In the spirit of New Years resolutions, I’ve just finished reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. One concept from the book that really resonated with me is the 1% shift i.e. by consistently making tiny tweaks to your current habits/routines, your overall improvement will be significantly greater than the sum of all those little changes. In terms of language learning and passing on Cantonese to your children, these 1% shifts could look like:
- Taking one (just one) question you ask your children daily in English and asking it in Cantonese instead
- Turning on a Cantonese cartoon instead of an English one (even if your child switches the video straight away)
- Incorporating one Cantonese board book into the bedtime routine or getting your older children to read one page (or even just one sentence) each day
- Reviewing one flashcard (just one!) each day – this small goal is infinitely better than reviewing no flashcards
One shift I’ve taken recently is to default to singing Cantonese nursery rhymes instead of the English ones I’m more familiar with. It not taken me very much effort to learn these rhymes, due to the songs simplistic and repetitive nature, and suddenly AJ is listening to way more Cantonese each day than he previously was. If you would like to make this shift, then I’ve got two songs that will take you less than two minutes to learn!
The Song Sheets
You can download the song sheets below. Both songs are to the tune of famous nursery rhymes so you can start singing immediately but if you would like some accompaniment, then each sheet also has a QR code to a sing-a-long video from one of my favourite YouTube channels, Twinklebots.
Song #1 – Ten Little Piglets 十隻小豬仔 sap6 zek3 siu3 zyu1 zai2
This jolly song will teach you little ones how to count while they enjoy the tongue-twisting lyrics. It took me a lot of practice to sing ‘siu3 zyu1 zai2’ quickly!
Song #2 – There was a Little Bird 有隻雀仔 jau5 zek3 zoek3
This catchy song about an unlucky bird is so easy to learn because you actually only need to learn nine words. Once you’ve heard it once, you won’t be able to get it out of your head (for better or for worse!)
So there you have it, two new songs you can sing with your family. Think of all that new exposure you are providing for two minutes of learning. What 1% shifts will you be taking on your Cantonese journey? Drop your ideas in the comments below to commit to your shift!
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Mama Bear Cantonese 