CHINESE FOR KIDS vol. 1 bring fun and excitement to language learning. Starring native Mandarin speakers and 3-D animated characters this DVD teaches basic conversational Chinese within the context of a fantastic birthday ... more »party - full of lively songs delicious, food, and playful games. Billy and his cute Shih Tzu puppy Benboo teach useful phrases for everyday situations along with words for colors, numbers, and toys. Embedded throughout the video are interactive DVD games that test a child s comprehension and original music by a Hollywood composer designed to reinforce new words and phrases. All Language Tree videos incorporate the breakthrough Multi-Cognition ApproachTM, developed by a Stanford University cognitive scientist, for faster and deeper learning. DVD comes with learning booklet.« less
SFMom | San Francisco, California United States | 03/09/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Not easy to follow or particularly entertaining for my 3yo who doesn't have prior exposure to Mandarin Chinese. After buying this DVD, we tried another - Learning Chinese & English Together - which we found taught similar concepts in a clearer and more enjoyable format for young kids who were absolute beginners."
Recommended for Adults and Children
Phillip Leung | 09/15/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We speak Cantonese at home but Mandarin is really more useful for the future so I am starting my children on learning Mandarin (as well as learning it myself). The whole family watches this DVD and we all enjoy it. The words and phrases taught are basic but useful - hello, introducing yourself to others, thanks, relatives, colors, numbers, and objects. The actors speak slowly enough so we can follow but with a natural rhythm. The songs and animation make the lessons more interesting for the children. I definitely recommend for both children and adults who are learning Mandarin."
Chinese For Kids - Volume I
Sara Huneycutt | Laguna Hills, CA | 09/12/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I found this video very helpful as a complete beginner to Mandarin Chinese. I was looking for something the whole family could watch and learn from. We were pleasantly surprised that it was entertaining and emphasized those beginning phrases we were looking for. I like how each chapter focuses on a beginning topic such as basic greetings, family members and so on. We've had a good time practicing amongst ourselves. This is a great video, we plan to get the next volume.
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Best I've seen
Jessica B | California | 11/30/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We recently purchased Chinese for Kids, Volume 1 and this is the best language video on the market we have found. My daughter enjoys playing the remote conrol games and laughs everytime she sees the animated dog Benboo take off in his convertible when she gets the answer right. Language Tree lives up to their reputation of making learning fun. Now if they would just come out with a volume 2."
Best Chinese Langauge DVD I've seen
Thomas E. Tweedel | Austin, TX United States | 12/16/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've seen several learn Chinese DVD's and this one is one of the best. The mix of speech, song, graphics all came together to keep your attention and educate. This DVD really does it's job.
The basis of the DVD is 2D Flash Type animation where the subjects are fairly static but moving through the scene. The colors are bright and there is enough motion and change to keep watchable but not distract from the message, Somehow I really think this minimalist style adds to the impact, flashy GCI is nice but you end up watching the pictures, not focusing on the lesson.
The presentation is by an american female narrator who follows the daily activites of a Chinese family, specifically Billy and his pet Shi-Tzu Bemboo. But it doesn't cute out too much on the dog nor is it all about billy. The lessons cover names of family members, dinner, a visit to the farm, the four tones, parts of the body and more. There is both regular speech and a recap song after the "lesson". The format and pacing might be a little fast for the first time but after you watch it enough times you catch on. I've already got some experience with the langauge so I can't rate it from a strictly beginner standpoint.
I'm married to a Chinese lady and we have two kids 4 and 18months at the time of this review. So I've got well above average exposure to the Langauge but I found it useful, kind of a reinforcement exercise and fleshing out a few little details. My kids (who understand but refuse to speak chinese) loved it. It kept them engaged and encouraged the older one to actually spit out a few words. The younger one got a lot of it as she was picking up both the Chinese and the English words.
The fact that they really enjoyed it and it kept their attention and focus and they got a lot out of it is why I rate this one so highly. Others may make arugments for or against this methodolgy or presentation of the langauge. I could pick at a few things (my wife mentioned that the chinse pronounciation wasn't very good) but in the end its the impact on the target audience that determines how good the product is and it really hit home. I'd highly recommend it.
PROS - Excellent presentation, visuals, audio and songs are well balanced and keep the pace going. Good selection of material (very relavent to beginners) Best explanation of the 4 tones yet
CONS- MIGHT be a big jump for a total beginner (I can't judge) Chinese pronounciation isn't perfect (Taiwanese accent claims the Mainlander), I wouldn't know.