• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Property
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Work & Finance
        • Costa Rhu: Jyoti’s spacious & central Tanjong Rhu condo
        • Shop dress shoes for men in SingaporeDress shoes for men – finding the perfect pair in Singapore
        • living in singapore demographics expat living reader surveyEXPAT LIVING READER SURVEY 2023
        • Forex trading for beginnersHow to start forex trading in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Image of cool things to do for kids in Singapore, watching white tiger in Singapore ZooWhat’s on this week and beyond
        • Sailing Yacht Charter in SingaporeLuxury yacht rentals in Singapore
        • Where to watch the F1 2023 and party!
        • One Rishta - a website for happiness and culture in Singapore from Rituparna senguptaA new way to access creativity and culture in Singapore!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • Centre Stage performing arts and drama classes in SingaporeTop ballet, dance and drama classes in Singapore
        • agora colearning inclusive learning environmentThis new preschool has a personalised learning environment
        • learning journey community SASMaking the student learning journey exciting
        • Yellow Aliens mascotWhere to rent costumes for Halloween in Singapore & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Furniture & Décor
      • Real Homes
        • Looking for the best outdoor furniture?
        • Where to buy antiques or vintage furniture – Reviews
        • Modern interior design with a touch of tradition!
        • Singapore home decor by Originals7 best furniture stores for home décor in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Australasia
      • Rest Of The World
        • Indonesia travel - where to stay in BaliIndonesia travel – Where to stay in Bali & island resorts
        • Sailing Yacht Charter in SingaporeLuxury yacht rentals in Singapore
        • Beach Villas Wakatobi Indonesian island resort6 Reasons to Book These Beach Villas!
        • The Latest Travel News & Hotel Deals
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • Oktoberfest 2023 singapore - the places for food and beerHow to celebrate Oktoberfest 2023 in Singapore
        • Deviate wine bar in Dempsey Hill - we chat to owner Joe Keats of Petersons WinesThis Dempsey bar is a best-kept secret!
        • Crossroads cafe at Orchard - where to eat in Orchard Road - alfresco dining SingaporeTry alfresco dining & happy hour at this café at Orchard Road
        • The best birthday cakes in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • Shop dress shoes for men in SingaporeDress shoes for men – finding the perfect pair in Singapore
        • Six shades full set Bigen Men Beard ColorDye your beard like an expert – at home!
        • Tiffany Cook and Caroline Chin Geyler from T&C Gemstones and JewelleryBespoke jewellery created by a pair of gem lovers!
        • Try the best Spas in Singapore for some pampering!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • allergic rhinitis, allergy medication and insuranceFast facts about allergies, their symptoms and insurance
        • art therapy depression treatmentNavigating depression with Experiential Therapy
        • The best personal trainers and personal training gyms in SingaporeWhere to go for personal trainers in Singapore
        • Sport clubs in SingaporeWant to join a sports team?
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • Close

4 benefits of learning Mandarin – young!

20th January 2020 by Rebecca Bisset 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/benefits-of-mandarin-chinese-classes-holiday-camps-singapore-for-kids/

Why learn Mandarin at an early age?

In some schools, it’s compulsory for kids to learn Chinese, but it’s often not done in any depth. There are plenty of reasons why learning to speak Mandarin fluently, either through extra classes or holidays camps, will help children, not only now, but also in the future. Here we look at a few of the key benefits of learning Mandarin – plus, we find out if it’s really as difficult to learn as some people say!

#1 It’s the world’s most widely spoken language

According to language publication Ethnologue, Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world, when you count only first-language (native) speakers. Why? Because of China’s huge population. The number of native Mandarin speakers on the planet currently sits at around 1.3 billion. (English has less than a third of that!)

#2 Children develop an ear for languages

Exposing children to a second language at an early age helps them develop an ‘ear’ for that language. This applies to Mandarin too. What this means is that they’ll more easily achieve better pronunciation and fluency later in life. Why? Because young children are more sensitive to the differences in sounds. Researchers claim that children who learn a second language before their teenage years are more likely to achieve native-like pronunciation in that language.

#3 It will boost their future career prospects

In today’s very global world, the ability to communicate in more than one language is becoming an essential skill. Given the fact that China’s economy is one of the world’s largest, the benefits of learning Mandarin can extend to your CV, too. When applying for a job, bilingual candidates have an edge over other applicants; a language as common as Mandarin can really set you apart. There are a huge number of jobs in areas such as education, international business, healthcare, security and tourism that require candidates who are bilingual. This translates to more job opportunities for those who can speak a second language.

#4 It will help make travelling easier

Mandarin isn’t just spoken in mainland China, of course. Places like Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, the Philippines and Mongolia, along with many others, have large Chinese populations. So, knowing Mandarin will not only help make travelling easier, it’ll also allow you to better interact with the locals. And that means getting a true sense of a country.

Mandarin lessons

Also … it isn’t as hard as you might think!

It’s sometimes said that the benefits of learning Mandarin are offset by how hard it is to learn. In fact, it has a far simpler grammar system than its European language counterparts because it doesn’t have particular tenses or conjugations for verbs. Instead, words have a fixed form that’s the same no matter what they’re used for, or where they appear in a sentence. Even singular and plural forms are the same.

One thing that can often cause confusion for non-native speakers is the fact that Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language. So, in order to differentiate meaning, the same syllable can be pronounced with different tones. While tones may sound intimidating at first, all languages have tones – even English! The only difference is that, in English, tones are used to express emotions.

So, even if your children are having Mandarin lessons in class, if you want them to be super confident and be able to take it forward with them into their working lives, look at extra classes or holiday camps to get them immersed. They’ll probably thank you in the future!

Little Mandarins Language Centre offers Chinese classes for children from 18 months, as well as holiday camps.

Block 71, Loewen Road #01-03
6473 8377 | admin@little-mandarins.com | little-mandarins.com

 

We hope you found this interesting; click here if you’d like to read more.

Categories: Enrichment Kids Living here Tags: Little Mandarins

Rebecca Bisset

Heading up Expat Living, Rebecca started off in photography and video. A bit of a nomad before Singapore, she likes to travel when she can but she finds looking at properties as exciting!

You May Also Like

agora colearning inclusive learning environment

This new preschool has a personalised learning environment

learning journey community SAS

Making the student learning journey exciting

living in singapore demographics expat living reader survey

EXPAT LIVING READER SURVEY 2023

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2023 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.