.

momo_cheung

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JM_wyw

真的沒有參加什麼playgroup, 只要有時間就去親親大自然，一起發掘新事物，也因為工人姐姐只講英文，所以細個到現在，我同姐姐會同佢講英文，爸爸同佢講廣東話。

jolalee

例如讀了甚麼playgroup? 幼兒園？
English based bilingual playgroup (with Mandarin) since age 1 hosted by my ideal kindergarten. I am a strong Montessori believer so my child was in a Montessori kindergarten. There was no need to worry about switching kindie or interviewing for one that way as well.

幼稚園？
Go for through-train IS that starts from Reception (K1 or K2) all the way to Secondary graduation.

平時在家說甚麼語言？
One language per parent is ideal. The key is that each parent sticks to the language assigned (dads tend to switch language around). Do pay attention to domestic helper's accent & grammatical errors too.

如何兩文三語共存？
Ideally the child gets into a through-train early (by age 3-4) so that you can work on the Chinese. (家校各一語) The key is positive influence on the targeting language, ie. quality interest classes, healthy peer interactions, engaging stories etc. Remember it is two languages, not 3, so Canto and Mando can be pegged to each other. After my son got into a through-train school, I started to speak to him in Canto. Even his Mando teacher noticed that his Mando speaking skills has improved drastically (since the grammar is the same).

Note that all International schools are different from each other. Understand what type you are looking for (Bilingual or English-based, Strong academics or better character building etc), target a few and work towards your goal.

torunpoland

我兒上一間只說英文的幼兒園及幼稚園，一切都是英文，包括上課, 家長通訊, 電話查詢. 也有普通話的, 每天30分鐘左右, 都是唱遊形式, 不教中文.

平時我們在家只說粵語. 若是說英文, 都是試下他明白多少. 不是日常用語.

如何三文兩語共存？暫時無意三語共存. 只能分享粵語及英文並存的經驗. 首先我定下一個目標, 就是中英雙語並行發展, 不能偏廢, 經過4.5年經驗, 暫時實際結果會有偏頗, 但沒有廢去其中一語.

家校各一語是具體策略. 因我已經將英文交予學校, 家中只能說中文, 事實上, 家人平時只說中文, 不會為了遷就小朋友的發展而彆扭改說英文. 對這親子關係不好, 亦限制他去接觸母語. (佢唔開心, 我可以教他失望, 傷心, 沮喪, 頹唐, 難過, 難堪, 無奈, 心如刀割, 欲哭無淚，但英文就無本事咁教)

堅持一定要口說粵語, 母語基礎打好 (頭兩年)才返學接觸英文. 亦因為學校已經是英文環境, 我更要保留家中的中文環境.

至於去到認中文字, 我自己教. 認了一年字, 到4歲, 開始寫字, 也是我教. 之前也分享過, 可以慢慢找.

教中文不容易. 但勝在不用追課程, 我可以按他步伐加快減慢, 不要為了今天迫孩子寫個快字, 而影響他對中文的興趣, 因為他越大, 同學之間都說英語, 他越覺得不需要學中文.

至於家中, 也保持中文好好玩的氣氛, 玩同音字, 玩背詩, 玩中文字的字形...

你問到的IB，老實說，我相信各課程都有好處，但10歲前不會有太大影響，最緊要中英數，大量看書，有本事有時間有興趣練琴溜冰游水（隨便舉例）是但精一樣（其他樣樣都玩下），一定要玩。所以我兩個小朋友不能玩iphone 或ipad.

mamaishere

原帖由 jolalee 於 15-03-27 發表
例如讀了甚麼playgroup? 幼兒園？
English based bilingual playgroup (with Mandarin) since age 1 hoste ...

may I know how would you deal with helper's accent and grammatical mistakes? My helper also speaks poor English (eg "faster eat", "your rice is not finish"... and many more) and I know it's ridiculous to expect any improvements on her English. Should i correct what she has said wrong right away so my child knows the correct way to say it, or should I just leave it and expect that my child will learn better English in school when she gets older?

Jane1983

回覆 mamaishere 的帖子

我工人英文ok，除了讀three成tree，我私底下教小朋友，然后小朋友教工人。

jolalee

mamaishere 發表於 15-3-27 10:01
may I know how would you deal with helper's accent and grammatical mistakes? My helper also speaks p ...

The key is, your child's level of English has to be good enough in order to get into an English-based IS in the first place (if that is what you're aiming for), so no, don't just leave it as it is.

