Showing posts with label Mandarin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mandarin. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Promotion for pioneer package hits sweet spot

My Paper, Tuesday, August 19, 2014, Page A7, Opinion
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/emnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2014-08-19
Source Website: http://mypaper.sg/opinion/promotion-pioneer-package-hits-sweet-spot-20140819
By Daniel Yun, mypaper, myp@sph.com.sg, Published on Aug 19, 2014


The Mandarin version of the Pioneer Generation Package commercial
PHOTO: RIGHT NOTE: The Mandarin version of the Pioneer Generation Package commercial posted on the YouTube channel of the Singapore Government features Lee and Tan singing about the package, with seniors dancing in the background.
PHOTO: YOUTUBE
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7e2mCj7eQQ2Ckf5pLWCwfglDU3D0sy9NtMdTAYIIA_ibofXH17G9ghh_Oi2CyBW7ECna99grXFHIKllmjI9eedOQQREMXzKbRV0RAaHKOobucQWgt_wo-uE_PfX15_kljZbzVPQVgNY/s1600/Promotion+for+pioneer+package+hits+sweet+spot.jpg
My Paper, Tuesday, August 19, 2014, Page A7, Opinion


THOSE who watched Channel 8 in the last few weeks may be aware of an elephant in the room.

No one seems to want to talk about it but, when someone does, everyone has an opinion, including some strong views.

I am referring to the Pioneer Generation Package (Mandarin) - The Musical commercial.

I first saw it on television immediately after the National Day Parade.

At first, I could not make out what it was.

I thought it was a follow-through of the parade, a Mandarin national song of sorts.

It also crossed my mind that it could be an early mid-autumn commercial for mooncakes.

Towards the end of the commercial, the logo for the Pioneer Generation Package appeared.

Those who do not know what I am talking about can catch the musical on YouTube.

There are various versions of the commercial, in different dialects and languages, as well as a variety of formats.

The Mandarin version is a musical and it stands out, for good reasons to some, and for all the wrong reasons to others.


Old Shanghai songstress played by Sebastian Tan
PHOTO: Old Shanghai songstress played by Sebastian Tan
Posted by Christina Chung | | Evian Baby, Evian Water, Lifestyle/Tech, Mark Lee, news, PGC, PGP, Pinkdot, Pioneer Generation Card, Pioneer Generation Package, Rainow Lover, Sebastian Tan, Singapore, singapore blogger
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrrG4Snd4CiOYKe7THuvIpR_Slqyz-8rP15WeF0n6rJOE-brEK_sMibeXBBZBqrID8tzdVmJNKFCHQEjVS654jUglx5EHaMB8_KIsrZ7r3uAXNuYZ7eenOVL4l9Nmpg1gkumXoTxsrRc/s1600/Sebastian-1.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwDF-UcmY_BSBu1jXsyebijRrbwR0QJ0oO3NPHcEOmtmcrBScw_VPy3iG4Ind8qIUaG5S2ThTtuHomeeevUt1wUsmKahENnjtCZZoH7vRD5HuvnsUsaIcT2F-tpwbNdSE4mtF68NqOfA/s1600/Sebastian.jpg
http://huneyzworld.blogspot.sg/2014/08/i-think-pioneer-generation-package-ad-is.html


It features Mark Lee and Sebastian Tan singing about the Pioneer Generation Package, with seniors dancing in the background. Tan cross-dresses as a woman.

The Government is concerned that it may be difficult to communicate the Pioneer Generation Package to seniors - the pioneer generation.

That is why the Government has a deliberately elaborate campaign for it.

The Mandarin musical has sparked discussion about whether it can really do the job of communicating the package to seniors.

Many in this group said they did not get the full message, if at all. What is the Pioneer Generation Package really? To be fair, outside of the target group, many Singaporeans do not know it as well, at least not the details.

This is not unlike the Central Provident Fund, where a lot of people, not just older people, do not know the specifics.

The discussion about this musical, however, is not really about the effectiveness of communicating the package. Rather, the question is, why do it as a musical, and why have a cross-dresser in a musical?

I posted about the Mandarin musical commercial on Facebook with a comment that I was not sure if I liked it, nor if the musical could enlighten old folk on the Pioneer Generation Package.

The reactions were fast and furious. The likes and dislikes were equally and vocally aggressive.

Many said their parents would stop what they were doing to watch the commercial every time it came on.

