Disclosure: My children received a complimentary online tutoring session to assess for this post. All opinions are my own.

For kids to learn Chinese, teaching through interaction and cumulative lessons that build upon each other is often the most effective method. The alternative — learning through rote memorization with no structure — may seem to work short term but not long-term regarding information retention.

My daughter attends a Chinese School. We are fortunate it is within driving distance. But attending a Chinese School may not work for everyone. Perhaps there are no schools near you. Or even if there are, maybe you’re unable to devote a whole day to Chinese School due to scheduling conflicts. In addition, some children may thrive better in one-on-one sessions versus a large class setting. Finding the right option really depends on your child.

For those who cannot or do not want to attend a Chinese School but still want their kids to learn Chinese, a great alternative is online tutoring. While many Chinese language online programs exist, not all cater to kids. You can’t teach a child and adult in the same way. Attention spans are different as is the ability to understand concepts. Even within children, the teaching method for a 4-year-old will be quite different from a 12-year-old.

One such online tutoring program is KK Mandarin. This educational platform offers live, interactive Chinese language and culture lessons. KK Mandarin lessons are for kids from Pre-K to 6th grade (or 4 to 12-year-olds) who do not speak Mandarin as their first language. Classes are available for 1-on-1 private tutoring or in small groups. Each lesson lasts a manageable 25 minutes. The company uses games, storytelling, role plays, songs, and other teaching methods to engage with students. These tools help keep lessons energetic, stimulating, and challenging. KK Mandarin is ideal not only for the home but also for the classroom where teachers can use the program to enhance their curriculums.

Our KK Mandarin Experience

My children had the opportunity to experience a trial class with KK Mandarin. First, I registered online. I noted my children’s ages, their level of Mandarin experience, and interests such as animals, music, sports, etc. I also noted our available dates and times for the lessons. KK Mandarin used this information to match my kids with the most suitable teachers for their needs. One hundred percent of the teachers speak and write Chinese Mandarin at a native level. All are professionally trained. They have teaching experience, degrees or specializations in Chinese education and/or teaching Mandarin as a foreign language.

Next, I downloaded the KK Mandarin app. Students can access KK Mandarin via a desktop computer or Apple device such as an iPad. Though the app is available on the iPhone, the company does not recommend using this device due to its small screen size.  As part of the lessons, children will need to write Chinese characters on the screen. For kids who may not be adept to using a computer mouse with a desktop computer, the iPad may work out better since they can use their fingers to write on the touchscreen. KK Mandarin is not available for Android devices.

On the day of our lessons, we logged into the app which utilizes your computer’s video and audio functions to interact with the teacher. Our teacher was based in China, though KK Mandarin has teachers around the world including in North America. KK Mandarin students are global as well, located not only in the U.S. and Canada but also in Europe, Australia, Singapore, and Korea.

I had noted in my registration that my children enjoyed animals and food. For my oldest daughter who has Chinese School experience, the teacher focused on using words (such as different foods) in sentences, like “I like to eat (fill in the blank).” Though the teacher spoke much of the lesson in Chinese, she could switch to English when my daughter didn’t understand what she was saying. The teacher was very enthusiastic, positive, and encouraging. When my daughter did something well, the teacher rewarded her with an online sticker of a moon cake.

My youngest daughter had no experience in Chinese School. Her lesson focused on basic words like numbers, colors, and animals. The teacher used animal plush toys to reinforce the words which delight my daughter. The teacher was able to communicate at an age-appropriate level through both Chinese/English, body language, props, and the onscreen lesson. My little one loved getting the online moon cake stickers as a reward for good work. A note for parents: I recommend that an adult sits next to a younger child during the lesson to help when necessary. For example, the teacher asked my daughter to change the color of the onscreen pen. My daughter didn’t know how to do that with the mouse, so I assisted her.

My daughters had one free trial lesson. If they were to take more lessons, their teacher would stay the same each time. KK Mandarin tries to keep the teachers consistent, and the company will only change them if there are time conflicts or personal issues.

KK Mandarin Pricing

Make sure to go to KKMandarin.com and sign up for a FREE CLASS for your child to try out this program. The free class will give you a good feel if KK Mandarin is right for your child.

KK Mandarin offers 3 package options for 1-on-1 private tutoring:

1) 32 Courses: $20/class
2) 96 Courses: $16/class
3) 128 courses: $14/class

In comparison, depending on where you live, Chinese Schools may cost between $600-$1000 a year to meet once a week. Granted, classes are longer (usually 2-4 hours). However, they’re typically in a large group setting. The class also goes at the pace of the teacher’s lesson book regardless if your child has comprehended the lesson. With KK Mandarin, the curriculum goes at the pace of your child’s ability, and the syllabus is customized to your child’s needs. Students can have KK Mandarin classes as frequently as they want each week.

Teachers will assign homework to students based on the students’ language level. Homework may include reading, speaking, and writing. Teachers will send the homework via email to parents.

For KK Mandarin group pricing, to set up a free class, and for more information on how to have you kids learn Chinese, please contact KK Mandarin at www.kkmandarin.com.

 

Photo credits: Images by KK Mandarin unless otherwise noted.