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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here. I think my expectation is out of reach. I think it is more of his learning attitude/habit that frustrate me more than his progress. Benchmark for 50 words a year is really low to me for K. He has high grades in every subject and thus I expect that he will learn fast in foreign language.

Mandarin is one of the most difficult languages to learn, and he is doing 4 hours a week (2 hours for online 1:1 and 2 hours for in person). It is just painful to sit with him to learn, but he is not focused and not wanting to practice. I hope it is not a waste of time, money and energy in the long run.  [/quote]

A word in your ear, from one Tiger Parent to another. You're setting up your son for a rebellious anti-academic phase later on if you expect so much drudgework so early and only see the negative. Learning a language in these conditions is unpleasant and the ratio of effort to achievement is not on the kid's side. Please make sure you assess the long-term effort you will ask of your son and Marie Kondo his life so he has some joy in all his activities. You can try and make the process more pleasant by making sure he has an encouraging teacher, goes along well with his peers, has some Mandarin exposure that's more fun, like perhaps playdates with fluent speakers, or activities with fluent families (there are some in the area), or cartoons in Mandarin. And above all, know your son and praise his efforts, not his achievements. This is how I've gotten my kids to agree to pretty demanding sustained efforts well into their teens. Kids in American live in a society that rewards rebellion and disrespect. If you want compliance, you've got to make it worth their while.

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