When mom Liu Meijin, who has been living in Vancouver, Canada, talked about teaching her children Chinese, she said: “I have three children. The eldest was born in China, while the younger two were born in the U.S. Now, not only is the three children’s English great, but their Chinese is also excellent. I think their English won’t be a problem because they all grew up in a fully English-speaking environment. I’m afraid that they’ll all forget our mother tongue, so I have made painstaking efforts to help them with their Chinese learning. As for my youngest son, who is turning three this year, I let him watch the Chinese children’s program—“Children’s World” on Kylin TV every night and weekend. What’s more, every weekend when I go shopping or to the supermarket to buy groceries, I take him with me and point out every vegetable, fruit or commodity, teaching him how to pronounce everything. ” But not Meijin’s every child started off enjoying the language. In fact, her eldest Adam initially harbored some resentment toward Chinese. So it took a long time for him to make much progress in learning Chinese, until he finally came to know the importance of learning Chinese. Meilin said: “when my daughter was two and a half years old, I began teaching her how to write Chinese characters. By providing my children with an environment for both speaking and learning Chinese starting from their early childhood, I have been able to find and solve problems as early as possible. I believe that cultivating good habits of learning Chinese is a huge help. ”

As more and more ethnic Chinese parents realize the importance of teaching their children Chinese, we consulted several experts in the field. One of them is Ms. Fan Xiaobing, who has over 20 years experience in teaching Chinese as a foreign language.  She said: “Chinese is a language with a complex system, so the best way for foreigners to learn Chinese is by taking part in standard and professional Chinese teaching institutions. As for ethnic Chinese who want to learn Chinese, they have their own advantages. Because they have some background knowledge about China and Chinese, and their roots are in China, they are more motivated. The key is to find an institution where children can practice Chinese on a daily basis and online schools such as eChineseLearning often offer one of the most cost-effective solutions. ”
In addition, we also interviewed teacher Chen Xiaohua, who has been teaching Chinese for more than 20 years and now teaching at eChineseLearning in Beijing: “The advantages for students to learning Chinese are: 1. Already having background knowledge about Chinese culture; 2. The advantage of speaking a dialect which makes communication easier. If all these advantages are fully put to use by ethnic Chinese students, and the correct methods are used, all of these will be a great help for ethnic Chinese students. Since ethnic Chinese students grow up with more exposure to Chinese culture and are both consciously and unconsciously influenced by what they constantly hear or see, it is easier for them to identify with Chinese culture lessons. When they are learning Chinese, their teacher should first hone in on the differences between the student’s dialect and Mandarin. In order to make students familiar with the listening material as quickly as possible, teachers should add a larger number of language materials when teaching. This will help them to cultivate a sense of listening and practice correct pronunciation. Second, use various methods to intentionally intensify the readings. Third, create and use sufficient conditions by reading and speaking more. ” Ms. Chen also believes that ethnic Chinese students should expand their reading and do circular exercises. The families of these students help to provide a good environment for Chinese learning. Since they are living in a Chinese space, all of the above suggestions will create a positive atmosphere for ethnic Chinese students to learn Chinese. If the students are under the guidance of professional Chinese teachers, work with their teachers actively, and learn or speak Chinese with their family members, they will certainly make tremendous improvement. ”
Jenny Liu, an 8-year-old Chinese-American child, who is living in Salt Lake City, Utah in the U.S., took online Chinese courses with eChineseLearning.com for one year. After a course, she said: “Mom and Dad both speak Chinese with me, but sometimes I still don’t know how to say some words. After organized and regular Chinese classes for just a year, I have had many chances to practice my Chinese. I’ve made a lot of progress with Chinese that I can actually use. At the same time, it has become much easier to communicate with my classmates and teachers.”