging!
CAREFUL LISTENING
Mandarin relies on homonyms to make up the language, making it essential for English-speakers to pay close attention to ensure that they heard the message correctly. This language is full of puns, which can add to the frustration for new speakers.
Individuals with English as their first language may also struggle to understand how tense works in the Chinese dialect. It’s important to remember that Mandarin relies on no tense and only utilizes one version of a word, normally relying on time adverbs and context to paint a clear picture.
COMPREHENSIVE CHARACTERS
The english language consists of 26 letters to comprise the alphabet. While many people stress about learning the 33 letters that comprise the Cyrillic script for the Russian alphabet, Chinese relies on more than 50,000 unique characters. Not all of these characters are needed to speak or write the language, but understanding less than 1,000 can leave you feeling limited in your ability to communicate.
Crossing Borders Preschool has developed a language immersion program for Mandarin students that relies on proven instruction to make mastering these characters exciting and fun.
LACK OF PHONETICS
English, French, German, and other languages are similar in sound and structure, making it possible for English-speakers to understand phrases in context. Learning these languages can also be done by following similar sentence structures and understanding the definitions of various words. The Chinese writing system, however, is not phonetic, and can create additional challenges for new students. A task as simple as looking up a Chinese word in a dictionary can prove exhausting if you don’t know where to start!
Crossing Borders Preschool relies on the best instructors to ensure our students are provided with clear, consistent, and accurate teachings to best interpret a second language. Learn more about our team before contacting us for more information!
PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE RECOMMENDED
Many parents cherish the idea of their child being able to understand and master a second language, but when it comes to dialects such as Mandarin Chinese, the pressure may be too much. It is highly recommended to see out a local child development center that focuses on bilingual teaching. Crossing Borders Preschool of Houston offers Mandarin immersion programs to help young learners of all ages begin the lifelong process of mastering a new way of speaking. Not only will this provide your student with a new way to communicate with an entirely new population, but it can also help them develop a lifetime of excitement for learning.
Our dedicated staff will be able to instruct your child in a way that is fun and understandable. We understand that learning a new language can be intimidating, and our Mandarin immersion program ensures that all students learn and thrive in a fun, safe atmosphere. Ready to learn more? Contact us today!
