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In the previous article, we discussed how parents should approach and respond when their children use "Mainlandized" terms or internet slang. Now, let’s look at practical methods for handling this. For children and teenagers living in English-speaking countries, the challenge of distinguishing among Cantonese, Mandarin, and internet slang sources is often hard. Because their daily exposure to Chinese is relatively limited, they often “learn whatever they hear” and may not nat

In recent years, influenced by Mandarin and mainland Chinese internet culture, some vocabulary, originally common on mainland social media platforms or in commercial contexts, has increasingly entered the Cantonese-speaking communities in Hong Kong and overseas. Some call this phenomenon "Mainlandization" of the language; such changes are, to some extent, related to the popularity of platforms like Xiaohongshu (小紅書), Tiktok (抖音), and Bilibili, as well as increasingly frequent

The previous article (Editor’s note: “Insights from Trump’s Granddaughter Learning Chinese”) mentioned that a video of US President Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Arabella, fluently reciting Tang poetry in Mandarin, went viral worldwide, causing many people to marvel at the international status of the Chinese language. Hong Kong parents who have relocated overseas might think: “Since even foreigners are scrambling to learn Mandarin, should we also have our children give up Can

A few years ago, a video of Arabella Kushner, the granddaughter of US President Donald Trump, fluently reciting the Three Character Classic (《三字經》), Tang poetry, and even singing the folk song Jasmine Flower (《茉莉花》), generated a lot of buzz online. Many people were surprised; how could a blonde, blue-eyed American girl speak Chinese with such pitch-perfect pronunciation? In fact, the secret behind this does not rely solely on rote-learning in Chinese classes, but rather on an

(This article is written based on the official Pearson Edexcel specifications for the Higher Tier exam and the personal experiences of Cantonese-speaking candidates.) Two of the GCSE papers were held this week (as at mid May 2026). While the memories are still fresh for this year's candidates — who are also our students — we asked them about their first hand experiences. Listening · Paper 1 Many candidates expressed that the listening paper was unexpectedly not difficult. Bef

Indeed, GCSE Chinese is generally simpler than the Hong Kong public examinations for Chinese. However, does this objective conclusion actually apply to your children's situation? When children are preparing to take the UK GCSE or A-Level Chinese examinations, some parents might judge the situation based on their own past experiences: “Back in my day, studying ‘On Humanity, On the Gentleman’ (《論仁、論君子》) and ‘Listening to Chen Leishi's Zither’ (《聽陳蕾士的琴箏》 ) was way harder than wh

I wonder if you have ever experienced this scenario: last night, you clearly reviewed the character for "water" (水) with your children for at least ten times. And yet, when you ask them about it after they wake up this morning, they stare at you as if they’ve encountered an alien, as if their brain had completely formatted. Faced with this cycle of “forgetting right after learning”, many parents feel highly frustrated and even wonder if their children lack talent. But the tru

The final countdown for the Summer 2026 GCSE exams is officially on. According to the latest exam schedule, the 2026 GCSE Chinese exams kick off on Monday, 11 May. This final stretch is all about staying calm and double-checking the finer details. To help you prepare, our team has put together this "Ultimate Pre-Exam Kit" based on the official guidelines from the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and Pearson Edexcel. Official 2026 GCSE Chinese Exam Dates Pearson Edexcel

Is anyone planning a UK staycation with the family, or having relatives and friends fly over from Hong Kong to join you for a classic European getaway? Beyond my love for writing, I am a traveler at heart. Today, let’s look at travel through a slightly different lens: holiday trips are far more than just a chance to unwind and splash out. For our families, they can actually be the ultimate real-world stage for our kids to put their Chinese to use. The Magic of a Shared Connec

Is learning a language merely a matter of competitiveness, or is there something more to it? Recently, Hui Kuok, Chairman and CEO of the Shangri-La Group, suggested at the HSBC Global Investment Summit that Hong Kong schools should consider replacing Cantonese with Mandarin as the primary medium of instruction. What’s her argument? To make the next generation more "competitive," Hong Kong must tighten its linguistic and cultural ties with mainland China. As the daughter of Ro

A video has recently gone viral online where an influencer exaggeratedly mimics the "half-Chinese, half-English" way some Hong Kong parents speak. You hear disjointed phrases like, “Fast a bit put down that toy!” or “Mommy told you like this is not correct lah!” While this "Jayden's Mom" style of speaking seems like a genuine effort to create a bilingual environment, it actually creates hidden risks for a child's language development. So, how can we help children truly reap t

For Chinese parents living abroad, teaching our children Chinese often feels like a persistent tug-of-war between two worlds—a struggle to ensure our cultural roots aren't lost to time and distance. In our daily lessons, we face a choice that seems simple but carries profound weight: when teaching our children Chinese, should we call it Standard Characters (正體字 / zing3 tai2 zi6) or Traditional Characters (繁體字 / faan4 tai2 zi6)? This isn't just about semantics; the names we us

(This article is about the GCSE exam and it is written with reference to the Pearson Edexcel specifications.) Over the few years lots of parents have asked us questions at our information sessions. One question that comes up again and again is: "Can we get an examiner for the GCSE Chinese exam?" If you are from Hong Kong you know how easy it is to get around. You can hop on the MTR or a bus. You will be across the city in no time.. In the UK it is very different. Towns are ap

If you are planning to take the 2026 Pearson Edexcel GCSE Chinese (1CN0) exam in the UK, the earliest exam dates are as follows (based on the official timetable, applicable to exam centres in the UK, excluding overseas iGCSE). Event Date Description Release of Basic Information 22 November 2026 Official start of registration (Registration is usually handled collectively by the school for day school candidates. Private candidates must contact an exam centre or Chinese school t