Mandarin-speaking Volunteer or Meetup Opportunity for 9-year old
Hi families,
I have a very social and talkative 9-year old who has been in a Mandarin immersion program since preschool and is a fluent speaker. She will be switching to a non-Mandarin immersion school but is interested in keeping up with speaking Mandarin. Does anyone have any ideas for a volunteer program or a Mandarin speaking meetup or something for kids her age? We're not interested in the 3-hour structured classes that teach reading and writing--just conversation. I reached out to "Friendly Visitors" but they do not offer volunteer opportunities for kids. Any ideas would be appreciated!
Jul 20, 2023
Parent Replies
Hello!
We also have a 9 year old who has been in mandarin immersion since preschool and is fluent in Mandarin. We are also moving her to a non-mandarin immersion school this upcoming school year.
While we intend to attend as many events with her now former schoolmates as schedules allow, we would love to learn about any opportunities for speaking mandarin with this age group, too, if you are open to it. We are in North Berkeley.
Yu Ming might have some programs like this? Alternatively, you can find Mandarin-speaking families to do playdates?
My four-year-old and I only speak Mandarin when we hang out (I'm a native speaker). Although there's a huge age gap between mine and yours, I do read books like Harry Potter and Monkey King in Chinese to him, and we do drawings, math and worksheets in Chinese. So if your daughter is interested and doesn't mind the age gap, she can try joining us for play and conversations and see if it's a good fit.