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Students of Tessa International School with their Mandarin teacher

10 Reasons You Should Choose Chinese Immersion For Your Children

November 2, 2021/in Bilingualism, Language Learning, Parenting /by Tessa International School

Why encourage your child to learn Chinese? Research shows learning other languages has cognitive and cultural benefits on developing minds. It also strengthens our sense of global awareness and unity, in and outside the classroom! Each language has its own unique benefits, and Mandarin’s are numerous. Some believe that learning Chinese is one of the best investments you can make!

A primary school teacher instructs Mandarin to her Grade 1 students at Tessa International School's Mandarin Track.

Learning Mandarin Chinese, one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide, can be a rewarding experience, offering cultural understanding and professional opportunities.

1. Chinese is the native language for 20% of the world’s population

Learning Chinese creates an immediate connection between your child and 1/5 of the world’s population. That’s amazing! Even if you have no plans to set foot in a Chinese-speaking country any time soon, there are nearly 50 million Chinese who live outside of China.

2. Learning Chinese will be a career advantage

Career advantages for learning Chinese are numerous. The ability to communicate to over one billion people has major value in the job marketplace. Of course, this includes companies in China and other Mandarin speaking countries. But companies all around the world are striving to tap into the Chinese marketplace, and you’ll immediately differentiate yourself if you can speak Mandarin.

3. Chinese isn’t phonics based. Learning it is memory-intensive

Kids have the best memory capacities in the world. The Chinese language isn’t phonics-based so you can’t learn a small set of alphabets/sounds and be able to read the language. It’s all memorization so the sooner your kids start, the better. Learning Chinese will strongly develop your child’s memorization skills.

4. It’s really an art class

Chinese characters are made up of multiple components that fit together to create meaning and pronunciation. As children will mostly be learning pictographs and characters that have clearer visual meaning, characters become mini pictures. This can make learning characters a lot more fun and easier for children to both remember the characters by creating stories and writing by constructing pictures for each one.

5. Mandarin helps having a better interpretation of symbols

Since Mandarin writing relies on thousands of characters, learners of Mandarin Chinese have to read and interpret a vast number of visual symbols, activating more regions of the brain than English, which relies on a phonetic alphabet. Through learning Mandarin, children can become more adept at visual communication, more readily interpreting symbols in visual art and understanding nuances in symbolism and visual communication.

6. Chinese will give English-speaking children a different paradigm for thinking

Languages affect the way we think, and therefore our perspectives. Giving kids a different language, particularly one so different from their native tongue, means we are also giving them a different paradigm for thinking. Bilingual kids are more likely to see things from different perspectives, and they are more likely to be emphatic with others.

7. Learning the Chinese language is the prerequisite for learning the Chinese culture and history

Language learning enables us to unveil the deep meanings embedded in cultural concepts, idioms, and historical texts, which are too complex to be fully captured in translation. Classical Chinese poetry, for instance, relies on linguistic nuances and historical allusions that lose depth when translated, making it difficult to fully appreciate works like Li Bai’s verses. Similarly, Confucian teachings, such as 仁 (rén)—often translated as “benevolence”—embody layers of philosophical and cultural significance that require a deep understanding of the language. To truly understand a culture, learning its language is essential.

8. Mandarin contributes to developing stronger Math skills

Yes, there is actually a scientific correlation between learning Mandarin and improved mathematical ability. Scientists theorize that because Mandarin representation of numbers is less abstract than Arabic numbers, and because the act of practicing handwriting requires repeated counting, young children gain greater familiarity with math and with numeric thinking. In learning Mandarin, the mathematical concepts are integral to the language fluency, and not a separate subject activating a different part of the brain.

Because Mandarin Chinese involves learning language, sounds, drawing, and math all at once, it activates more regions of the brain and improves cognitive development overall, even in adults. In fact, speakers of Mandarin use more of their brain more of the time, unlike English speakers who tend to alternate between left and right hemispheres. In theory, this more balanced brain could lead to greater overall creativity, enhanced problem-solving, and increased emotional intelligence.

