If your kids have faced the struggle of learning Chinese and lost the battle more times than they’ve won, we may have found a nifty little way to help.
Learning Chinese is no simple task, no matter where you’ve grown up or at what age you start. So it’s no wonder families in Singapore can find it difficult to ensure their children are making progress, and will search long and hard to find good tutors and courses. Call us crazy, but how do private classes with native Mandarin speakers sound? And do you fancy not having to drag your kid to yet another after-school activity? We thought you might. So we’ve decided to introduce you to a little online gem called Connected Learning.
Connected Learning was borne from an all-too-familiar scenario: a group of parents saw how difficult it is for kids in Singapore to learn Mandarin, so they gathered together experienced teachers from China who all hold diplomas or degrees in Chinese Language or related fields, and built an online Chinese language school. All the teachers are well trained in online teaching, which means they’re finely tuned to pick up on the students’ cues and body language from afar. The teachers speak pure, accent-free Chinese, so kids hear the language the way it’s meant to be spoken.
How does it work? After signing up you need to schedule a regular time slot, around two or three times per week. This ensures the lessons remain interactive, because the teachers conduct the class ‘live’. Kids log in to their customised class using a tablet or laptop from the comfort of home, and learn with up to three other students each time. Some students are so keen they log in early to chat with their tutors, and end up conversing entirely in Mandarin before class. As with any language, natural conversation is often the greatest lesson!
Most importantly, the ‘official’ study component is comprehensive. All classes adhere to the latest MOE syllabus and exam formats, and lesson plans are meticulously researched and crafted by the well-qualified teachers. Teachers read Singaporean Chinese language newspapers daily to remain on top of current affairs and cultural issues, and they use the same textbooks and assessment books as the Singapore-based schools to ensure consistency. The difference is, personalised lessons are delivered by native Mandarin speakers without the hassle of travelling to a physical location.
While working hard to help kids achieve success in the MOE syllabus, Connected Learning also makes a big effort to bring fun and engaging lessons to their students. They incorporate all the elements of successful language learning – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – and the small class sizes mean there are stronger opportunities for kids to practise these skills under the watchful eye of the teacher. In the online class, everyone feels a little more equal sitting ‘side by side’, and therefore a little more comfortable and willing to participate, and we think that’s rather nice.
If your child is in Primary 1 or higher at school (or aged seven years and older), as a HoneyKids reader you’re welcome to try the lessons for free for a week (that’s up to three lessons!). Just quote ‘HKA01’ under ‘Promotion Code’ in the trial form here. Then, if you like what you see and decide to sign up in July, you can take advantage of a ‘back to school’ discount of 20% off the first month.
Seems to us like a no-brainer: you get to put your feet up instead of being the ‘mum taxi’ yet again, and the kids get to learn Chinese from the people who know it best!
This post is sponsored by Connected Learning.