A brief note below from Ana Lomba, Parents Choice Awarding author and nationally recognized leading educator teaching kids languages since 1997.
Dear Parent,
Are you trying to get your child started in Chinese? Can’t find the right materials? As a leading educator I can tell you that storytelling is a fantastic strategy to advance quickly in Chinese. Why? Because in the process of learning to do lively readings or act out stories you are intensifying the development of oral and literacy skills. Combining language skills makes a huge difference—and boy, is it fun!
However, not all story-based materials are created equal. I have designed the collection of classic stories included in this subscription specifically for parents and children learning Chinese together. I understand that your needs are quite different than those of teachers or Chinese speakers (although the books will be very useful for them too).
The subscription includes the following titles:
- The Red Hen
- Cinderella
Subscribe now
All Chinese stories for just $7/month.
So after subscribing, what should you focus on?
- Personal interaction. Children learn languages best through personal interaction. This is why it is important that you, the parent, join in the adventure. [Note: older children and adults can use the stories independently, but I still recommend to have a learning buddy]
- Animate your story reading/telling sessions. Make pretend voices, act out some parts, wear wigs… make the sessions as animated and lively as possible!
- Use your Chinese! Make the point of using the Chinese that sticks with you (more each time) in your daily conversations with your child. Also, do NOT worry about speaking with perfect grammar and pronunciation. Actual usage is more important at this point.
For even greater results with your Chinese ‘lessons’:
- Play the stories frequently. This is both to train your ear to the flow of real Chinese in action and also to imprint large volumes of Chinese grammar, intonation, cultural flair, etc., in your brain (a lot of this process will take place unconsciously!)
- Set personal learning goals. For example, “This week we will learn at least five new expressions.” Challenge yourself as you become more strategic in your learning. It’s a good idea to keep a language-learning journal and look back at all the progress that you have made—don’t forget to pat yourself on the back!
Key Features of Ana Lomba’s Classic Bilingual Stories:
- Voice-over by native actresses for captivating effect and to help you model animated speech.
- Easy toggle functionality between Chinese and English so you can quickly check the meaning if you get lost—you could also alternate reading in the two languages if you so please.
- “Pause” button so you can stop and replay shorter chunks of the text.
- Divided in scenes so that you can concentrate on one section at a time and for easier reenactment.
- Vibrant comic style illustrations, providing strong non-verbal cues to reinforce comprehension and make the experience very enjoyable.
- Tons of everyday language and dialogue at a kid’s level for easy transfer to daily parent-child interaction.
With my portfolio of Chinese e-storybooks, your kids will be on their way to learning fluent Chinese for just $7/month! That’s a little more than the cost of one Starbucks capuccino or one movie rental.
Subscribe now
All Chinese stories for just $7/month.