9. Speaking Mandarin may offer kids a musical edge

Kids who speak Mandarin may outperform kids who speak English in at least one aspect of musical ability — perceiving pitch. Pitch refers to how high or low a sound’s frequency is. In tonal languages, such as Mandarin, pitch is very important. These languages use different pitch patterns to give meaning to words.

10. Your child will become bilingual in Chinese in a way they never could have otherwise

Immersion is the most efficient (and some would say the only) way to gain fluency in a target language, and Mandarin Chinese is no exception. The Chinese language is often considered one of the world’s most difficult languages to learn, but this sentiment is a major oversimplification. Like any language, learning Chinese has its challenges. Placing your child in an ideal learning environment, such as a language-rich program like Tessa Mandarin Immersion Program, is key to learning Chinese.

Mandarin Chinese Programs at Tessa International School

Tessa Mandarin Immersion programs combine the US Common Core and Chinese National Standards with the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework to provide a comprehensive bilingual education from Nursery to Grade 5. Our program is designed to nurture bilingual Mandarin and English speakers while fostering a global perspective, critical thinking, and cultural awareness.

Are you ready to discover Hoboken’s leading international private school?

Contact Tessa International School to learn more!

Visible Learning – How Can Parents Help at Home?

August 28, 2019/in Language Learning, Parenting, Teaching and Learning /by Tessa International School

A core belief at Tessa International School is that all of our teachers should continually improve our teaching practices. Over the summer I read a book that is receiving a lot of praise from renowned educators: 10 Mindframes for Visible Learning: Teaching for Success by John Hattie and Klaus Zierer.

Unlike many books devoted to pedagogy, Hattie and Zierer used scientific-based evidence (for example, several meta studies) to determine ten key ‘mindframes’ for excellent teachers.

One simple take-away for teachers: instead of going into a classroom and asking oneself, ‘How can I be a great teacher?’ or ‘How can my students learn the best?’ 10 Mindframes suggests that teachers should say to themselves: ‘My job here is to evaluate my impact on my students.’

I invite you now to reflect when you were a child: which teachers made the greatest impact on you? Why? Which moments with your parents impacted you the most? Why? How can you make similar impactful moments on your own child?

As a parent of a 4 year-old and a 2 year-old and a teacher myself, I often ask myself how we as parents (whether we have education backgrounds or not) can help our children become better learners and world citizens. So I have written a few suggestions for parents who wish to make learning more impactful for students, based on many of the mindframes.

1. I am an evaluator of my impact on my child’s learning

As a parent you have a tremendous impact on your children. Do you occasionally reflect upon the memories that you are making during ‘teachable moments?’ As an example, my family and I just moved all of our belongings from house to another. Needless to say–it was an intense two days and there was a fair share of unexpected moments. My children were a part of the moving process and they saw moments that were a bit, shall we say….frustrating? As my wife and I occasionally got discombobulated I remained very aware that my children are learning how to deal with frustration—from us.

Your children, especially if they are young, are learning so much…from you! Are you evaluating the impact you are making on your child on a day to day basis?

2. I collaborate with my peers about my conceptions of progress and my impact

Do you consult other parents from time to time, or are you so confident that you are the best parent in the world that you never need to speak to anyone? In my humble opinion, having an open mind, key to the IB Learner Profile, is extremely important to becoming a better parent. Just because something worked with you as a child, for example, doesn’t mean that it will necessarily work the same way on your own child. As an aside, I’d like to suggest that you check out a fascinating review of a book that compares parenting styles in France, the US, and Peru here.

As a general rule, the biggest issue that I see with American parenting is ‘helicopter parenting.’ Giving your children opportunities to take risks is extremely important. And check out Erika Christakis’s The Importance of Being Little if you want some advice on this.