Most importantly, are you a full time mother? It does make a world of difference who's the chief caretaker of the child. There are a lot more a mother would teach the child other then grammar and accent as well. Manner, eye-contact, social skills, academic skills... So if you have the time, limit helper exposure with the child and let a domestic helper concentrate on domestic chores. Given my helper and I have a good relationship, I did ask her kindly if it is okay that I repeat to the child the correct grammar / accent if she made a mistake. She totally understands how crazy the HK education system is, and take it as a learning opportunity for herself as well. She gets the gist if I emphasized a phrase after she said it, and follows my lead in rectifying her own sentence. So far, my boy does still pick up a few minor mistakes, but not detrimental enough to deter him from getting good offers from schools. Now that he's settled in one, I am less tense and believe in the long run with strong exposures to native British, American, Canadian and Australian teachers (plus classmates), he will acquire that "International accent" that will land him in... everywhere and nowhere

If by any chance the mother is not native enough an English speaker or if she cannot become the chief caretaker due to any reasons, it is best to stick to her own native tongue / have the caretaker speak (or a grandparent) in her own native tongue to her child. In addition, have as much English native speaking playgroup/nanny exposure as possible (without wearing the child down). Do NOT use the TV/iPad/Computer as a medium to teach English esp if the child is under the age of 2. It is proven to deter a child's social and language development that way. I do notice that some parents do speak to the child from birth in Canto (although the mother's level of English is near native) and still get into good International Schools, so it is possible. It is a matter of how you develop the child in various aspects too, not just due to the English language (although it does play an important role).

GGD

It is a very interesting topic with many useful advices.

is it correct that most IS will only ask the kids English at their interviews? I am targeting CAIS.

I am sending my kid to an international kindergarten with 30-60 min Mandarin per week. I think that is not enough Chinese exposure. I will teach him Chinese at home and teach him writing. but i am worried he may not be interested and can't keep up with the standard.

Do you ask your kids to write Chinese at home? is it difficult? When the kids go to international primary school, they will learn more Chinese. will it be very difficult to pick up or the school will teach gradually? Many thanks.

momo_cheung

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momo_cheung

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jolalee

momo_cheung 發表於 15-3-27 17:56
謝謝你的回覆。我對Montessori 也有相當好感，自理及分享等對小朋友一生也受用，請問可否提供一些'真'的mon ...

All IS are basically 英普 unless it is country specific (ie German Swiss / French International / Japanese International etc). Some just teaches Chinese better, such as CIS & SIS. Private schools such as VSA & ISF of course is founded to provide more Chinese (Mando) exposure as well. As to which school uses Tradition text 繁體, you can search on this forum, 爬一爬文，一目瞭然。

In Hong Kong, I'd only trust two montessori schools: IMS & DMS. (Good Mandarin Montessori centres like Best Concept, Oaktree etc are exempted from this limit). IMS is more of a pure Montessori school whereas DMS is willing to bend a bit to suit modern needs while keeping true to Montessori as much as possible. Some Woodlands apply Montessori as well, so if you are not a strict follower but still like some Montessori in the child's development Woodlands is still recommendable. Casa de Bambini is run by quite a strong minded lady, so if you are the type who's easy going and willing to conform then that is a good Montessori choice too, but I did hear some parent get into heated discussion and even get kicked out of her school Read up on montessori teachings such as 'An Absorbent Mind' by Maria Montessori to gain insight. The method is best when applied both in school and at home.  

jolalee

GGD 發表於 15-3-27 15:34
It is a very interesting topic with many useful advices.

is it correct that most IS will only ask  ...

Except for a few IS & private schools such as SIS & VSA which expected bilingualism from an early age, yes most schools are looking for only a good command of English in their students in terms of language, in order for the kids to learn and keep up with school work. CAIS starts only in K3, so it is important to build a good foundation before starting there. When you mentioned "keep up with the standard", which standard are you referring to? Your own? LS? Private bilingual? English based IS?

My child is still hasn't reach primary yet, but there are many great parents here with kids in primary & beyond. I'm sure they can provide you with some answers.

imconfusing

原帖由 jolalee 於 15-03-27 發表
本帖最後由 jolalee 於 15-3-27 23:28 編輯

Thanks for your info . I think your input is solid and very useful. My baby is 7 months old and I'm targeting at IS. I'm looking for Pg and yet I think I'm already very late on this. all the famous ones or those link with famous nursery are already full ( art plus, Tt, Kingston , yew Chung ) I'm sort of panic now and I couldn't believe people apply when their kids are like 2 months old! I'm a big fan of Montesorri eduction. I checked with banbini and New concept But courses they offer starts when kids reach 15 months or when they can walk .

Can u suggest any playgroup for me? I like those in pure English . Thx a lot

jolalee

imconfusing 發表於 15-3-28 15:29
Thanks for your info . I think your input is solid and very useful. My baby is 7 months old and I'm  ...

Casa de Bambini starts at 6 months of age. Are you sure you are looking at the right one? It's the one in Sheung Wan founded by Joanne. Also, the name of the one on the Kowloon side that is conducted in Mandarin is called Best Concept. I haven't heard of one called New Concept before... DMS starts from age 1 and i'm not sure about IMS, but i think 15-16 months or even PN should be right.

Honestly you should not be panicking about PG. What you want to do is to look further down the road, something which no one taught me to do as well and i missed a few good schools myself (Good that you learn to come to EK so soon). I'm not sure if you will also target English based through-train IS, if you are then there's a few that apply FROM BIRTH and application date matters!! You should be applying for those ASAP, forget about PG!!! GSIS, Kellett, DBIS, Harrow, (and yes you only mentioned) Yew Chung. They may not start from PG but application starts now. I may have missed a few, but you need to start looking at those. For PG there are lots of options, just go to one close and convenient for you for now while you continue to look for good through-train schools to apply to.

jolalee

torunpoland 發表於 15-3-27 06:58
如何三文兩語共存？暫時無意三語共存. 只能分享粵語及英文並存的經驗. 首先我定下一個目標, 就是中英雙語並行發展, 不能偏廢, 經過4.5年經驗, 暫時實際結果會有偏頗, 但沒有廢去其中一語.

