CDNIS students speak mostly Cantonese amongst themselves?

[littleho]

Dear CDNIS parents,

I am considering to apply P1 for my son. However, I was told that most Chinese students speak Cantonese amongst themselves in P1-P3. In addition, most students have after-school tuitions in English, Chinese and Maths.

Are these true?

 

[HappyV]

Any International school with local students has this issue.
Having said that, CDNIS does a very good job of making sure students speak English (or Mandarin) while at school. Also, not many students in the grades you mention have such extensive tutoring. If you want more details, please PM me.

 

[FutureHKmom]

A little off topic, but Happyv - do you know how the mandarin program is ad CDNIS? ( since you mention encouragement to speak mandarin). Thanks!

 

[HappyV]

Outstanding. The program is easily the equal of any in Hong Kong. The IB Diploma results from the 2010 graduating class speak to that. The highest IB score is 7. The average for this group was 6.9. Speak for itself.

They also have an excellent French program.

 

[littleho]

Thanks very much for your info

I have sent you a PM. Please kindly check your mailbox

Any International school with local students has this issue.
Having said that, CDNIS does a very good job of making sure students speak English (or Mandarin) while at school. Also, not many students in the grades you mention have such extensive tutoring. If you want more details, please PM me.

 

[howardcoombs]

Outstanding. The program is easily the equal of any in Hong Kong.

HappyV, what does that mean exactly?
Surely CDNIS programme cannot equal the Mandarin being offered by CIS, SIS, ISF and YewChung. If it is, I would love to hear further details on how a couple of hours per week could be so effective.

HC

 

[HappyV]

HappyV, what does that mean exactly?
Surely CDNIS programme cannot equal the Mandarin being offered by CIS, SIS, ISF and YewChung. If it is, I would love to hear further details on how a couple of hours per week could be so effective.

HC

First of all, what makes you think it's only a couple of hours a week? And as any effective teacher or learner knows, it's not always about the amount of time, but how you spend it.

The Mandarin Diploma offering at CDNIS (unti now) has been Language B (or second language). From next year they will offer Mandarin as Language A (first language).

SIS doesn't even offer a full diploma program yet. My comments are based on the success of a program hat can achieve such outstanding results at matriculation.

 

[howardcoombs]

First of all, what makes you think it's only a couple of hours a week? And as any effective teacher or learner knows, it's not always about the amount of time, but how you spend it.

Thats what I was told, 2 years ago when I visited the school. Obviously things have changed so I look forward to being corrected. How many hours of Mandarin do kids at CDNIS get these days?

As for number of hours : I've learned enough languages in my lifetime to know that nothing beats time and practice when it comes to languages. Learning characters and practicing speach requires repetition and time. There is no substittute that I know of.

The Mandarin Diploma offering at CDNIS (unti now) has been Language B (or second language). From next year they will offer Mandarin as Language A (first language).
SIS doesn't even offer a full diploma program yet. My comments are based on the success of a program hat can achieve such outstanding results at matriculation.

Thats great, but you completely sidestepped my question. You claimed:

Outstanding. The program is easily the equal of any in Hong Kong.

I have serious doubts how CDNIS, with its limited Mandarin language programme can equal the likes of CIS, ISF and others. Yet, I'm ready to be convinced.

HC

 

[littleho]

Dear HappyV and howardcoombs,

Thanks for sharing your experience and info on different international schools.

While I do not know how good the Mandarin standard of students in the Mandarin class, the merit of CDNIS Mandarin program is that it caters for students with diverse Mandarin backgrounds/abilities by streaming them into different classes.

While duration of exposure to Mandarin language is important, commitment of the school, quality of exposure and the degree of rigour is even more important. One example is KCIS (Kiangsu & Chekiang International School), students are exposed less hours per week than students in some of the highly acclaimed biligual schools. You will be surprised that KCIS students have much higher Mandarin standards.

 

[HappyV]

howardcoombs, I already told you that the CDNIS IB Diploma level average was 6.9/7. Perhaps you could share the CIS/ISF results?

In the high school, the students get 400 minutes of Mandarin every two weeks, which works out to 50 minutes a day.

I'm not sidestepping - show me a school that offers the IB; that offers Mandarin as Language B; and that has achieved such an outstanding result in their first year of graduating a new matriculation diploma. CIS has been running the IB for a lot longer - granted. They offer a bilingual diploma - which CDNIS will also do from the 2013 graduating class. But, to my knowledge (and I am prepared to be corrected), the CDNIS Mandarin Language B results for May 2010 were better than those for CIS.

I do not have information on ISF.

I should also point out that in regards to Primary Mandarin programs, 'a couple of hours a week' was probably something like 30 minutes a day. CDNIS makes no claim to be a bilingual school - but they do produce students who are bi and tri lingual.

They must be doing something right to get such good results.