3. I am a change agent and believe my child can improve

Do you have fixed beliefs about your child? ‘My son is great at… singing, but not so good at sports.’ Have you ever said or thought something like this? Though these observations and ‘rules-of-thumb’ may at times be helpful to you to better understand your child, you also might be making assumptions that simply are not true. And why would such assumptions be bad? Well, if your child implicitly knows that he or she is not good at ‘x’ or is not meant to be ‘x,’ then guess what? He might just stop trying entirely to be ‘x.’ And he may only be two years old!

4. I strive to provide my child with challenge and not merely have him or her do his or her best

Teachers often learn about Lev Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development during teacher training. This fancy-sounding concept is essentially the idea of giving every child just the right balance of challenge and support. Do you give your children too much support? This is often what I see as an educator when I watch parent-child interactions. Don’t be afraid to challenge your children. Personally, I have learned the most when I was suddenly on my own with a challenge. Remember the first time you drove a car on your own? How you suddenly knew, ‘This is real.’ And how quickly you learned a million things? The same is true with children.

5. I give feedback and help my child understand it, and I interpret and act on feedback given to me

Do you give your child specific feedback relating to the way he or she acts? Manners such as saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ for instance, don’t come naturally to children. When you see your child acting politely or impolitely, do you give him specific feedback?

6. I engage as much in dialogue as monologue

Are you ‘the rule of law’ in your home, or do you give your children choice? Naturally, not everything can be a choice. But do you listen to your children when they say what they like or don’t like?

7. I build relationships and trust so that learning can occur, where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from others

How is your relationship with your child? What could you do to improve it?

8. I identify and build on my child’s prior experiences and initial learning level

Do you make connections to other things that have happened to your child? For instance, if you have been on vacation with your child sometime in the past, and see something that reminds you of this event, do you help the child make the connection? In a way, this relates to the teaching concept of spiraling. This is the idea that in the classroom you always return and review what you have learned previously. Imagine teaching your child a concept such as octagon. You look at Stop signs, you draw them, and your child really understands what an octagon is. Do you ever bring up the topic of octagon again or do you assume that your child knows what it is without reinforcing it? Naturally, you bring it back.

I hope that some of these suggestions can help you be an even more awesome parent than you are now!

Here is to a great year at Tessa International School!

The Process of Language Learning in Children

August 15, 2019/in Language Learning, Teaching and Learning /by Tessa International School

In the earliest years, few things are as highly anticipated and nurtured as a child’s developing language skills. Language learning in children is a complicated, yet natural process involving a number of factors and influences.

Language Learning in Early Childhood

It’s no secret that reading to children and frequent conversations via immersion are critical components of a child’s learning process. Continual interactions with language – both written and verbal – are highly regarded by some as being the most important aspect of language learning.

During a child’s earliest years, they pick up skills and make associations between sounds and objects via interactions with their environments and those around them. In large part, it is simply a natural progression that takes place over time, using repetition and being immersed in specific linguistics, but there is much more to language learning than simply being around it.

Cognitive Functionality

From birth until middle childhood, children’s brains are essentially primed for language learning at impeccable rates. They grasp linguistic keys from practically every aspect of their environments from casual daily conversations going on around them to nightly bedtime stories.

“Language acquisition is a product of active, repetitive, and complex learning. The child’s brain is learning and changing more during language acquisition in the first six years of life than during any other cognitive ability (they) are working to acquire.” – Scholastic.com.

The earliest few years of a child’s life is the most crucial period for expanding their communication skills. After this point, hormonal changes will begin to hinder their ability to further pick up language learning on the same level. Because of this, it’s important to find ways to make the most of the critical communication window.

More Than Just Talking

Helping our children get the most advantageous benefits during their peak language learning years is an important part of their advancement. While most parents know that reading to your children on a regular basis is an excellent way to help them develop their communication skills, there are a number of other ways that are just as important.

Children learn by being immersed in language and witnessing others interacting as frequently as possible. Having basic conversations and engaging them with a pointed, inquisitive nature, will help them develop critical thinking skills as well as gathering the basics needed for all forms of more complex communications later in life.

