Problem - Teaching Children and Adults
I found a website for parents who speak Chinese to teach their children to be bilingual. Lots of amusing ideas, about starting with nouns, and simple verbs, but not one word of any use to an adult who speaks English and wants to learn Chinese. (Although the Chinese symbols would be meaningful to bilinguals, nothing useful for beginners.)
Answer
However, this search led me on to some really handy YouTube videos for adult tourists.
First Words For Pointing To Food
The first video teaches you the words you can use for pointing:
this
that
I
want
I want
I don't want
I don't want that
I want this
Signs and Tones
I had already learned that wo means I. the teacher in the video explains how the signs over the letters gives you clues about the tone of voice, the same as French signs. The bowl shape means the sound goes down then rises up again.
The website also gives you some amusing word breakdowns giving insights. Who would have known that the Chinese word for restaurant is the combination of the two words food shop! Who would have guessed that the Chinese word for hotel is alcohol shop!
Useful Websites
Diana Ser for children of Mandarin speaking parents
http://www.dianaser.com/how-to-us-eenglish-books-to-learn-mandarin/
http://www.dianaser.com/script-to-play-and-say-in-mandarin/
Emma on greetings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1LWu81kWqE
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
I found a website for parents who speak Chinese to teach their children to be bilingual. Lots of amusing ideas, about starting with nouns, and simple verbs, but not one word of any use to an adult who speaks English and wants to learn Chinese. (Although the Chinese symbols would be meaningful to bilinguals, nothing useful for beginners.)
Answer
However, this search led me on to some really handy YouTube videos for adult tourists.
First Words For Pointing To Food
The first video teaches you the words you can use for pointing:
this
that
I
want
I want
I don't want
I don't want that
I want this
Signs and Tones
I had already learned that wo means I. the teacher in the video explains how the signs over the letters gives you clues about the tone of voice, the same as French signs. The bowl shape means the sound goes down then rises up again.
The website also gives you some amusing word breakdowns giving insights. Who would have known that the Chinese word for restaurant is the combination of the two words food shop! Who would have guessed that the Chinese word for hotel is alcohol shop!
Useful Websites
Diana Ser for children of Mandarin speaking parents
http://www.dianaser.com/how-to-us-eenglish-books-to-learn-mandarin/
http://www.dianaser.com/script-to-play-and-say-in-mandarin/
Emma on greetings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1LWu81kWqE
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
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