Introduction

The Chinese language is the oldest written language in the world with at least six thousand years of history. Chinese character inscriptions have been found in turtle shells dating back to the Shang dynasty 1 (1766-1123 BC) proving the written language has existed for more than 3,000 years. The Chinese written language uses single distinctive symbols, or characters, to represent each word of the vocabulary.  The vast majority of characters are written versions of spoken sounds that have meaning. A large dictionary usually contains 40,000 characters. One must be able to recognize 2,000 to 3,000 characters to read a newspaper. Although the written system has been altered over time due to revolutions and political changes, the principles of the language along with the symbols and characters have remained basically the same. Primarily Chinese in China use simplified characters. It is taught in Mandarin-Chinese classes internationally as well. These characters are simpler, i.e., have fewer pen-strokes, than traditional Chinese characters. Simplified characters have existed for hundreds of years, but only became officially acceptable in formal writing after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in an attempt to improve literacy among Chinese in China

 Some of the best courses that will help your kids learn Chinese just a tad better: 

1. LingoKids:

Online Chinese courses for kids and teens at MyLingoKids, a MyLingoTrip company, is the optimum choice for your language journey. It was created in collaboration with child psychologists and language experts to offer child-friendly language lessons. Our aim is to teach foreign languages to kids and teens in a student-centered way with the help of native professional teachers.

2. Outschool:

They always try their best to engage each student to learn Chinese in a fun way.  According to their previous several on-line classes at Outschool, most of their young students had fun learning Chinese with me. Some have been inspired to learn more about the Chinese language. It’s always nice and encouraging to hear something positive like that. They will send out relevant learning pdf file materials 1-3 days before each lesson. They create their own curriculum.  In short, the students will receive handouts each week for each lesson.

3. New Concept Mandarin:

Their kids learn Chinese courses that aim to cultivate children’s interest in learning Chinese and help them build good learning habits. The program covers all four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, and is divided into various levels from beginner all the way to advanced. Their learn Chinese for kids course is divided into 6 levels to cater to the experience and needs of each child and to build confidence as the classes progress.

4. Udemy:

Through the experience of raising my son and daughter, I understand their learning pattern. Especially in the Tri-Languages environment in Malaysia, Chinese, English and Malay. Based on my 23 years experience teaching for overseas students, I decided to touch the ground to develop a set of Courses for the Pre-School level.

5. Nihao Chinese:

The Ni Hao Chinese Learning Foundation has organized special events throughout Southern California, including library storytimes, inviting special speakers, and also sponsoring an annual Chinese New Year festival.  In 2020, in order to bring happiness and cheer to the family around the world during the pandemic, the Ni Hao Chinese Learning Foundation begins to host weekly online storytime, hoping to share the love with more children through stories, music, dance and Mandarin Chinese immersion.