Other excellent teaching methods include using any form of medium that makes learning more fun and engaging. Easy ways to expand their vocabulary can be through music, poetry, comic books, or even cooking can give a fun twist to learning new words.

The important thing to keep in mind, however, is to understand that communication is more than simply learning how to speak or use correct grammar. It is just as important to help your child develop effective listening skills as well.

“Engage children in listening exercises. We often forget that language is both receptive and expressive… It is essential that children are listening, receiving accurately and processing effectively what they hear,” explains Scholastic.com.

Overall, the best advantage you can give your child is to understand that their earliest years give the greatest opportunity for communication advancement. Utilize those years by maximizing their exposure to language learning opportunities from every angle.

Language Spotlight Series: How to Choose a Second Language for Your Child

February 15, 2019/in Bilingualism, Language Learning, Parenting, Teaching and Learning /by Tessa International School

So, you’ve done your research and you’ve seen the benefits of bilingual education for children… now what? If you’re not already a bilingual household, deciding which second language your child should begin learning can be a difficult decision.

Chances are, you have decided to expand your child’s language learning because you’ve seen the immeasurable benefits that come along with it. And because of this, you now want to ensure your child is not only getting the best bilingual education, but firstly, chooses the right bilingual education option.

Understanding that there really is no “wrong” choice here, deciding which language to introduce to your child boils down to essentially what’s right for them. As such, there are a plethora of options and factors to consider before making a final decision. When you’re trying to choose which language is best for your child to begin learning, you’ll want to weigh the following:

Common Languages

One of the biggest considerations is to take a look at what languages are the most common and the most widely-used. While there’s (unfortunately) no way to predict what career path your child will follow when they become adults, you can try to equip them with the broadest set of language skills, or you can choose a more specific and isolated language.

According to USNews.com, “the three most commonly spoken (foreign) languages are Mandarin (898 million), Spanish (437 million), and Arabic (295 million).” Based on this alone, you may choose to select a language that is widely used across the globe to give them a greater opportunity to utilize their language knowledge later in life.

What if, however, you live in an area dense in French or Chinese culture and an education in those languages would be highly useful locally? In these cases, you may choose to select a language that may not be one of the most widely used but would give your child a huge communication benefit in your own community.

Marketability

If your main concern for teaching your child a second language is to give them a leg-up on the job market competition upon college graduation, then you need to take a look at marketability demands. What does this mean? Essentially, it’s researching what languages are behind the most successful career trends and basing your decision on what would give your child the greatest “marketability” later in life.

It’s no surprise that learning a second language improves a child’s prospects for their career advancements. That in mind, teaching them the most in-demand languages can help them even more, according to Readers Digest at RD.com.

“Proficiency in a second language opens the door to new markets for businesses and allows them to create new relationships with prospective partners,” they explain.

What’s trending? Well, if you go by RD, they suggest introducing your child to either French, German or Mandarin as a second language. Those three are the top choices for what is expected to give the greatest growth opportunities in the foreseeable future.

Cultural Aspects

On the flip side, you may not be looking to groom your child to be the next CEO of a multi-national corporation. Perhaps your reason for adding a second language is closer to home.

Many parents choose to incorporate a language that has cultural or familial meaning to them. Some households may even have the added benefit of teaching through immersion language learning if they are already a multilingual home. The beauty of learning a second language is that it’s highly versatile and multifaceted. Being a melting pot of nationalities and heritages, many in the U.S. choose to embrace their cultural beliefs and extend the teachings to new generations.

While adding a second language certainly gives children an advantage they can carry over into the career world, it isn’t the only reason parents choose to incorporate bilingualism. No matter what your reasoning may be, your child will surely benefit from (and have fun learning) whatever second (or third!) language is chosen!

