Learning Mandarin in China - Kids TV
Can you learn Mandarin by watching TV in China? Probably not, but if a child already knows Mandarin well and goes to a Chinese school, it can be another tool to help with the immersion and gaining vocabulary. When you are raising a multilingual kid, I think it is always good to find fun ways to add more language immerstion time.
Multilingual reading and immersing with native speakers is our first choice, but a little TV in Mandarin can add some benefits and Mozart loves this CCTV Chinese show about 3 kids.
We mostly live an unplugged life, and put strong limits on media screen time as well as junk food as we just think it is a healthier choice. Still, tech used smartly with time limits can be useful tools sometimes if used in moderation.
The only TV that we let her watch when she was little was Chinese or Spanish shows like Sesame Street or Disney Classics in those languages. She also liked to watch operas from the Met which were in different languages. But we always put extreme time limits on them and made sure she spent lots of time outdoors playing before and after the short TV time.
She hasn't watched much TV in China, but when we are in hotels, we do allow her to indulge as long as it is in Mandarin.
How about you? What are your family policies around media and do you use tech to help with language immersion time?