There are so many wonderful reasons to introduce your young child to Mandarin!
Did you know that around a billion people in the world speak Mandarin Chinese? 873,000 million speak Mandarin as a first language, making it by far the most widely spoken native language in the world. An additional 178 million people speak Mandarin as a second language. It’s the official language of mainland China as well as Taiwan, and one of the official languages of Singapore.
Mandarin is a tonal language, which means that words with the same spelling and sound, pronounced with the 4 different tones of Mandarin, can mean totally different things.
It’s also a character-based pictographic language, rather than alphabetical, and has a vastly different grammar system, without singular/plural forms, verb tenses, conjugations, or gender differences.
Though Mandarin’s distinct differences from western or Latin-based languages can make it seem intimidating, in fact, children often find it very fun to learn and relatively easy! Infants and toddlers exposed to Mandarin have no trouble distinguishing the different tones, and they enjoy learning to read and write Mandarin’s beautiful picture-like calligraphy. Additionally, the Chinese numerical system is considered very straightforward and logical, so counting, doing early math, learning the calendar, and so forth tend to come quite easily.
Mandarin is a context-based language full of meaningful, culture-rich vocabulary derived from history and ancient literature. Almost every one of its 4000 most commonly used 4-character idioms 成语 (chéng yǔ) has roots in an illuminating fable or historical event. Chinese children learn their language by listening to stories passed down through many generations.
Knowing Mandarin helps students and travelers explore China’s fascinating culture–known over many millennia for its remarkable contributions in art, textiles, technology, cuisine, holiday traditions, spiritual life and philosophy, literature, and more. Papermaking and printing; porcelain, silk, tea, and gunpowder; the compass, seismograph, kite, umbrella, and toothbrush are just a few things invented in China that are part of our everyday lives! Today, China’s enormous economic influence makes Mandarin an excellent choice for entry into the global job market. It’s also one of the 6 official languages of the United Nations.
And here’s a bonus! Studies suggest that learning Chinese actually builds brainpower by using both brain hemispheres!
Carousel of Languages is New York City’s premier early childhood foreign language program. We offer in-person and online Mandarin classes for kids, specializing in lessons for infants, toddlers, and young schoolchildren. Our holistic philosophy, research-backed methodology, and acclaimed proprietary curriculum, Carousel Teaching System®, provide the proven cognitive, creative, and academic benefits of early exposure to more than one language.
Offering online lessons in 12 languages and serving an international clientele, we celebrate diversity, foster connection to cultural heritage, and spark the curiosity that inspires a lifelong love of learning and builds the confidence to explore.
Building on 20+ years of classroom success, our online Mandarin lessons offer young students the very best in remote learning. Specially designed for very young students, our online classes faithfully recreate Carousel’s signature warm, engaging, multisensory approach with brief, age-appropriate interval lessons, multiple times per week.
Give your child a passport to Global Citizenship–join the Carousel family today!
