中學一定會出國讀書, 係未一定要讀IS?

ncjkbb

We plan to let my son study aboard in secondary, he got a passport, is it need to choose IS stream for better English & similar teaching style, besides my son is very active type(don't willing to sit down always), but I'm afraid he cannot learn Chinese well that is a must to me, anyone can share? Thanks!

FattyDaddy

ncjkbb 發表於 14-9-12 12:49
We plan to let my son study aboard in secondary, he got a passport, is it need to choose IS stream f ...

If the plan is to go abroad during lower secondary or earlier, it doesn't really make much difference whether the child attends local or international school. The IS child will probably adjust to overseas life easier, but it is not a big deal given the high adaptability of all youngsters.

In fact, one major reason for some local parents to opt for international schools is because they don't want their children to go abroad until the last minute, i.e. when it is time for university.

ncjkbb

Thanks for sharing!

jolalee

I agree with FattyDaddy. I studied in a Chinese medium school before my family emigrated abroad when i was 10 years old. The first 1/2 year was really tough, but it is true kids do adapt very quickly. I was able to speak English and enjoy school life after a winter, and i'm glad i can still read and write in Chinese now due to my earlier education.

However, i did choose IS for my child, as we do plan to stick around HK until he leaves for Uni, and most importantly, i believe in the 'western' education method after being exposed to both systems personally. Chinese would be an uphill battle but each family's expectation is different, and i am happy as long as my boy can read Chinese and type in pinyin (how often do we hand write Chinese nowadays anyway)

Given your child will leave HK after primary school, his has a wider selection of options :) Wishing you all the best in choosing an education system that fits your family and your child!!

ncjkbb

Thanks for your sharing! Just one concern as I know IS stream is not stress in Chinese, I'm afraid he can't really learn Chinese at the end, would this a problem? As I expect him to learn good Chinese b4 moving aboard for another 10yrs of his life in western country, so your kid can read & write Chinese & willing to speak in Cantonese now? How you can train him for better Chinese if the school doesn't do a good job on it?

jolalee

回覆 ncjkbb 的帖子

My son is turning 4 this November, and he is willing to speak Cantonese with me after basically pure English exposure from 10 months to 2.5 years of age (in preparation for top IS interviews). The key was positive exposure. I ensure Chinese is fun for him (fun after school activities in Canto, choosing to show videos in Chinese- even the Disney ones, wonderful time with grandparents etc), and i point to him Chinese words around town when possible to ensure he realize how useful Chinese is. Learning Chinese as an IS student is an art and a topic in itself. If you search in this forum, you will find lots of info ;)

Also, take note that not all IS teach the same level of Chinese. GSIS, FIS, ESF etc has the minimum amount of chinese exposure or environment / motivation to learn Chinese due to it's emphasis on English medium learning or that they have a core Second Language already (German/French etc). Some IS such as HKIS, CDNIS has a wide level of streams so that expat families and native Chinese speakers has good options when it comes to Chinese learning while maintaining a more "western" learning environment. Then there are Int'l schools like CIS, SIS with strong Chinese exposure while having a more hybrid teaching style (an in between of the East and the West) with more homework and drilling then the others mentioned. It would be similar for the Private Independent schools such as ISF and VSA, where bilingualism was emphasized from a very early age. In general, the more Chinese an IS emphasizes, the more drilling is required; it's just the way Chinese learning is. It comes to a point when people start asking why put the child in IS and dish out all the bucks if their learning style is similar to LS. All in all, every parent's expectation is different, so if you are really interested in IS, it is best to visit the individual schools that interests you.

annie40

回覆 jolalee 的帖子

Congratulations. it is lovely that he is willing to speak Cantonese now. :)

ncjkbb

Thank you for your sharing & advice! :)

shadeslayer

原帖由 jolalee 於 14-09-13 發表
回覆 ncjkbb 的帖子

My son is turning 4 this November, and he is willing to speak Cantonese with me ...

Good summary.
While most enthnic Chinese parents want their children to achieve a high level of Chinese, I would not put Chinese (or English) before general quality of education as a selection criteria.

If Chinese is the most important criterion, may be it is better for Chinese parents to enroll their children into local schools and find a way to keep up their English.