Many young children in Singapore are multi-lingual. Singapore has, over the years, become more multi-racial. When interacting, English is the common language shared. This probably explains why more children use the English language. Sometimes, it even feels like it’s their preferred language.
The Singapore curriculum has addressed this challenge by making it compulsory for children in primary school to learn their mother tongue language. However, more than learning in school is required. Children retain language when they speak it often, both in school and at home.
Unfortunately, some children refuse to speak Chinese outside of their classes. You can do the following to help your child gain interest in Chinese.
Opt For Chinese Enrichment Classes
Chinese enrichment classes will give your child more exposure to the Chinese language. Instead of learning Chinese for an hour a day in school, Chinese enrichment classes in Singapore give your child more hours to learn and enjoy Chinese.
They will also interact with other children their age, learn the language, and soon consider it natural to respond when spoken to in Chinese.
Make Speaking Chinese Fun
Have you considered that your child sees Chinese as an extension of his classes and has chosen to resist speaking it at home? It may not necessarily mean that your child doesn’t like speaking it because they probably just see it as an extension of school.
Parents should make speaking Chinese fun when at home. For example, if possible, you can make it a fun communication method and let other household members participate. Your child may be more willing to join the fun and learn how to communicate when everyone does it.
If you need to, find out from the teachers at the Chinese enrichment classes to find out how they get your child to participate in class. You may use the same techniques at home.
Make Chinese the Primary Language At Home
It would be best if you didn’t force your child to speak Chinese. Instead, you should indirectly get them to participate if you make Chinese the primary mode of communication in your home. It is easier if both parents speak Chinese.
However, if only one parent speaks it, you can slowly introduce the use of Chinese between this parent and child. This way, the child is exposed to both English and Chinese at home. Parents have a critical role to play, even when the child is attending Chinese enrichment classes in Singapore.
When your child practices what they learn in these enrichment classes, Chinese will come naturally when you speak it at home. You’ll naturally need to determine the language the child has a higher understanding of to make it superior. You can use this language for in-depth discussions and the minority language for light chatter.
Chinese enrichment classes will help sharpen your child’s use of the Chinese language. They will learn, through play, the fun aspects of the language. So, even if it is currently the secondary language at home, your child will soon be confident speaking it, just as well as English.