Will the teacher speak in English?
Updated
My child doesn't speak any Chinese. Will the teacher speak English?
Our one-on-one classes are all 100% immersive. This will help your child to learn more effectively and to begin speaking more quickly. Teachers will do the following to help your child to understand:
Teachers will use minimal language so your child will be able to focus. The words will be in the preview materials, and you will hear simple commands like:
Shuō: this means "say". The teacher will say "Aiwen shuō...." meaning "Aiwen says...." or just "Shuō" to prompt your child to speak
Chàng: this means "sing". The teacher will say this before a song. Usually the teacher will sing first to model and then will teach the song, line by line, allowing your child to repeat.
Tīng: this means "listen". For example, if the teacher is Mia and your child is Kevin, they might say "Mia shuō, Kevin tīng." (Mia says, Kevin listens). Or for a song, "Mia chàng, Kevin tīng."
Huà: this means "draw". Sometimes the teacher will want your child to draw a circle or a line around the correct answer.
Kàn: This means "look". The teacher wants your child to look at them or the screen. They will often do this gesture:
Teachers will use gestures to demonstrate the meaning of words:
When saying shuō, for example, the teacher will move their hands like a mouth opening and closing.
When saying tīng, the teacher will cup their ear to indicate the meaning.
Teachers will speak at a slow pace and when your child is repeating, they will mouth the words to model for/scaffold for your child.
Preview materials:
We provide review and preview materials as well, so you and your child can prepare ahead. There are preview videos, words and grammar lists, and flashcards. You can also preview the songs to help your child to get ready for class. Where do I find supplementary materials?
Why 100% Immersion?
Studies show that immersion can help develop the speech patterns of a native speaker. In fact, just observing and imitating a native Chinese speaker’s pronunciation will help you learn Chinese faster. Our goal is to have your child speaking in Chinese, from the first class. You can support them best by encouraging them to repeat after the teacher and to watch them.