Primary School in English AND Cantonese????

[howardcoombs]

Some prefer Cantonese because we live in a Cantonese speaking city. What they speak in other parts of the world is not really relevant when we live locally.

Once you learn Cantonese (read and write), Mandarin becomes a lot easier to pick up...

 

[Jomama1]

Yew Chung Int'l school is also a good option. They've developed this system where kids starts off with Cantonese and English in kindergarten (over 60% are local kids, and that's the best way to learn Cantonese: by immersion with the locals). In P1 they teach English phonics and in P2 (or P3? I forgot) they teach mandarin phonics (done so in two separate years on purpose, so the kids will master one thing at a time). They also teach traditional Chinese characters (what HK and Taiwan uses) with character analysis so it's not pure repetition and memory. By the time they're older they also teach the kids to switch to simple Chinese characters (what mainland China uses), also analytically which makes it a lot easier to master.

I agree that most (not all; Howard found a good one) local schools teach by repetition. The downside of it, besides the obviously workload and extra tutoring problems, is that kids' brains are not developed holistically. Executive functions are gravely overlooked, and so is general socialization and recreational sports. The result is good academics, but higher thinking and social skill in general lags behind those educated elsewhere. I've seen enough of those in the work place.

 

[sunday212]

My daughter goes to local Chinese kindie and she does learn her chinese through playing and she loves it!

 

[sunday212]

I agree, there is a trade off with Cantonese and thinking skills. Local schools lack critical and out-of-the box thinking skills. Western programs are great at critical and out-of-the-box thinking schools. And from observations, these thinking skills learnt at school is carried on into adult life. So you need also need to consider language vs thinking skills. For me, I thought thinking skills were more important so I am putting my kids into international schools and supplement Cantonese language outside school. There are plenty chinese activities the kids can join outside school and I am sure there is no shortage of Cantonese tutors in HK!