Language Spotlight Series: The Importance of Bilingualism in Early Childhood Education

February 1, 2019/in Bilingualism, Language Learning, Teaching and Learning /by Tessa International School

The Importance of Bilingualism in Early Education

Parents often seek advice from pediatricians and early education professionals on what their children should be learning. By now, it’s common knowledge that reading to young ones and having frequent conversations with them are fundamental tools. These key components teach children the basics for language and communication foundations that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. We know this, right?

Why Bilingual Education Matters

If communication and language development is such a critical part of a learning foundation, then many have considered expanding that learning base by adding additional languages. The importance of bilingualism – the act of learning two or more languages simultaneously – has grown in popularity across the globe in recent decades because of this theory.

Considering that 21% of young children are already immersed in a second language at home (Hanen.org), it’s easy to understand why multiple languages are being introduced earlier and earlier in schools. In addition, a growing number of the general population speak a language other than English, so learning to be bilingual is becoming more of the “norm” today than ever before.

Beyond the Myths: The True Impact of Bilingualism

While some have been hesitant to add a second language to their young child’s educational repertoire, others are discovering how highly beneficial it can be. According to the U.S. Department of Education, “Learning more than one language is an asset to individuals, families, and our entire society.” In fact, many researchers encourage parents to consider adding a bilingual approach to their child’s education for numerous reasons.

When it comes to considering a second language, one misconception is that it may confuse a growing child during the early education stage. It’s easy to understand the basis for these concerns, but researchers have now been able to prove they’re not only incorrect, but the exact opposite is true: bilingual children learn better and faster than other children.(The Hanen Centre)

“Bilingual children are better able to focus their attention on relevant information and ignore distractions” – Hanen.org.

The U.S. Department of Education notes several key benefits to teaching children multiple languages during early childhood. They broke them down into four basic categories: Cognitive Development, Social-Emotional Development, Learning, and Long-Term Success – all of which contain major benefits for bilingual children.

Cognitive Development and Bilingualism

Perhaps the greatest (and most immediate) benefit parents can witness in children learning a second language involves cognitive development. The Department of Education states children who begin learning second languages before the age of six will “have an easier time understanding math concepts and solving word problems; developing strong thinking skills; using logic; focusing, remembering, and making decisions; thinking about language; and learning other languages.”

Bilingualism and Social-Emotional Development

Broadening language experience during school hours enriches family and community ties. By bridging the communication gap between languages, bilingual children are able to understand and connect with more individuals, building even stronger friendships within their schools and communities. This crucial skill plays out with overall improved communication experiences with others and again, allows them to build better relationships than students who learn a single language.

Bilingualism’s Impact on Learning

Introducing a second language early on improves children’s learning abilities for everything else to come. It helps children learn how to intake only the important facts while weeding out irrelevant information.

Bilingualism and Long-Term Success

According to statistics, 50-65% of all adults across the globe now speak a language other than English. By those statistics alone, those who speak only English are already in the minority.

What does this mean for your child? Being in the language-minority will limit the opportunities available to your child as they reach adulthood.

Overall, more and more researchers are proving that introducing additional languages at an early age has an immensely positive impact on children. In addition to an increase in their ability to focus, higher cognitive function, and improved social and cultural relations, bilingualism has also been linked to several other benefits. Some of which include staving off degenerative cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and a higher annual salary bracket as a result of superior career qualifications.

“Recent brain studies have shown that bilingual people’s brains function better and for longer after developing (Alzheimer’s)… On average, the disease is delayed by four years compared to monolinguals” – Michigan State University News.

This cognitive advantage (as well as the rest of them mentioned above) all boil down to the flexibility and focus that is generated when individuals are immersed in the bilingual world. When bilingual learning begins during the early education years, it has the added benefit of improving their learning potential in multifaceted ways. While adults will still see many of these benefits if picking up a second language later in life, research has shown children stand to benefit the most by becoming bilingual.

If you’re interested in incorporating bilingual learning into your child’s early educational experience, check out these Different Types of Preschool Bilingual Learning for more information.