Each sign generally has two components: a graphic component (which represent a man, woman, tree etc.) and a phonetic component, which gives some idea of the pronunciation.
From learning a Western language learning Chinese writing is quite different.
You need to know a whole series of sounds to learn a Western language like English. If you take an English word apart, separating it into its many phonetic syllables, it would lose its meaning altogether.
In learning Chinese writing, you first learn the characters and then you learn the word in Chinese language course at shanghai university.
So, the Chinese character forms the basis in learning Chinese writing whereas the word or sentence forms the basis for learning a Western language. It is the word which serves the same purpose in English whereas the symbol is the unit carrier of meaning in Chinese writing.
Chinese characters are essentially pictures and they appeal to the eye. In comparison, Western letters and words are based on sound rather than sight.
You must encourage your child to speak Chinese. Family is the most important place for a child to learn Chinese and it is a place parents can do something. No matter whether the parents' Chinese pronunciation is standard or not, they must try to talk to their child in Chinese. Make sure that you don't waste this language resource that you can originally make use of it and don't let your child lose this language environment to learn Chinese.
Chinese is a foreign language for the children who live overseas. Family language environment is their main advantage. Speaking Chinese can improve a child's listening comprehension, increase his language sense and enlarge his vocabulary. The best and effective way to learn vocabulary is to create Chinese language environment, to persist in speaking Chinese with your child. This is easy thing for our Chinese families.
We should understand: That most children don't speak Chinese is not because they hate Chinese. The children learn a lot of knowledge from English and they don't know how to express it in Chinese. Their vocabulary is too small, so speaking Chinese is very tired for them. I think this is the reason they are not willing to speak Chinese. If the parents can turn speaking Chinese into a part of children's life, then the Chinese vocabulary and comprehension and expressing abilities will increase when they are growing at Chinese schools in Shanghai.
You must enlighten your child to love Chinese. Someone has ever said, "Chinese is the most beautiful and intelligent language in the world; English is the most useful and convenient language." How to enlighten children to love Chinese is a common responsibility for teachers and parents. Parents can turn speaking Chinese into a part of children's life rather than a drudgery in daily family life; teacher can turn the classroom into a game entertainment center in class, making Chinese school no more a frightening place.
If parents can find suitable reading material for their children and cultivate their correct study attitude, it is believed that the children will love to learn Chinese. In a word, the time for children to learn Chinese is really not so much. If they persist in reading a hour a week, day after day, they will make achievement in Chinese learning.
