Children's Lessons

The Jenjen method is very child-oriented: my students will have fun while they are learning Mandarin. If they aren’t enjoying themselves, they won’t learn and won’t return.  I start out with colorful flashcards to teach them common words and phrases. Then I use match games where I say a word and the children point at the card. If they get the right answer, they receive points.  When they accumulate a certain number of points, they get to select something from the treat box.  I also like to incorporate singing and dancing in my classes, so the children move around while they are learning.

Children at a young age are able to learn foreign languages in the most natural way: by connecting sounds with objects they see, hear, or feel. The ideal age we recommend to start learning Chinese is four to twelve years old. Children younger than four can absorb the information just as well as older kids, but they usually are not able to fully participate in a classroom environment as efficiently and responsively as older ones.

In the beginning, I use both Mandarin and English, but as time goes by, I try to conduct most of the class in Mandarin. I like to pretend that I don’t understand English, so the students will tell me the answer in Chinese.

I like to teach my students very useful phrases such as basic greetings, shapes, tastes, seasons, animals, sports, etc. In the first few months, I focus on the conversation. Later on, I start to teach them Chinese characters.

I like the students to use a workbook, which cost $35 and comes with a CD. I usually assign them a few pages of homework, which reviews what I covered in class.  Also, there are some good computer apps that are free or under $5.

We also offer family classes. The approach of teaching a kid Chinese is very different from that of teaching an adult; most likely, kids don’t have past experiences to draw from, so they don’t learn a language through grammar and sentence structure. Instead, they learn it through sound recognition, games, songs, picture matching, and role play. When you attend a class with your child, you will notice that we will accommodate the child’s learning style most of the time but we are sure you will learn a lot of new things while having fun and bonding with them.

90% of my Children class are hosted on line, but if you prefer face to face I am available too. The classes are held at our Aventuras JenJen Chinese studio. We prefer to work in quiet areas, free of distractions so the children can focus on the class and each other.

The classes are Monday to Sunday, from 4 to 8. Contact me today to book your lessons.