A few even said their uncles and aunties were asking for the YouTube links to it, saying that they were captivated by the song and were very entertained by the musical.

There were others who liked the performers, especially Tan. There were also some who did not know the woman singing in the musical was a man.

Some thought the woman was Jack Neo in drag. And then there were some who thought it was bold to have a cross-dresser in a musical for the pioneer generation.

Those who disliked the commercial thought using a musical made it even more difficult to communicate what the package was about.

Some felt it was inappropriate to have a cross-dresser in a musical targeted at seniors. Why not someone the older generation looks up to, they asked.

So, do I like the Mandarin musical? I found it catchy. I was not sure if I was entertained. But I was drawn to it and I have grown to like it.

And because I like it, I progressively knew more and more about the Pioneer Generation Package.

From a marketing perspective, any campaign that solicits strong responses is successful in some way.

If a campaign entertains and informs, then it is unusually effective, even worthy of an award.


Catchy, drawn to it and have grown to like it.
PHOTO: Catchy, drawn to it and have grown to like it.
Picture posted by tansux, Arch-Supremacy Member on 29 July 2014, 10:34 PM
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTo0_h58Po_m46MhO_jVRVO46UtfpEdK1FgengskJYnWJBeMdWJWyH8wTyRmGYPuZhP8f1zm9FDzLAxx58Mwx1gYKponDJJd-qw3d8uCV4DEAxMyAb8HTphKMooIKGY8F7RRr0-XaM5Zc/s1600/F9wTJ5L.gif
http://i.imgur.com/F9wTJ5L.gif
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-drink-man-woman-16/new-pioneer-generation-advertisement-starring-mark-lee-4755605.html


By Daniel Yun, mypaper, myp@sph.com.sg, Published on Aug 19, 2014
The writer is a film-maker and life coach. He blogs at danielyunhx.com


Pioneer Generation Package (Mandarin) - The Musical

By gov singapore, published on Jul 25, 2014
Our Pioneer Generation helped build our nation into the Singapore it is today following our independence.

Hence we need to honour them, recognise their contributions and care for them in their silver years.

The Pioneer Generation Package helps provide assurance for their healthcare needs for life. To find out more, visit www.pioneers.sg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNHGqE1SC8w


Pioneer Generation Package: The Musical - Behind the Scenes (Hokkien/Mandarin with Eng subs)

By gov singapore, published on Aug 10, 2014
Watch Mark Lee’s and Sebastian Tan’s special Hokkien/Mandarin rendition of ‘Pioneer Generation Package: The Musical’ in this behind-the-scenes video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gVcc5dakrc
 


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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Putting oomph in Chinese (Sexy Mandarin)

My Paper, Monday, February 17, 2014, Page A2, News, Top Stories
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/emnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2014-02-17
Source Website: http://mypaper.sg/top-stories/putting-oomph-chinese-20140217
By Samantha Boh, samboh@sph.com.sg, mypaper, Published on Feb 17, 2014

STANDING BY WHAT SHE DOES: Angie Ng is the first Singaporean to join the ranks of teachers on controversial language site Sexy Mandarin. She says her job, which entails the teachers posing in lingerie or revealing outfits, boosts her self-confidence.
PHOTO: STANDING BY WHAT SHE DOES: Angie Ng is the first Singaporean to join the ranks of teachers on controversial language site Sexy Mandarin. She says her job, which entails the teachers posing in lingerie or revealing outfits, boosts her self-confidence.
PHOTO: ANGIE NG
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkK4ATGEhDkV7ECp05rk5dGAqiwDFSyukKlEGClLzSZE-NhHjAcW4qyV3MXV-5WXCpGqXVsehFNhhV004HORc0M-h1sYajm5VnmMxnGt877J6ygbXaiJfPFq8Gvo7Qu4oxYdHMjkLaZgM/s1600/Putting+oomph+in+Chinese.jpg
My Paper, Monday, February 17, 2014, Page A2, News, Top Stories


IF YOU had seen freelance model Angie Ng strutting down Clarke Quay in search of new students, you would not say she fit into the stereotype of a teacher, with her tight latex mini-dress that featured a plunging neckline to boot.

But then again, the online language school she works at, Sexy Mandarin, is not one to be confined by societal norms.

The 21-year-old is the first Singaporean to join the controversial language site's ranks of teachers even though auditions have been held here since early last year.


