Please share: Worried about their Chinese level?

cpmummy

Hi stccmc,

I like you sometime, as you always be the one to express different opinion, so I think it is good in forum to have different discussion.

However, would you please don't insist to label one the people who send their kid to international school? I tell you the truth, this is really out from my heart, so I should say again even we choose International school for my child, we will never ask her to give up chinese learning and culture.
In deed, learning philosophy is total different as compare to the local school. Students in int'l school will have more chance to express themselves in front of the teacher and classmate during the circle time, kid could build up their confident and improve their language skill, students are more creative in different way as they got chance to do it. So you could see even we choose int'l school for kid, it does not mean that we want them to learn better english only.
"How to help child to learn more chinese" would also be a question for most of the int'l school's parent.

"And language is closely tide to its culture, eg if you have English as the mother tongue, you would generally appreciate English/American culture more than Chinese." --- Not really agree with this too. A lot of people from mainland could speak english like mother tongue. What about the people from Singapore and Malaysia? Language ability is totally not related to the culture preference issue.

cpmummy

hi stccmc,

(1) 子女以中文為母語, 英語為工具語言, 能讀, 寫, 聽, 講也流利, 只欠外國人口音
No problem if we really could do that.
However, it is really not easy to achieve 能讀, 寫, 聽, 講流利英語. Alot of people in HK could only 讀, 寫 but got difficulty in 聽 and 講. Can we understand when we watch "earl" channel? Please share with me what did you do to improve your daughter's english up to 讀, 寫, 聽, 講也流利 even she studies in local school?
2) 雙語及活動教學化的本地學校, 例如維記, 陳守仁, 真道...
Personally I like 維記 as they emphasis both 雙語及活動教學, unfortuately their location is too far away from home. What about "Kingston"?
Is 陳守仁 a 雙語及活動教學化的本地學校? I though they are english school.
Sorry I don't know much about 真道. so can't comments.

Are there any other school in Kowloon side offer bi-lingual progam except Kingston?

precious

Vrindavan 寫道:
Chinese or English

Just for knowledge purpose,
not for making money.

i like English more,
because English is an International language

The books i like to read are all written in English only. My knowledge would be limited if i can read Chinese books only.

It might be your own interest/preference, and hopefully it is not your reason for sending your kids to an IS.

Choosing a right school to the kids is tough.  Cant based on personal like or dislike...  or for 'fun'.

Good luck.

Vrindavan

precious:

>> hopefully it is not your reason for sending your kids to an IS.

Why? you seems to think that IS is very harmful to the kids if the parents do not have sound reasons before sending the kids to such schools.

>>Cant based on personal like or dislike

Are all parents choose the school for their kids based on their personal like/dslike ?

In the society, parents A will like this,
parents B will like that.


502 :

>>Why good command of English means poor Chinese?

language is for comunication through verbal or written. Able to master more than one language well of course is good.

But i can say other sentenses like

Why good command of English means poor Spanish?

Why good command of English means poor Japanese?

Why good command of English means poor Hindi?

Why good command of English means poor French?

......

Vrindavan

stccmc:

you are a super smart person.

Yes, but you are saying "I like English books so I send my child to an English-only school."

Please go back to my previous post.
There is no such sentense.

This sentense is made by YOU,
not me.

i used very simple and clear English language
to write my post.
Why people still mis-undertood and criticized ?

wcllks

Right, the sentence was made by me. I got the impression from the following conversation between you & precious.

Hi stccmc:

I am sorry that I don't see what Vrindavan said implies that she wants her kid to know English only.

Vrindavan did mention that parents are choosing schools according to their personal like/dislike.  However, she has never mentioned that she dislikes Chinese.  She just mentioned that the books she likes are in English.  I believe Vrindavan definitely wants her kid to have good English.  However, if you argue that she does not want her kid to know Chinese, that is not justified.

Vrindavan

wcllks

you are right

you undertand what i said.

Alam

I want to share with the peaceful mothers of my own experience.

I am a full time mon and my boy studies in an IS at P2.  I worry very much about his Chinese/Mandarin.  I love Chinese culture and my Chinese standard I can say is above average.  But don't ask me why I put him to IS, I don't want any debate (actually scare of it).

My boy's tuition fee on Chinese/Mandarin lessons is 80% of his school fee.  He does Chinese writing and practises Mandarin on an average of 1 hour everyday, either by his teacher or myself as a follow up or revision.  Actually I also feel tired and sometimes guilty for pushing him too hard.  But as a Chinese, he must speak Mandarin and learn his own culture.

I always brainwash him that it's a shame to speak just English because it's too easy.  Lots of people around him can speak two langugages or above.  As a Chinese, it's particularly important to speak Mandarin.  I asked him to image how awkward it is if his British friends only spoke Mandarin but knew nothing about English.  So far he still believes in what I say and try his best to learn Chinese.

At this moment, his spoken mandarin is not fluent, but he understands 70% of Cantonese and 50% of Mandarin.  His spoken and written English is excellent, his school teacher says his sight words test attains the level of 10 years old native kid.  I think it takes time for him to master two languages and one dialect.  Since I choose a hard battle for him, we must go through it together.

wewangwang

[quote]
Alam 寫道:

"My boy's tuition fee on Chinese/Mandarin lessons is 80% of his school fee."


Suppose your son is in ESF, that means you spend about $4,000 for his Chinese / Manadrin lessons. Why so expensive? What  tuition centre does your son join?

"I always brainwash him that it's a shame to speak just English because it's too easy.  ........ I asked him to image how awkward it is if his British friends only spoke Mandarin but knew nothing about English. "


Can't agree with you any more.

Vrindavan

>> My point is on choosing schools based on parents personal interests and hobbies, not from the children's perspective

this is very subjective opinion really.

Is that you "like your own culture" or " master a language for money making reason " is also a interest too ?

>> But as a Chinese, he must speak Mandarin and learn his own culture.

It is much better to be able to,
but it is not a must.

Just like a boy has to wear in blue color ?
a girl has to wear in red/pink color ?

Vrindavan

What is bad for being a minority?
The manager of a company is always a minority.
The workers of a company are always the majority.

A language is used for communication.
But now people have incentive to master a language usually just for money making reason.

If English is not important at job in HK,
you will know what happen then.

A culture is not a legal system or human law that you must follow or obey.

wcllks

Hi Alam:

At this moment, his spoken mandarin is not fluent, but he understands 70% of Cantonese and 50% of Mandarin. His spoken and written English is excellent, his school teacher says his sight words test attains the level of 10 years old native kid. I think it takes time for him to master two languages and one dialect. Since I choose a hard battle for him, we must go through it together.

Thanks for your sharing.  I think you are very successful.  That's the approach I want to take as well: putting my daughter in IS and teach her Chinese outside school classes.

Just wonder, what language do you use at home?

Vrindavan

>> sight words test

what is this ?

Alam

Dear Wcllks,

I am not successful at all.  I would like him to master Chinese much faster and will have great depression on the day when we have no time to revise Chinese subject.

My boy and I talk in English all the time.  Actually I would like to use Mandarin or Cantonese more, say on Sunday, but I switch back to English very soon.  Alas!  It becomes a habit.  But during the Chinese revision, I will use 100% Mandarin.

How about your experience?  Would like to hear more from you.

Cheers,
Ada