LingoAce: Online Chinese Learning made Fun & Engaging for kids!

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Coming from an English speaking family, I admit that learning Chinese has been a struggle for me since young. Fast forward to the monkies now, and the all-too familiar problem resurfaces. Truth be told, the wifey and I are not disciplined enough to converse with the kids in Chinese consistently... which compounds the problem. 😅

And so the inevitable solution pops up - send the kids for Chinese enrichment! Which opens up a whole new world of challenges: the logistics of sending them to the centre, the piling on of extra homework, and the most dreaded one of all, the reluctance of the kids to head to the classes week in, week out. Yep, been there, done that.

But what if there was a Chinese learning platform that is online-based, with flexible class scheduling and personalised 1-to-1 learning methods and complete with engaging multimedia teaching methods?

All these were what made Ale look forward to her Chinese lessons weekly, something that is pretty impressive considering how notoriously difficult tweens can be!

LingoAce is an online Chinese Learning platform which offers authentic, engaging, and effective online live Chinese classes for young learners aged between 4 and 15 years old.

What sets LingoAce apart from other online enrichment platforms is it strives to create an optimal environment for learning Chinese which appeals to kids and enagages them so as not to put them off in learning the language.

And after sitting in with Ale for 4 lessons with LingoAce, I can clearly see why she enjoys the lessons so much.

So what is it that LingoAce does so well?

Personalised Learning Methods

The key to mastering a language is to frequently use it in our daily conversations. The thing about learning Chinese is - and this is me speaking from experience - the fear of using it because of a self-perceived view of weakness. Translate that into a classroom setting and kids will be extremely cautious in participating in Chinese classes due to the fear of ridicule.

So in my opinion, a 1-to-1 session works best especially if you are trying to master a language and LingoAce offers that safe environment where a child isn't afraid to make mistakes (or say the wrong hanyu pinyin) when it's just him/her and the teacher. Certainly not so for Ale, who found much joy in the 55-min weekly lessons!

Each lesson can be tailored according to the child's needs and weaknesses so for Ale, we decided to focus on her Chinese essay-writing skills. I love how the teacher from LingoAce used a wide range of interactive tools to make each lesson unique and captivating for Ale.

If you prefer to have the lessons in a small group, LingoAce also has the option of online group lessons capped at 4 students per session.

Fexible Lesson Scheduling

Let's face it, the usual onsite enrichment lesson schedule is mostly fixed and should the child be unable to attend for that particular week, then the headache of trying to schedule a make-up class ensues. No such problems with LingoAce though.

All you have to do is to log into your LingoAce's account and re-schedule accordingly. And did I mention because everything is online, there is no time wasted on travelling to and fro... AND waiting around aimlessly in the vicinity while waiting for my child to finish the lesson??? Now I can just chill at home with a cup of coffee in hand. 😄

Teaching Curriculum

I won't mince my words - No Singaporean parent will send their child to an enrichment class if its lesson plan is not aligned to MOE's curriculum. 😅 But LingoAce offers not only that, and MORE.

Its Singapore Online and Blended Programs are aligned to and complements MOE's syllabus which helps students attain academic excellence in a fun and engaging manner. 

Beyond that, LingoAce also offers the Pre-School and Advance Programs which are aligned with China's Ministry of Education which focuses on language application skills and literary training, so as to spark the kids' interest and love for the Chinese language.

Incorporation of Engaging Multimedia

In the eyes of a child, tuition is always just tuition. So you can probably imagine the huge amount of resistance when I first told Ale that she will be attending Chinese lessons with LingoAce. After the first lesson, her attitude changed!

I think it has to do with its engaging lesson format. LingoAce has cleverly incorporated animation and used gamification to ensure that the lessons are more interactive so that kids will be more motivated to learn.

And in case you are wondering... yes, there IS homework too. Homework is given at the end of each lesson to reinforce memory of lesson concepts and difficult words.

All the child has to do is to download the relevant homework online, print it out, complete it, snap photos and submit them via the platform for the teacher to mark.

LingoAce's Teachers

Of course, all of LingoAce's engaging lessons will count for nothing if its teachers are not lively or worse, cannot be undersood by the child due to a heavy accent. 

What sets LingoAce teachers apart from others is ALL LingoAce teachers have attained a minimum of level "2-A" on the Putonghua Proficiency Test. Because language accents can differ across countries and within regions in each country, the Putonghua Proficiency Test is an official test that measures native Chinese speakers spoken fluency in “Standard Chinese,” including pronunciation, vocabulary and syntax. 

Hence, all LingoAce Teachers have to attain a minimum of level “2-A”, to ensure their students learn to speak Chinese correctly.

Transparent Progress Tracking

For parents, I think this certainly ranks as one of the more important aspects when it comes to enrichment classes for our children - the ability to keep track of the progress made weekly.

I can simply log into LingoAce's website and review the study materials that Ale had gone through for her past sessions. 

Even better, I can even play back the entire video of the lessons that she had attended to see what was exactly taught during the lessons. How's that for transparency? 

