You’re Invited: A Magical Chinese Celebration at CIS’s Chinese Wonderland

Come for a magical morning of dumpling making, calligraphy, tea tasting and Chinese opera and meet the leadership team behind Canadian International School’s acclaimed Chinese Programmes

Ready to celebrate the festive season and expose your little ones to the magic of Mandarin? Then mark your calendars for 3 December and head to Chinese Wonderland at Canadian International School (Lakeside Campus)! It’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about CIS’s renowned Chinese programmes through a super fun morning celebrating the richness of Chinese culture, traditions and language.

Over the course of two hours, kiddos can get stuck into fun activities like dumpling making, painting Chinese opera masks, and learning basic calligraphy brush strokes. They can invigorate their senses by smelling, touching and tasting different types of tea, and will also be treated to a singing concert of popular Chinese songs performed by senior kindergarten students from CIS’s very own Chinese-English bilingual programme!

Families will also have the chance to chat with Huali Xiong, CIS’s K-12 Principal for Chinese Language and Culture, and her team about CIS’s outstanding track record and reputation for educating students to become fluent communicators in both English and Chinese. They’ll also be able to explain the two language options – a Chinese-English bilingual programme, and a daily language acquisition programme – and take families on a tour to observe Chinese classes in action.

If you’re keen to learn more about Chinese programmes for your little one, but unsure of what to ask, here are some good questions to start with, mama:

• Are the Chinese teachers qualified native speakers? This is key to assuring students learn the correct pronunciation and accent. Unlike in English, there is only one way to correctly pronounce words in Chinese.
• Do the Chinese teachers use the target language to teach? Children who learn through immersion (rather than translation) attain a much higher level of proficiency. The more exposure they receive to the language, the more fluent and confident they become in using the language.
• Who runs the Chinese programme? How big is the department, and how extensive and up-to-date are the teaching materials? Look for a programme managed by a dedicated Chinese-speaking coordinator or principal and supported by a well-staffed language department with access to a good range of resources.
• What level of Chinese proficiency do children reach at the end of the programme? A good measure for comparison between different school programmes is to find out the recent results of the Youth Chinese Test, the most well-known and internationally recognised external examination offered in Singapore.
• What teaching materials do you use? Learning through a variety of authentic materials (not just textbooks!) tailored for specific ages and proficiency levels makes the learning process engaging and keeps children motivated and excited to learn more.
• How is Chinese culture taught? Learning a language without understanding its culture has little real-world value. Some schools relegate teaching “culture” to the end of a language teaching plan (perhaps some music or a traditional dance). Culture should never be tacked onto the teaching of other skills. It should be an integral part of learning the language from day one!

Are you ready for your healthy holiday dose of Chinese culture, mama? Click here to register for Chinese Wonderland!

All the details!
When: Tuesday 3 December 2019
Timing: 9am – 11am
Where: Canadian International School (Lakeside Campus), 7 Jurong West Street 41, Singapore 649414
How much: Free! RSVP here!

www.cis.edu.sg/chinesewonderland