家校各一語是具體策略. 因我已經將英文交予學校, 家中只能說中文, 事實上, 家人平時只說中文, 不會為了遷就小朋友的發展而彆扭改說英文. 對這親子關係不好, 亦限制他去接觸母語. (佢唔開心, 我可以教他失望, 傷心, 沮喪, 頹唐, 難過, 難堪, 無奈, 心如刀割, 欲哭無淚，但英文就無本事咁教)

I really enjoyed reading your comment as well. I like to learn about how others teach Chinese at home since my own Chinese is quite poor

I agree too that as long as we have both English and Chinese exposure, it is unnecessary to do both Mando & Canto, esp at home. When you said 經過4.5年經驗, 暫時實際結果會有偏頗, do you mean 偏中 or 偏英? Which one is your child's core language now? I didn't have as much experience before and used English as he core language, but switched over when he got into a through-train school, which is not ideal (each parent best to stick to one language). Just wondering if I should use Chinese all the way if I have a second child. Thank you for your advice.

For myself, it is in a way the other way around. I can teach fear, loathing, disappointment, disgust, anxious, nervous, butterflies in my stomach, but has no idea what 頹唐 means (the rest i can understand but would not be able to apply it in my regular vocabulary). However, given i know enough of how local school system works, I would never put my kids in one. It is hard for people like us to ensure that our next generation can learn Chinese properly :(

imconfusing

Testing ... I replied but the post is not shown

jolalee

imconfusing 發表於 15-3-28 23:58
Testing ... I replied but the post is not shown

Happened to me before too. Sorry, EK browser problem. You'll have to re type. I hate it when that happens too. Always copy your text as a backup before you press <send>.

torunpoland

我會說足以應付日常生活的普通話，但雄辯滔滔，就只有粵語才做得到。所以，我認為，用粵語學中文，學得好，十歲前再學普通話未晚。一旦好正經學普通話，就要波pual 摩科，焦點轉去玩拼音記拼音符號，咁樣呢，我認為是本末倒置，中文句式用字已經了然於胸，只要聽得多，唔使拼音都講得出用得到，舉例：信心呢兩個字，唔使識xin4 xin1, 都可以用到讀得出，在我心中已算是識普通話。我唔係話唔使識普通話，只係唔需要咁早學。講到尾都係呢句，人人要求唔同。

孩子現偏向講英文。或者這樣說，與學校有關的，例如學校教easter bunny，santa claus，諸如此類。昨日，他發現大門有復活蛋，好出奇，說：Look! Easter bunny come last night. he put some easter eggs in the basket! 聽得出他是很自然跟我們分享這項發現。這些東西，我們在家沒談過，但學校有教，所以自然用英文。過年，他說學校弄tang1 wan2，原來是湯丸，這些我們便要執一執。久而久之，你會想像到他從學校學的東西越多，自然傾向說英文。這是正常的。

所以，為了平衡，我都是繼續在家說中文，教中文，寫中文。路漫漫其修遠兮，吾將上下而求索。

而最重要的一點，是令他覺得學中文有用。今日學個用字，第二天在地鐵見到用字，問他懂不懂，日子有功，他便知道早兩日學的字，唔係練習簿上的符號，而係平日見到用到的工具。這是很重要的，日日記日日寫，為咩先？好難解到佢聽，唯有從日常生活中入手。

實際而言，我每天都跟他一起生活，出出入入接接送送，好容易創造到使用中文的環境俾佢，同埋，make it fun，教個升字，亂咁作句，我升去月亮度，你升去太陽度..... 哈哈大笑，咁又識左個升字，到電梯，搵到呢個字，問佢咩字，又認到。日日如是..... 方法都係咁上下。寫字就要惡少少，一定要佢完成一頁（25個左右），利誘呀威迫呀，都要佢完成，但所寫的字是他有興趣的。我又唔會話一星期七日，日日都要寫，睇佢精神，睇我心情，有時我都會忙。但一星期點都寫返3-5個中文字，內容要佢明白的。

另外，我主張背詩，當唱歌，得閒背一首，一星期便背得出來。不用急於下星期三背好呢首，大家都好自在咁背。今日唔背，咪聽日囉。順便應下節，就快清明，可以教杜牧的清明（如果未教，可以試下）。

momo_cheung

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torunpoland

回覆 momo_cheung 的帖子

是，我的小朋友在一間只有英文的學校讀書，從幼兒園到幼稚園都是，相信將來小學都是。因為我希望小朋友做到中英並重。學校沒有中文，孩子便自然只能說英文。而中文，我相信自己也得得來。是，要是小朋友讀得上，我會送他去外國讀書。