ZhongHua Mandarin Immersion
Developing Mandarin as a life-skill and essential communication tool
Research has shown that the early years is a critical phase for children to develop language skills, and our immersive ZhongHua Mandarin Immersion has been proven to cultivate in young children a genuine lifelong love for learning the Mandarin language.
From the successes of our ZhongHua Mandarin Immersions at EtonHouse Zhong Hua and Robertson Walk campuses, we will be introducing the popular ZhongHua Mandarin Immersion to EtonHouse Mountbatten 718 in 2021.
Launching the Pre-Nursery and Nursery 1 Mandarin classes from August 2021, our unique ZhongHua Mandarin Immersion will be an inquiry-based curriculum delivered entirely in Mandarin. Children will be exposed to a considerable amount of time listening, speaking, and writing in Mandarin which is essential for any sustainable language development in the early years. Having such exclusive language exposure offers the children a focused Mandarin-speaking environment, which many do not have in their home environment. The curriculum delivery through the inquiry-based approach will make the experiences fun, engaging, and meaningful.
With extensive opportunities to communicate in Mandarin every single day, children are able to appreciate how useful and relevant the language is to their daily life. Over time, they are able to think and understand concepts in Mandarin.
Learning Mandarin through an Established Inquiry Approach
We believe that Mandarin is a life skill, not just a subject to be taught in isolation. That is why in EtonHouse, Mandarin is naturally acquired through meaningful experiences based on children’s interests.
The Mandarin environment is not intimidating to the children because at EtonHouse we emphasise on fostering a warm and nurturing relationship with children. At EtonHouse, languages are not taught in structured and formal classes conducted in isolation, but naturally acquired through our Inquire, Think, Learn Curriculum, which is inquiry-based and individualised. Therefore children learn at their own pace, while at the same time, being adequately challenged and inspired by their peers and the adults in the environment.
Children even develop a sound understanding of science, maths, arts, along with creative thinking and social competence, all while communicating in Mandarin!
Cultivating a genuine love for the language
On top of developing a life-long competence and interest in the language, our programme aims to develop an appreciation of the Chinese culture, as well as to nurture globally-focused and culturally competent children. Cultural immersion is, therefore, a critical part of our ZhongHua Mandarin Immersion and includes elements such as calligraphy, Chinese performing arts and inquiry projects on Chinese traditions, to name a few.
Programme Highlights
- Native speaking educators
- Inquiry-based curriculum inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach
- Learning Mandarin by immersing in a Chinese environment and integrating the 100 Languages
- Multi-cultural experiences with regular festive celebrations
Language Immersion
Programme Components
75% Inquiry-based activities (Inquire-Think-Learn Curriculum)
We emphasize Chinese culture and language through the Inquire-Think-Learn approach using current themes and the 100 languages. Some examples include:
- Art (Shadow play, Chinese knotting, embroidery)
- Performing Arts (Puppet show, Chinese musical instruments, Chinese opera, Traditional folk art, Crosstalk, Two-man act, etc)
- Sports and Games (Traditional acrobatics, Bamboo dance, Kungfu).
25% Chinese Language Arts
Mandarin nursery rhymes, poems and stories are integrated into creative learning experiences. Depending on the year level, children can experience language arts activities such as:
- Language Arts (Nursery Rhymes, Tongue twisters, Clapper talk, Reading and recitation of Chinese poetry)
- Art (Traditional Chinese painting, Chinese calligraphy)
- Performing Arts (Peking Opera, Comedic cross talk)
Extra-Curricular Courses (optional)
Additional Chinese activities are available after school (after 4pm). Depending on availability, some extra-curricular activities include:
- Chinese Musical Instrument – Guzheng
- Chinese Culture – Chinese calligraphy class, Traditional Chinese painting class
- Abacus and Mental arithmetic
To find out more about our ZhongHua Mandarin Immersion, book a tour below.
Glimpses
Parent Testimonial
Micky and Sandeep Mathur, Parents of Saanjali and Saranya, Nature Pre-School
It’s a small school which is great for the little ones. You get to know other parents and kids quickly and easily. And since no one nationality dominates, the kids get a cosmopolitan feel and learn to embrace many cultures. I would highly recommend EtonHouse Nature Pre-School for its fun based learning approach, hands-on teachers and beautiful surroundings. Read more here
Nivedita Subramaniam, Parent of Akshara and Advait, Nature Pre-School
When I was looking for pre-school for my twins, Advait and Akshara, I just wanted a “happy” school with lots of outdoor space for the children to play. The EtonHouse Nature Pre-School not only has a big outdoor play area and cozy classrooms but more importantly, the teachers are warm, friendly and nurture children’s inquisitive minds and instil confidence. Read more here
Lindie Oppermann, Parent of Neine, Carli and Nadia, Nature Pre-School
This beautiful little school was the perfect place for our children to start their schooling. It is an incredibly friendly environment with a lot of emphasis on relationship building, nature appreciation, the stimulation of the child's natural curiosity, and the appreciation of the child as a wonderful individual. The small class sizes and the great student-teacher ration, of course, help to achieve this. Read more here
360 Virtual Tour
Take a Virtual Tour of Nature Pre-School
Sitting on a land area of 6050 square metres with a built-up area of 1250 square metres, the campus has sprawling outdoor spaces, presenting ample opportunities for children to embrace the natural environment.
