Jim Rogers is a famous American investor who loves Chinese culture and used to travel around mainland China by motorcycle in the 1980s.
Rogers’ daughters, Happy Rogers & Bee Rogers, are quite fluent in Mandarin Chinese. At the end of 2017, a video of Happy and Bee speaking Chinese exploded on the Chinese web, as shown below.
Take a look at the clip of Happy speaking Chinese at:
Why did Mr. Rogers have his daughters learn Chinese?
“China is going to be the most important country in the 21st century. Open trade, open travel, and open mixing with people lead to new ideas. And new ideas lead to new trade, new prosperity.” he said.
He also highlighted that China’s reform and opening up has brought more people out of poverty than ever in history, than any other country in the world. That is why he began in the late 1990s to make monetary investments in China and made the decision to have his daughters grow up in a Chinese environment and learn Chinese.
How did Happy and Bee manage to speak perfect Chinese?
1. Would it work out better if kids start learning a foreign language as early as possible? The answer is yes.
According to Lenneberg, a psycholinguist at Harvard University, the critical period for foreign language learning is roughly from age 2 to early adolescence (around 10-12 years old). If you want your child to be able to speak at the level of a native speaker, then it is best for your child to learn a foreign language at a younger age. It is best for a child to begin exposure to Chinese between the ages of 2 and 6.
2. The girls have been exposed to a Chinese-speaking environment since they were quite young.
The Rogers family moved to Singapore many years ago to create a Chinese-speaking environment for the girls. Of course, immigration is not the only way, but finding a native speaker Chinese teacher and choosing an immersion method can also create a good Chinese learning environment for your child. It is important to ensure the frequency of classes each week. We generally recommend that children choose a frequency of 2-3 classes a week so that they have more opportunities to speak Chinese.
3. The girls developed an interest in learning Chinese from an early age.
Mr Rogers took back home 52 episodes of “The Monkey King” from China when the girls were very young, which greatly captivated the child. After watching the whole series, the girls naturally became more enthusiastic about learning Chinese.
When developing your child’s Chinese learning habits, it is important to take advantage of your child’s interests. Moms and dads can use movies, cartoons, or books that will interest their children to engage them so that they will be more likely to be motivated to learn Chinese. If possible, take your child on a trip to China, which will definitely encourage your kid to learn Chinese.
Has your child already started learning Chinese? If you are still considering which second language to choose for your child, Chinese could be a very good option.
You May Want to Learn More:
Good Habits to Help Children Succeed in Learning Chinese
5 Most Useful Methods to Keep Kids Enjoying Learning Chinese
How Should Parents Pick a Qualified Platform for Kids’ Online Chinese Lessons?