Sexy Mandarin with Hailan Quan - Heat 热火 rè huǒ
PHOTO: Sexy Mandarin with Hailan Quan - Heat 热火 rè huǒ
Posted by Sexy Mandarin on June 20, 2013
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHW91MaZliChyphenhyphenUBCSKSWyZ-tvuc2ALiUkTT5Uz9QGRq6Xlou4a65JPOYhfKSoEt3AsV9gTophLOu8XMgS1Htz5qm_OzEC0JDfVfRwSlCEquVl4G_zWU-g_I7sJJzU_mddcge0vPYbaVh4/s1600/1014356_472016006218141_1474880585_n-1.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/1014356_472016006218141_1474880585_n.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/SexyMandarin/wall


The site, which has offices in Hong Kong and the United States, was launched worldwide in December 2011. It features videos of scantily clad women who act out various scenes interjected with simple Mandarin phrases.

In one video, for instance, a woman in a see-through top crawls over a couch suggestively to a phone to order takeout in Mandarin.


现在几点了? Xiàn zài jǐ diǎn le?

PHOTO: 现在几点了? Xiàn zài jǐ diǎn le?
"what time is it?"
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YYEv_daY5yfwWniglWCK9xvO5XnKyKowVtbWIQ7m4snIGv1hxqbDcImbqBngin-8ZmP0nJ9D0K-S5PCrreG2DWfJjPQzfp9g1XuWNIQx9ayO8v6FtXi2HfcqTDHC6TVgvsFRIVGvE5M/s1600/378937_203145276438550_1754692_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1/378937_203145276438550_1754692_n.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/SexyMandarin/photos/a.203145266438551.52039.182528711833540/203145276438550/?type=1&theater


In another, two women are seen touching each other in bed, dressed only in their lingerie. One sits up suddenly and says, "what time is it?" in Mandarin.

Once the phrases are uttered, a cartoon character, Mr Fung, pops up on the screen to explain its meaning in English. Each video is between two and three minutes long.


Once the phrases are uttered, a cartoon character, Mr Fung, pops up on the screen to explain its meaning in English.

PHOTO: Once the phrases are uttered, a cartoon character, Mr Fung, pops up on the screen to explain its meaning in English.
Posted by Sexy Mandarin on September 8, 2012
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPZGzGYddDGmDaRMGCLSk0RbD2luAUiHB0kM_H_X8LEt_dp-WCxcfQhMNepGxc1XbzKVEPwZZJxLsQ-AlgKUaMZ3Lz6aUEwh6U-hvc2DMsAhw5uduQ8B2RO2coQkVnrWv3vJ3xht_wcI/s1600/204968_350268188392924_1830000989_o.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/t31/p843x403/204968_350268188392924_1830000989_o.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/SexyMandarin/photos/a.203517436401334.52098.182528711833540/350268188392924/?type=1&theater


Currently waiting to enter university after graduating from polytechnic, Ms Ng joined the site late last year, after she submitted her portfolio. She learnt about the site after viewing a video online.

Contrary to finding the job slutty, she finds that it boosts her self-confidence and will not allow anyone to persuade her otherwise.


要知道，笔直的树是最易崩裂的，而竹子或柳树却能经得起风的肆虐。

PHOTO: 要知道，笔直的树是最易崩裂的，而竹子或柳树却能经得起风的肆虐。
yào zhī dào，bǐ zhí de shù shì zuì yì bēng liè de，ér zhú zi huò liǔ shù què néng jīng de qǐ fēng de sì nüè。
"Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind." -Bruce Lee
Posted by Sexy Mandarin on July 2, 2013
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-YsPMh_NU1DiEWkXYBf5NjHq7bZOPzUUfyvKy6ZHN5QY-QgbdGzclfvFdDn9O_qGW-3J4PKkbq03dztqkraGSS_1vlV7zomzaRm35uYQsCr2sid0SBVacgLVCb3IeIdtD6jtLJJcBmw/s1600/993043_477021519050923_1847011010_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1/993043_477021519050923_1847011010_n.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/SexyMandarin/photos/a.203517436401334.52098.182528711833540/477021519050923/?type=1&theater


So far, her parents and family do not know about her job. "If my friends or family disapprove, I would accept their opinion but it would not affect my choice," she said. "I believe in what I'm doing."

Shooting videos dressed in just her lingerie or revealing outfits also helps her to feel more comfortable in her own skin, she said. Each lesson video takes about a day to film. In Singapore, a teacher is paid around $30 an hour.

