The instagram posts on my #gh123learningchineseseries caught the attention of Producer Julia Nga from Ch8. Below is my first ever Chinese script I have done in my life after my JC days!
I still recalled how I failed without fail in my Chinese compositions during my secondary and JC days. Even my Chinese teacher in JC scoffed at my suggestion that I could pass my Chinese for my first year so that I need not take for A levels. Through sheer hard work and memorising, crashing Ten Year Series, I got a B3 to the astonishment of that Chinese Teacher! I told myself I will not have anything to do with mandarin after that exams.
Never say never. Fast forward, I actually transited from an English congregation to a Chinese church upon marrying my husband. God really wanted me to learn Mandarin whether I liked it or not. For this story read here.
Both my daughter and I enjoyed this fun and authentic experience of being filmed. There was no fanfare nor frills. It was personally another milestone of developing my own mandarin learning and modeling to my kids how mama 活到老学到老。
I share my script so that you can have a fuller picture on the interview that I had prepared for, regardless of whether it was aired or not. We are happy to be a part of this news in Ch8 晨光|晨光聚集：用流行文化和彩绘 趣味学华语.
” 育有三个孩子的妈妈洪莹洤则在孩子不同成长阶段用不同的方式来教导孩子华文。 她在孩子小的时候，会使用粘土做成字体；孩子长大后，则通过画画和课外书等方式来教导他们。莹洤就自制了一本部首绘本，教导就读小学五年级的女儿辨认生字，并用绘画涂色的方式加强记忆。”
1.先分享你自己的经历吧。你自己为什么会对华文有兴趣？
2. 那是什么原因让你开始注重并且决定要教好孩子，让他们掌握华文？
相反的，我讨厌学华语。我的作文是每次都不及格。Fail without fail所以从我的经验，本身的华文程度很差，不希望孩子像我一样对华文有反感，就决定和丈夫一起教导用华文来和孩子沟通。我们是从婴儿就开始使用华文。其实在这个过程中，我感到非常辛苦因为基础不好。为了孩子，我用translation Line dictionary app，来翻译我所不会的词语或者问老公了才来教孩子们
3. 跟我们分享一下你都用什么方式来教导孩子？
4. 除了这些以外，自己本身还用了什么方法来教导孩子？
看
- 四五快读 –从幼儿每天教20mins，2-3生字 用画画来教 (老大和老二比较难教，对这系列没兴趣所以停在第三册。老三就能够接受这个学习系列但是我也只教到手册6. 用了3年多的时间因为我只花20mins
- 画画- 用部首来带出字体的意思，尤其是分辨形似字的时候， 小孩子需要有画面来了解世界-所以当我选故事书的时候我也很注重图片里头的图画书
读
- 图画书、故事书，漫画： 找有价值观，风趣，有意义，也能够理解的图画书，故事书
听&说
- 用喜马拉雅博导来让孩子听故事与阅读故事书，audio pens like etutorstar for ezhishibao 知识报-新列车，好朋友等， 上车听93.3 平台
写
- 玩: 幼儿时期我用playdough，你们可以用乐高,沙盆，豆豆这类不同的原料来吸引孩子学 ’写‘ 生字。主要就是使用玩耍，游戏，唱歌，表演来让孩子对华文有兴趣。
小学： 有一段时期，我用skritter app 来让孩子们学习欢乐伙伴课本6B 识写字总表。
- 电视节目：看旁晚的新闻，保卫先锋，致胜出击，极件任务，小岛国大发现，小品，奔跑吧兄弟
- 身为基督徒，我们每个星期天都参加华文崇拜。经常也会听与唱华文诗歌。我自己也学会读华文圣经。孩子们也在主日学，使用华文。
- 偶尔玩游戏 演出来形容华文词语 charades
5. 透过你的观察，利用画画，剪纸，设计等来吸引孩子学习华文，如何帮助他们更好的吸收这些知识？
A picture speaks a thousand words
看：
使用颜色和图画能够更有效的带出字体的意思和实际的表达我们的日常生活情况
当孩子能够联系生活常识与字体和句子的时候，他们就吸收得比较快。明白了就能记得字体怎么写。
听&说： 当我画的时候我也要求他们开声来重复我教的话，如果音调不正确，我也能够当场改正。
当他们明白了，写生字时就能够认和写好
6. 我发现你也注重孩子的阅读习惯，那你为什么会觉得阅读那么重要？它如何帮助孩子掌握学习华文？
我的孩子热爱阅读-英文故事书。所以，我决定每天一定要有固定时间来阅读中文书而已。吃饭后孩子们知道需要阅读华文至少30mins。才能够读英文故事书。有时候我们会观看华文节目。2018 年底我们开始培养这个习惯。我发觉到孩子们的注意力也进步。如果没有这个习惯，只是靠学校的那几颗华文课时不足够的。使用练习簿是一个方法来应付考试但是最终我们的出发点是-lifelong learning （长久学习？）. 不惧怕或对华文反感，就已经很不错了。
7. 家长选择的一些额外的书籍，活动，到底要怎么选才适合孩子？
需要看个人的兴趣，嗜好与程度- 我买的书多数都有汉语拼音
有些中国小说我们本地人很难明白。内容最好能够有日常生活的故事，关于孩子年龄的话题，有价值观，如果有风趣的一面就跟精彩。
比如说孩子喜欢动物，篮球，跳舞，如果有这些内容的书，就能够吸引孩子更加愉快的去阅读。我知道有些人甚至带孩子去台湾和中国去尝试学习热常用的华文。
8. 书本 vs 视频 – 是要从中选择还是能够结合两者来帮忙？
视频能够让书本（活）come alive起来 – 就好像读了关于农场的故事之后，如果让孩子观看视频关于不同国家的农场，就会让孩子有比较实体的了解故事的情景也能够体会到浓场的生活和城市的不同
如果视频有subtitles 就跟好
读书是训练头脑的专注能力，也让孩子有空间去思想故事内容，启发想象力。尤其现在的社会，如果不刻意去培养读书的优良习惯，头脑就不能够健康的成长，成熟。
9. 很多家长可能会说，自己没有那么多时间来和孩子做那么多活动。你本身认为呢？
我们在乎和珍惜什么，我们就会去争取时间去做
如果学习华文对家长重要的话，我们就会去花时间和精力去实行。
但是我们也不需要有太大的压力或想得太复杂- 每天只需要有固定的时间来一起阅读故事书（10mins）一起读几面就行了。一个月后，这个时间就可以延长到（20mins）etc.
最重要是需要有恒心，耐心来维持这个习惯 consistency
Please pardon any mistakes in my script, I would welcome any feedback if I had written anything words wrongly so that I can learn from my mistakes. I am not proud of my mistakes, but I would rather make mistakes and try learning than to fear making mistakes and stop learning.
Here is our feature! Do view this full clip as it is an enriching episode on how to engage your child in daily Chinese learning!
May you also be inspired to learn Chinese together with your kids!
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