Diana Ser has become an unexpected champion of Mandarin after struggling to get her kids to love the language. What works for her? Young Parents finds out.
Diana Ser has become an unexpected champion of Mandarin after struggling to get her kids to love the language. What works for her? Young Parents finds out.
Who says Mandarin isn’t useful? Being effectively bilingual scored Diana Ser a hunky husband – former actor James Lye, who is now a banker. “According to my husband, he was sitting with his back to the television when he heard the English-speaking host suddenly switch to Mandarin,” the youthful 43-year-old TV personality recounted in an interview in The Straits Times.
“He swivelled his chair around and saw me on TV. He thought to himself, ‘Wow, who’s this babe?’ Those were his words. Later on when we met, he remembered me from when he saw me on TV.” The happily married couple have three children: Jake, nine, Christy, seven, and Jaymee, four (pictured) – and ironically, the two older ones are reluctant to speak Mandarin.
Her struggle inspired her to set up a website, Crazy About Chinese (www.dianaser. com), where she posts videos on how she teaches Jaymee about Mandarin through everyday activities, such as getting a haircut or visiting the zoo. There are also articles with useful tips, such as one on respecting your child’s attention span. Here, Diana shares more about her passion for inculcating a love of the language and culture in her kids:
Why do you think Jake and Christy are reluctant to speak Mandarin? What had you tried to do with them in the early years? “I read to them in Mandarin, played Mandarin songs at home and in the car, sent them to Chinese play groups, watched Chinese programmes and spoke to them in Mandarin (though not as often as I would have liked).
That still was not enough! “I think it is partly because, in school, where they spend most of their time interacting with teachers and friends, English is most commonly used. In Singapore’s larger environment, one can get by without being able to speak Mandarin, so I reckon the kids are smart enough to understand that very quickly.”
Do boys need a different approach to learning Mandarin, compared to girls? “I sent both my elder kids to Chinese enrichment classes when they were younger, and that helped academically, but it was just grades – they have not embraced the Chinese language. “But I’ve tried and tested different approaches and eventually found something that works for my youngest, Jaymee.
I used a ‘learn through play’ concept because, well, at this stage, kids – whether boys or girls – are
interested only in play! “It’s a long-standing idea that girls are naturally more adept at language than boys, but of course no two children are the same. There are many approaches, but the key is to start young, and start small.”
Jake and Christy are in primary school – and with that comes weekly ting xie tests, compositions and the stress of exams. How has that affected their attitude towards Mandarin? “I’m not that worried about their academic grades for now, but I might start panicking once my eldest reaches his PSLE year! I’m happy with their grades – it’s just that I’m hoping that they accept the Chinese language a little more into their lives.
“Chinese is hard work, so when I grill them in their character strokes and sequence, they get frustrated and irritable. “But I will persevere because it is not just about the grades or even being bilingual. It is about an attitude towards life where you must dig in your heels and get the basics right. “I try to make it interesting for them. For example, my son’s Primary 4 textbook has a chapter on Marco Polo. We watch Chinese animation clips on Marco Polo, and I borrow books on Marco Polo so he learns beyond the textbook.”
“It’s a longstanding idea that girls are naturally more adept at language than boys, but of course no two children are the same.”
Does the one-parent, one-language approach work for you? “This is something we’re still trying out and the effects will not be immediate. For now, I try to speak as much Mandarin as I can, but sometimes I do forget! I have to give myself constant reminders.
“My kids answer in English most of the time, especially the elder ones. I just continue speaking in Mandarin, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “You can’t just force kids into doing things – it’ll just spark a negative association to learning. If your kids see that you’re putting in effort to speak Mandarin, I believe that they eventually will, too.”
What’s your advice for parents who aren’t even fluent in Mandarin? “My Crazy About Chinese webisodes come with learning aids! It’s okay to copy the activities I’ve demonstrated in the videos – they are bitesized and easy-to-follow even for parents who are not adept in Mandarin.
“After some feedback from other mummies and caregivers, I’ve also included hanyu pinyin in my learning aids recently to make it even easier. “Raising a bilingual child is challenging and I’m still learning, too. The most important part of this Mandarin journey is having someone be there for you.
“I started the programme so that parents can connect with one another to offer support and be each other’s ‘cheerleader’ where we can share tips and ideas with each other.”
What Chinese resources do your children like? “I turn to Youtube a lot (Crazy About Chinese has its own Youtube channel). Jaymee likes Qiaohu, an early childhood programme from China. “For the older ones, one tip is to turn to online websites where animation shows you the correct strokes for Chinese characters. Just google ‘strokes Chinese characters’.”
Diana’s dos and don’ts.
DO
• Respect their attention span Short stories, or little activities that last about 10 to 15 minutes work best.
• Make learning fun I believe in the power of play, especially since kids are interested only in play at this stage – it’s up to us to leverage on that to teach them.
• Look for like-minded people I know of a mum who organises informal Chinese playgroups, where she gathers friends who share the same purpose.
DON’T
• Lose your temper when they don’t seem interested If method A doesn’t work, there’re always methods B and C. Involve yourself in their learning journey as much as you can, because being there for them plays a part, too. You’re their comrade and cheerleader.
• Force your kids to sit down and learn Most can’t sit still and that’s all right – they’re known to have an explosive amount of energy.
• Complain about how hard Chinese is, especially in front of them They pick up attitudes and vibes, and these often do not help in our efforts to promote bilingualism.