Ms Ng, who is unattached, said she would not give in to pressure even for love. She told MyPaper that she would tell her future boyfriend about this job from the get-go. "If he doesn't accept it, then I guess we can't be together," she said.


我们到了 wǒ men dào le - We've arrived

PHOTO: 我们到了 wǒ men dào le - We've arrived
"Finally we can relax."
Posted by Sexy Mandarin on June 7, 2013
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIH2r4bZCLgMrPTdzRmJ0uPk78qLnlLFD49feLeDiDVaM6RqrnjzX-guOOUGtz0_owtVu3_Zd0eUOPAJdhhsN-xEVvNgjnO18vHcCRXpx9HqKaa7sXlw-eynSo9TiKqxwDC7LZNARecI/s1600/931285_465803410172734_2061589349_n.png
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/931285_465803410172734_2061589349_n.png
https://www.facebook.com/SexyMandarin/wall


Sexy Mandarin's husband-and-wife creators, Ms Kaoru Kikuchi and Mr Michael Gleissner, a model-turned-businesswoman and film director respectively, wanted to give an exciting spin to Chinese lessons which they found yawn-inducing while growing up.

Although the videos have been slammed by feminist groups for objectifying women, the Mandarin-teaching site is still making waves for its unconventional teaching methods.

Each month, the site adds 500 subscribers. Its current tally worldwide is over 43,000, of which 1 per cent are Singaporeans. About 25 per cent of its subscribers come from the US. The rest are spread across countries including France and Brazil.


I am ready to start teaching!

PHOTO: I am ready to start teaching!
Wendy teaches Mandarin Chinese lessons and model full time with SexyMandarin in Cebu, Philippines.
Posted on May 9, 2013 by Wendy
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rb7IjOe1Tvmfy4PMQ68iR7K0Nx1H04LdVzUi3IZpvmI3pBmPv7xC1Ss70s8MysPOu7csVuDnQ5P8nzwu_rwyYWrw5cQzH20AI24wzg0FK3vGTrahfXZ0xP3fl1Wc7h9vvO4Nt-Cvptg/s1600/wonderful-wendy.jpg
http://www.sexymandarin.com/v2/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/wonderful-wendy.jpg
http://www.sexymandarin.com/32198728/i-am-ready-to-start-teaching/


The site provides minute-long teasers on YouTube but users have to pay a fee of between $12.50 and $94.40 for a monthly subscription and access to full-length videos.

Ms Ng has starred in just one video but said she hopes for more opportunities.

"I'm a person who likes to be in a new environment, to push the limits, and I think Sexy Mandarin allows me to do that," she said.

By Samantha Boh, samboh@sph.com.sg, mypaper, Published on Feb 17, 2014


CANDICE trying to save BAMBOO's life

PHOTO: CANDICE trying to save BAMBOO's life
Posted by Sexy Mandarin on September 8, 2012
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72YwJNtE8kOBAKyFsXRrx5HDTw84XsO4xw92bmF10dvWI8OFcEuevSrC1GuEpxFaar70YfbA1gnga5XXk07oNZNefYb4dJr4gq1VOwHzfG6Y2moiYvxrrZv-DcNxS1KbwtGYu66telrE/s1600/534296_350285055057904_718885633_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/534296_350285055057904_718885633_n.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/SexyMandarin/photos/a.203517436401334.52098.182528711833540/350285055057904/?type=1&theater


睡觉 shuì jiào - Sleep

PHOTO: 睡觉 shuì jiào - Sleep
"She knows when you are sleeping..."
Posted by Sexy Mandarin on March 30, 2013
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Z0xF3uz_9GGFBFnz1QBpl98_qrZZUM37Ak0chPXW1TlQ4DdbxDCtktzFRIi2oa67mLcVwAKf0yYAJIZup_M9H4LsPxSqXlDt4D20O1x_afvKJxTF7QRkIw_3v9_CdYVaswJFA6NbXWo/s1600/563798_435482373204838_683336732_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/563798_435482373204838_683336732_n.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/SexyMandarin/photos/a.203517436401334.52098.182528711833540/435482373204838/?type=1&theater


巧克力 qiǎo kè lì - Chocolate with Hailan Quan.

