I have been talking about how I want you to learn Mandarin Chinese since you were born, so I finally looked into it and found summer class. Now, you are probably one of the few white kids inside the 635 loop here in Dallas, Texas that is taking a Mandarin Chinese class, which makes it all the more better! OPEN YOUR MIND - always - to other cultures and languages.
The first day that I dropped you off, I was a little freaked out. I had taken you there the day before so you could see it and I could explain to you that you were taking summer school there. I told you that you were going to learn Chinese, the same language that Kai Lan speaks (a character on Nick Jr television). We parked the car and went to sit down on one of the benches, which was in an outdoor hallway. The teachers were warm and sweet and made us feel so comfortable. I felt like we were in Europe. No one was speaking English - all we heard was Spanish and French. I was worried that I chose the wrong language. Maybe I should have put you in Spanish or French. It seemed as though most of the other kids were taking one of the two, however I knew you had been speaking to Annette in Spanish and hearing it since you were 4 months old and this was a real opportunity to hear a different language and be open to a new culture. I kept asking the teachers, "How many kids are in the Chinese class?"
Finally, I took you to your class and you were such a big boy. There were about 5 other kids in there and your teacher, Mei Hong, and her assistant. I think you were a little sad to leave me and a bit unsure, but you were strong.
As the summer went on, you loved the class! You loved Ms. Mei as well. The kids in your class were precious. There were a couple of absolutely gorgeous Asian girls. You told me that you thought one of them was pretty. Every day, I would drop you off and the teachers who spoke Spanish would come and get you out of the car, "Buenos Dias guapo. Como estas?" I loved it. You did not hear much English, and the teachers were so warm and naturally sweet. You would sit on this bench and wait for Ms Mei to come and get you. You had your little backpack on with snacks in it. You were so precious!! You cried for one drop off and that was it. I mean you loved the class! You were excited to go. I was so happy about this!!! You were exposed to another culture and language for three weeks - what an amazing opportunity!! I will post some of the emails from Ms Mei on another post. I emailed her often and asked her how your day went.
I love you and I am so very proud of you!! Always respect other cultures. xoxoxo Mamma
From an Early-Advantage article:
Last year, a research study commissioned by the British Council concluded that the lack of students fluent in a foreign language in both Britain and the United States will eventually weaken the competitiveness of both countries. The report, entitled "English Next," positively brims with reasons why kids should learn Chinese.
The report highlights the economic advantages of more and better language education and the risks of remaining a largely monolingual culture and nation. Because of the current boom in the Chinese economy, the British Council is encouraging kids to learn Chinese today, expecting that their greater knowledge and broader experience may give them significant advantages in the globalized workplace of tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment