Perfectionism in learning Chinese
PERFECTIONISM is a trait where our children hate to fail and thus avoid the possibility of failure at all costs.
In terms of teaching our children Chinese, it can manifest in aspects of applying the Chinese language in their lives, be it listening/comprehension, speaking, reading, or writing. For many children, unless they can understand, say, read or write Chinese perfectly, they might not want to try it at all.
Is it any wonder though?
The unique struggles of learning Chinese in an Anglophone society as a child can be painful on multiple fronts. You may be labeled as foreign or mocked for speaking Chinese and sometimes, even bullied. If you then add the additional pressure you may feel from earnest parents who may show off your language abilities or berate you for your lack of proper pronunciation, children who are perfectionists often choose to clam up instead.
Some examples of how perfectionism can manifest while learning Chinese:
- Not speaking Chinese unless they can say every single word (or know what word to say) accurately
- Not wanting to write Chinese characters because the words look ugly or they can’t remember how to write it
- Not reading a story or sentence because they don’t recognize one character
- Not watching a movie because they can’t understand every single word being said
Use Your Own Mistakes and Struggles as Examples
The Know-How of Practicing
Many children don’t like to practice because they think they have to get it right on the first try. But that’s not what practice is for. Remind your child that practicing is for the purpose of IMPROVING.
Using temporary materials is a good way to encourage practicing by getting used to doing things “wrong” until they get it “right”.
Use pencils instead of pens, and make erasers easy to access.
Use salt or sand trays for learning stroke order or how to write so children can see just how temporary their mistakes are.
Resist the urge to make a big deal out of any mistakes.
If your child can’t remember how to write a character, write it for them elsewhere for them to copy and then move on. Don’t force them to write it 20 times in a row or to re-write that character until you think it looks pretty enough.
If your child can’t remember one character as they read, just tell them the character and move on.
If they can’t understand the meaning of a phrase or a show, explain it to them and move on.
Refrain from breaking out the flashcards or having them repeat the explanations.
Imagine if every time you made a mistake, all productivity halted and then you had to figure out how to fix the mistake quickly and well enough to please someone else! What a pain! Who would dare try anything?
The more our kids realise that mistakes are minor and don’t stop everything in its tracks, the easier it becomes for them to shake it off and continue.
Focus on the Process Instead of the Product
Explain Your Expectations and Be Consistent
Often, we forget that children can’t read our minds and may erroneously assume we want more from them than we actually expect. State clearly what you expect from a particular scenario and mean it.
In a conversation, for example, you could tell your child that you expect them to use English for words they don’t know in Chinese.
When comprehending materials slightly above their abilities, you can reassure your child that you expect them to ask you about concepts, phrases, or words they can’t read or understand.
It’s imperative that you remain consistent with your expectations. If your child realizes that you don’t actually mean it, or perhaps even expect near perfection, they will revert back to clamming up and not trying.
Most importantly, however, is that as a parent, we must also give ourselves grace. It’s our first time teaching our children Chinese (and if we have more than one child, it’s good to remember that every child is different). The more we accept our own imperfections and model it for our children, the more they will believe us.
LANGUAGE LEARNING TIPS
Constant reading is an essential part when teaching your kids a new language.
Choose wisely, fun and enjoyable stories will help you capture your children’s attention while keeping them engaged and interested.
Read articles even if they are a little bit difficult and use cross-references when necessary.
Using this technique will allow you to become more independent with your language learning skills. This is a great habit to teach your children early on when starting to learn a new language.
我們會經常為大家探討漢字和語文的課題。
要是你有特別的相關課題希望我們探討，歡迎您告訴我們。
We discuss Chinese language and culture related topics on a regular basis.
If you would like us to discuss certain topics about Chinese, please let us know.
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Sagebooks Hongkong promotes independent reading and life-long learning by nurturing the child’s confidence, autonomy and self-teaching abilities. Since 2006. Find out more About Us.
© 2020 Sagebooks Hongkong. All rights reserved.
Sagebooks Hongkong promotes independent reading and life-long learning by nurturing the child’s confidence, autonomy and self-teaching abilities. Since 2006. Find out more About Us.
© 2020 Sagebooks Hongkong. All rights reserved.
Sagebooks Hongkong promotes independent reading and life-long learning by nurturing the child’s confidence, autonomy and self-teaching abilities. Since 2006. Find out more About Us.
© 2020 Sagebooks Hongkong. All rights reserved.