PHOTO: 巧克力 qiǎo kè lì - Chocolate with Hailan Quan.
"Melts in your mouth"
Posted by Sexy Mandarin on March 30, 2013
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceqAPhHLPoyX14SuRFIK94-UZcCEcSeESqLyXm-pTyR5_jRufgwHIWHH4VnMIsNiX2DRhM24LVXSOrTW7dbEzOpS4k7p1sqirE2c-7iXBOKbj_17zp2c_wqQdU_g8ywt-4E0iii_Dlnw/s1600/8410_434158766670532_1310080503_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1/8410_434158766670532_1310080503_n.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/SexyMandarin/photos/a.203517436401334.52098.182528711833540/434158766670532/?type=1&theater


Teachers & Class?

Posted by Sexy Mandarin on March 7, 2013



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Sunday, April 22, 2012

Our Speak Mandarin campaign

Today on Sunday, Sunday, April 22, 2012, Page 8, Parent To Parent
From http://www.todayonline.com/PDFViewer/PDF/20120422/2204FFW008.pdf
Source Website: http://www.todayonline.com/Columns/ParenttoParent/EDC120422-0000004/Our-Speak-Mandarin-campaign
By June Wan, todayonsunday@mediacorp.com.sg, 04:45 AM Apr 22, 201



PHOTO: 习惯成自然 Xi guan cheng zi ran (make it a habit and it becomes natural)
Copyright © MediaCorp Press Ltd
Today on Sunday, Sunday, April 22, 2012, Page 8, Parent To Parent


I failed Chinese in school - but my experiment in talking to my son only in Mandarin has been a resounding success

In a cab the other day, the small one started talking about the colour of the vehicle. This is a blue "de shi", he piped, using the Mandarin term for taxi.

The taxi driver asked why I had taught him "de shi". No one will understand you when you go home, he warned.

Back where you come from, taxis are called "ji cheng che", aren't they? he continued.


PHOTO: Our experiment to speak to the little one in only Mandarin from birth, to see if he picks up the language, has succeeded. Now three-and-a-half years old, he rattles to me in Mandarin and switches effortlessly to English when conversing with his daddy.
http://behance.vo.llnwd.net/profiles/60307/projects/100215/603071213697888.jpg
http://www.behance.net/gallery/speak-mandarin-campaign/100215


No, I said, we know them as "de shi".

Aren't you from China? he queried.

No, we are Singaporeans, I replied.

Oh, you've got your PR already, he quipped.

Er no, we're born and bred here, Uncle, I said.

But your son speaks like he's from China! the taxi driver exclaimed.

Whoo-hoo! I silently rejoiced. It worked!



PHOTO: Speak Mandarin Campaign
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2539/4117262430_02bdb333e8_o.jpg
http://chopchopcurrypok.com/?cat=30

Yes, my experiment to speak to the little one in only Mandarin from birth, to see if he picks up the language, has succeeded. Now three-and-a-half years old, he rattles to me in Mandarin and switches effortlessly to English when conversing with his daddy, who did the English version of the experiment.

Having failed Chinese as a second language during my A-levels (and having to retake the exam so as not to have to attend Chinese camp at university), this was not a small decision. It was hard work!

I had to do mental translations before speaking to him. Google Translate became my new BFF (Best Friends Forever). I dusted off my old Chinese-English dictionaries from my parents' place and hauled them home. The radio became permanently tuned to 88.3FM.

PHOTO: Speak Mandarin Campaign
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2547/4117262328_0a5382a163_o.jpg
http://chopchopcurrypok.com/?cat=30


I could not scold him as easily because I did not know what words to use in Mandarin. And we'd be brushed aside or appallingly served at certain shops and restaurants (or encounter the opposite in service when we spoke Queen's English instead).

But eventually, over the weeks, it became easier. Xi guan cheng zi ran (make it a habit and it becomes natural), as the Chinese idiom goes.



PHOTO: Speak Mandarin Campaign.
Web Design, Graphic Design, Illustration
http://behance.vo.llnwd.net/profiles/60307/projects/100215/603071213697970.jpg
http://www.behance.net/gallery/speak-mandarin-campaign/100215


SO HE CAN CHAT WITH SWEDES AND POLITICIANS

The little one was subject to all this also because of his older brother, who refused to acknowledge Chinese at two-and-a half years of age, when he could read English independently.

He told me not to speak to him in Mandarin. He preferred English, and that was that. So he was devouring Enid Blyton at age three-and-a-half, and the English newspapers a year later. But attempts to re-introduce him to Mandarin failed.

