Chinese Books

I have always known (somehow... or maybe self-fulfilling prophecy) that Sophie would face difficulty in learning the Chinese Language. It has been really challenging to get her to acknowledge the langauge and respond to us whenever we speak in Mandarin. She usually ignores us until we switch to English. Although she is still resistent to the Chinese Language, she is now able to understand and utter a few words in Mandarin.



I must say the credit goes partly to her school with its 15-30 minutes of Chinese circle time. Initially, I thought it was not useful since Sophie was never paying attention to the teacher. However, now she is singing some of the songs taught in school. She also seems a lot more willing to listen to Chinese stories and songs.



I think her gradual interest has something to do with my attitude towards the Chinese Language as well. I was very reluctant to read her Chinese books because I find most of the stories weak and illustrations lousy. I also find myself trying a little harder to make sure I say each word properly. Too much effort and no visible results, so I gave up even trying. Also, I tried using flashcards and readers, but we were both bored to tears. To think that I almost ended up as a Chinese teacher! Sophie needs to learn in fun and interesting ways. Fortunately, I bought a few sets of Chinese books through the school and she seems to like them. Phew!