Any good Chinese Mandarin language homeschool materials?
I do not know how to speak Chinese. My daughter is beginning her senior year of high school, my son is starting the 3rd grade. Their school does not offer Chinese, which I think is foolish.
I am thinking of setting aside a couple of nights a week where all three of us can learn Chinese together. I am looking for a good program that will assist us in becoming fluent speakers. I am sure that homeschoolers must know of some good programs.
I am sure it will be suggested, but we cannot afford a tutor at this time. We want to pay for one thing now that will take us far.
I am not concerned with written Chinese at this time (will be later, though). I am concerned with spoken fluency, just the way all kids learn to speak before they ever see a school book.
Tags: fluent speakers, senior year, spoken fluency, tutor
November 7th, 2009 at 9:36 am
There aren’t any homeschool institutions that I know of that are offering Chinese that and I’ve looked everywhere. What you can do, though, is just go down to Barnes & Noble or search the internet for some good materials and just get a variety of things.
For your high school student, you can do chinesepod.com which is an online podcast site where they can just download or stream audio lessons. Plus it has online work sheets they can do and a lot of other stuff.
If you didn’t want to go that route you can do Pimsleur, (kind of expensive, though) which is really good.
Then there’s this site that has all kinds of good curriculum and it goes from elementary to high school. You can have a look:
http://www.chinasprout.com/shop/books/learn
November 7th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Rosetta Stone has a great program. They are home based and used by the government and other acredited places and businesses.
I have their Japanese set and love it. Very user friendly and easy to learn.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Uh… I know there are these "learn chinese with me" books that are OK, but they seem kinda childish.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Go to a local public elementary school on the weekends. See if they have Chinese people there. If yes, Ask them if they are teaching Chinese or sending their kids there to learn Chinese.
Or go to the Chinese bookstore and see if they have basic learning materials for learning Chinese in Chinese. But how would you know which teaching materials are good, if you don’t even know written Chinese?! You can’t. You have to depend on others, who might or might not misguide you deliberately.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Try to join Children Chinese course on Beijing Online School of Chinese Language http://www.hellomandarin.com
There is Parent Zone to help you to track your daughter’s learning process.
It is Official Chinese Education Supplier of The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, If you start to learn Chinese now, you will have opportunity to get free tickets of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games