I'd read that children could pick up a language easily through regular exposure to it, so the little one became my guinea pig. The main aim was just for him not to have to go through the same Mother Tongue learning struggles that I did in school.



PHOTO: From chinese medicine to comics, Ms Lim Siew Gek’s lessons make learning Chinese a cool thing to do.
Ms Lim’s special TCM-infused lesson for her school’s Pri 2 curriculum has been so successful that colleagues, parents and pupils named her for the Most Outstanding CL Lesson Plan award in 2006. Since then, Ms Lim has shared her lesson plans with many other schools in Singapore, even going as far as China.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3048/3039893589_503cf89e84.jpg
http://www.schoolbag.sg/archives/2008/11/teachers_who_make_mother_tongu.php


And having failed in this aspect with his older brother, I was determined to succeed with him. There were other reasons, too, of course:

- The world is flat, and China is shifting to the centre of the world map. Mandarin, the most common language in the world, is spoken by almost a fifth of the globe's population. In years to come, there will be even more Mandarin speakers.

- So if he travels to Sweden when he grows up, he'll have no problem getting around. After all, last year, Sweden's Education Minister Jan Bjorklund announced that all Swedish primary schools should offer Chinese lessons.


PHOTO: The language of our forefathers – are we missing something?
By Zyberzitizen, Posted by theonlinecitizen on February 28, 2007
http://djhchinesekidz.blogspot.com/2009/11/only-bad-memories-of-chinese-lessons.html
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2007/02/the-language-of-our-forefathers-are-we-missing-something/


- So that he can, if he ever meets them, converse easily with overseas politicians who are fluent in Mandarin:

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd; United States Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner; former US Ambassador to China (and Singapore!) and former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman ...

- So that back home, he will be able to
(i) order food at a hawker centre,
(ii) chat with taxi drivers and
(iii) gossip with aunties and grannies at the void deck.
PHOTO: 新的《讲华语运动》标语。觉得如何？- The new "Speak Mandarin Campaign" slogan. Like it?
Author: Danny Yeo 杨君伟
http://blog.omy.sg/dannyyeo/files/2011/07/Speak-Mandarin-Campaign-2011-new-slogan.jpg
http://blog.omy.sg/dannyyeo/archives/category/%E8%AF%B4%E7%8E%AF%E5%A2%83/page/8

ENGAGE BRAIN - ON BOTH SIDES

And of course, there's all that talk about how beneficial learning more than one language can be.

A 2003 study in Britain found that it takes more brainpower to speak Mandarin, as both sides of the brain are engaged to understand the language. (Apparently this ability to engage both sides of the brain is exclusive to the Chinese language.)

I was also inspired by an interview with a local professor of Chinese language and culture who revealed that he spoke to his daughters only in Mandarin when they were growing up. They'll pick up English when they go to school, he'd said.



PHOTO: Speak Mandarin Campaign
http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/34940_story_images-tm.jpg?w=400&h=262
http://listverse.com/2010/02/26/10-modern-cases-of-linguistic-genocide/


Amazingly, despite my basic level of Chinese, the little one learnt. In his younger days, before he realised that his daddy could understand Mandarin as well, he would translate his demands if his father was slow to respond: "Socks, Daddy, socks. Wa zi!"

Even better, because the older one is also exposed to Mandarin when I speak to his little brother, he has re-absorbed the language.

Now I have a new problem. Because my knowledge of Mandarin is basic - about kindergarten level - I can only teach my boys this much.


PHOTO: Girl's poster: "Grandma, please speak Mandarin."
Grandma (in Cantonese): "You got to be kidding!"
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKdcGgkZGQ_j6ct1xMvOOCJITuZWAMDs1Yt63Hpz7Hs0Be8vU7FTgKxNdFr-udDPfhlqc2pFzwiNHdhuD_CX0GQEmyvIeRESVh2QjzzmsucexYlTDwlYVvHS4Cd5nkaRdzOBZwVSQF9TM/s1600/speak_mandarin_cartoon.jpg
http://chinamusictech.blogspot.com/2010/08/is-cantonese-in-danger-of-extinction.html


We still speak in Mandarin but, last month, the boys started a Chinese enrichment programme. They love it, and I am glad that they now have exposure to the language from the experts. In the meantime, I need to buck up and improve on my Mandarin skills.

After this, we'll try Malay.
By June Wan, todayonsunday@mediacorp.com.sg, 04:45 AM Apr 22, 2012
June Wan has two boys.


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