What's the best way to prepare for language immersion?

[Anonymous]

My kid will be starting PK3 at YY in August and I would like to start preparing him for this transition. Should I get him a tutor? There are several Mandarin speaking tutors on Care.com. What about MUZZY? They have a Mandarin animated story program that teaches children their target language and it's $80 for 2 years. The only thing about MUZZY is that the program is app based and my son does not use a tablet that much so when I do allow it, he's all over the place and unable to focus on just using one app.

[Anonymous]

Host a native-speaking au pair or don't bother. The only way to teach little kids languages is via immersion. Nothing else works. You can kid yourself that a little Muzzy will help, but it won't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Host a native-speaking au pair or don't bother. The only way to teach little kids languages is via immersion. Nothing else works. You can kid yourself that a little Muzzy will help, but it won't.

How do you know that nothing else works? Have you gone through this process before?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Host a native-speaking au pair or don't bother. The only way to teach little kids languages is via immersion. Nothing else works. You can kid yourself that a little Muzzy will help, but it won't.

While I mainly agree, I would probably try to at least give them some exposure to the culture since otherwise they won't have much. But not through tutors or apps, perhaps there are some events or cultural centers in the region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Host a native-speaking au pair or don't bother. The only way to teach little kids languages is via immersion. Nothing else works. You can kid yourself that a little Muzzy will help, but it won't.

How do you know that nothing else works? Have you gone through this process before?

Yes, gone through the process before. We've hosted Chinese-speaking au pairs for 8 years to the tune of around 18K a year. Nothing else works. You need a native speakers in the house for a kid under age 9 or 10.

No need to do anything - YY Mandarin is basic all the way up. They teach the kids what they want them to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Host a native-speaking au pair or don't bother. The only way to teach little kids languages is via immersion. Nothing else works. You can kid yourself that a little Muzzy will help, but it won't.

While I mainly agree, I would probably try to at least give them some exposure to the culture since otherwise they won't have much. But not through tutors or apps, perhaps there are some events or cultural centers in the region.

Take them to what? A cultural festival in Rockville? Where is this festival and when? Why bother to do that for YY? The Chinese families at YY are really assimilated.

You might as well have the kid watch YouTube videos of Chinese New Year celebrations in China for what that's worth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Host a native-speaking au pair or don't bother. The only way to teach little kids languages is via immersion. Nothing else works. You can kid yourself that a little Muzzy will help, but it won't.

While I mainly agree, I would probably try to at least give them some exposure to the culture since otherwise they won't have much. But not through tutors or apps, perhaps there are some events or cultural centers in the region.

No worries, OP. YY admins have had little exposure to the culture. Never lived in China, worked there, studied there, don't speak the language well, so no stress for you and your 3 year old. Just focus on the warm and fuzzy community, nice campus, rock star PARCC results etc.

[Anonymous]

OP— best to ask this questions of returning parents at one of the new student play dates this summer. You are unlikely to receive any productive advice on this board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Host a native-speaking au pair or don't bother. The only way to teach little kids languages is via immersion. Nothing else works. You can kid yourself that a little Muzzy will help, but it won't.

While I mainly agree, I would probably try to at least give them some exposure to the culture since otherwise they won't have much. But not through tutors or apps, perhaps there are some events or cultural centers in the region.

No worries, OP. YY admins have had little exposure to the culture. Never lived in China, worked there, studied there, don't speak the language well, so no stress for you and your 3 year old. Just focus on the warm and fuzzy community, nice campus, rock star PARCC results etc.

If you're being sarcastic, you're an a$$

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP— best to ask this questions of returning parents at one of the new student play dates this summer. You are unlikely to receive any productive advice on this board.

+1000

[Anonymous]

You don't need any advice, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Host a native-speaking au pair or don't bother. The only way to teach little kids languages is via immersion. Nothing else works. You can kid yourself that a little Muzzy will help, but it won't.

While I mainly agree, I would probably try to at least give them some exposure to the culture since otherwise they won't have much. But not through tutors or apps, perhaps there are some events or cultural centers in the region.

No worries, OP. YY admins have had little exposure to the culture. Never lived in China, worked there, studied there, don't speak the language well, so no stress for you and your 3 year old. Just focus on the warm and fuzzy community, nice campus, rock star PARCC results etc.

If you're being sarcastic, you're an a$$

PP is right. YY Chinese language and culture obviously isn't serious so why worry or work? Chill.

[Anonymous]

OP is far too new to know this. Let her find our the easy way, by sending her child to YY ECE.

[Anonymous]

OP, start private music lessons at a young age to help with language learning and acquisition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't need any advice, OP.

There's a difference between giving advice and being a rude sarcastic asshole.