My boy is in K2, so this year, I feel a wave of urgency to get his Chinese up to par. You see, Chinese is his third language. I actually speak to him in Chinese, but because of his prolonged hours at school, he replies to me in English.

I want to save money by delaying tuition and enrichment classes for as long as possible. This means that I got to teach him myself! Luckily, I am up for the challenge because I pride myself on being innovative and resourceful.

Here’s how I have been teaching him without incurring any money.

As an avid book lover, I visit libraries often. Not just the inside, but also the exterior. That’s because most libraries house a book exchange corner, in which people can donate their preloved books. Other community spaces, such as Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre in Yishun, are also a gold mine for authentic Chinese materials.

Yes, for kiasu parents on a shoestring budget, this means that you can get useful resources for free! From the pictures below, you can see that I have managed to get not only books and magazines, but also flashcards. I even found assessment books before!

This is where I put in some effort. I comb through the materials and cut out pertinent phrases and questions. I then paste them in a book and get him to read something every time I pick him up from school. Just as the saying ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ goes, I find that a few minutes of oral reading every day does wonders in helping him recognise high-frequency, high-utility words and phrases. And because I take the time to familiarise myself with the vocabulary, I find myself using some of these phrases in daily conversation to increase his exposure and enhance his familiarity of these phrases. Essentially, I make use of a multipronged approach to level up his Chinese.

It doesn’t take much effort for me to point out various words from the posters found in our surroundings and get him to read. After all, posters are an authentic application of the Chinese language.

Duolingo has been gaining rave reviews from language users. It is so addictive that columnists muse about why it has successfully made learning ‘stick’ via gamification. This is when I had a stroke of inspiration. Why don’t I use Duolingo to get my son to learn Chinese?

Here’s an unexpected benefit. Through its lessons, I can get my son to learn English as well. I’m sure the dexterity in switching from one language to another will reap him dividends in the long run.

Now that I have built up his receptive skills through reading and gamification, I need to find ways for my son to speak Chinese as well. What better way for him to do so than talk to my father? I actually speak to him in Chinese, but because he’s more used to speaking English at his preschool, he answers me in Chinese. That’s why getting him to speak to his grandfather, who is largely monolingual, will motivate him to use the language.

So, that’s what he does every night during dinner. Use WhatsApp call to chat with his grandfather. Of course, there are times in which he is not in the mood for talking, but having this habit cast in stone does increase his productive capabilities.

Summing it up

I know that my methods don’t sound impressive compared to 2-hour rigorous sessions at a Chinese enrichment centre. However, consistency is the key to success, so I’m confident that a few minutes utilised here and there will empower my son to keep up with the Chinese learning situation in Singapore.