Bilingual Breakthrough

Whenever my tween shows an interest in speaking Mandarin or Hokkien (one of many Chinese dialects), I am always thrilled.

Tonight, she heard me answer my husband in Hokkien and asked what I said.

So began a simple lesson on counting one to ten and working out the ages of all the family members.

By the end of it, she was able to answer in Hokkien when asked "How old are you?"

I also explained the connection to Mandarin, how "你今年几岁了?” = le kin ni kui huay?

Was impressed by her quick grasp of the sounds, considering we aren't in a bilingual environment where she is exposed to the sound of Mandarin and Hokkien on a daily basis.

There is hope!