Best of all, feedback is provided to the parent after each lesson and in Ale's case, I was advised by the teacher how to reinforce some of the key learning concepts in my daily conversations with Ale. Super helpful!

So one question remains - what are LingoAce's Course Fees?

Fees start from S$21 per lesson for the pre-school program and S$30 per lesson for the 1v4 class size or S$42 per lesson for the 1v1 class size.

You can also opt to purchase the lessons in packages, which reduces the average cost per class. Click HERE for more details.

Oh wait, I know you have another question - is LingoAce really as good as I have written?

Well, don't take my word for it... Try it for yourself FOR FREE!

Yes, LingoAce is offering a FREE trial class for students. No registration fee and zero deposit required and the lesson is scheduled at your convenience.

The trial consists of:

- A personalized recommendation on program and teacher most suited to your child’s learning needs and personality

- Actual live online trial class based on recommended program and teacher

- A detailed assessment of your child with insights on your child’s strengths and areas to work on

Simply head HERE to book your free trial lesson!

*With my referral link, you can get additional classes when you purchase any packages!

2021 June Holiday Program

If you are looking to keep the kids occupied this June school holidays, LingoAce has designed a full range of specially curated short-term programs to keep them engaged. From Cultural & Bridging class to Intensive Revision, see the full range of holiday programmes for P1 to P4 HERE and P5 & P6 HERE.

Click HERE for more information about LingoAce.

Locating the abandoned Keppel Hill Reservoir & Japanese Tomb on Mount Faber (Map Included)

The abandoned Keppel Hill Reservoir was the first off-the-beaten-trail hike that I did with my family and as a result, it has kick-started my love of hiking and locating hidden gems in Singapore.

When we visited in August 2020, we only managed to find Keppel Hill Reservoir even though I knew of the existence of the solitary Japanese Tomb and the possibility of hiking up to the top of Mount Faber. So eight months later, I was back and ready to explore again.

If you have not been to the reservoir before, you may like to read my previous post HERE for directions. For convenience's sake, I will share the entire route directions from the starting point to Mount Faber top in this post.

The adventure begins at Wishart Road. If you are driving, travel along West Coast Highway towards HarbourFront Centre and it will be on your left. If you are taking public transport, search for Bus Stop Code '14139' to see the buses that stop there.

Travel down to the end and it will lead you to Keppel Hill Road.

If you plan on re-fueling after the trek, there is a cafe named Fuel Plus and a prata shop called Lakshmi Vilas located there. To begin your exploration, just look for the road sign 'Keppel Hill'.

Follow the road and walk right in.

Continue along the road.

After a short walk, you will see a forked road with two paths.

The right path leads to the No.11 Keppel Hill House which is gated by the way but you can still sneak a glance at how big and grand the house is from the gate.

To get to Keppel Hill Reservoir, take the left path which leads you down a concrete road.

As you reach the bottom of the short slope, you will see a muddy trail.

After a very short walk, you will encounter another forked path and this time, take the one on the RIGHT.

Continue on the man-made trail, where the final 'landmark' before reaching the reservoir is this concrete beam over a small stream.

The beam is pretty wide and extremely stable so no dangers as long as one keeps to the centre.

Once across, simply take a few more steps and this will come into view.

Throughout the area, one can see the remnants of the reservoir's past uses, like this flight of steps leading down to the reservoir. (PLEASE DO NOT GO DOWN)

There are also a flight of steps and metal bars that protrude outwards from the ground - evidence of the presence of a diving board back in the days when the reservoir was used as a swimming pool.

Other than that, there isn't really much to do at the reservoir except to just admire the tranquilty of the place.

To continue hiking to the Japanese Tomb, just turn right when facing the reservoir and walk along its front perimeter.

You will see a short flight of steps.

Head up the steps and contiune on the well-trodden path made by previous hikers.

The trail should be fairly visible and easy to follow. If you are unsure of which way to go, keep a lookout for the markers that other helpful hikers had tied to some of the trees. They indicate that you are on the right path.

Along the way, you will come across this 'obstacle course' made up of fallen tree trunks. Go past them.

After a short walk, you will see a tall flight of steps.

Head up and the solitary Japanese Tomb is found!

Not much is known about the tomb, or the person whose body is buried beneath it. All that is known is the tomb blongs to a Japanese who worked in Singapore during the 1940s. According to the inscriptions on the tombstone, his name was Komoto Ekasa (小本江笠), and he was a civilian naval engineer who had worked for the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

From here, you can head towards the summit of Mount Faber by turning right when facing the tomb and follow the well-trodden path.

Another option is to head back down the flight of steps and take the right path (when facing the steps).

Take a few steps forward and you will see a huge bunker. Unfortunately, it is sealed so I'm not sure what it was used for.

Go around the perimeter of the bunker and it will bring you back to the right side ofthe Japanese Tomb. Continue on the path for the final summit push to the top.

The path is pretty straighforward along the way, save for a portion where you will come across a forked path. Take the one on the left.

(I've tried going on the right and it was not passable due to fallen trunks at one part)

Soon, Mount Faber Cable Car Station will come into view.

Simply continue the hike uphill...

And you will reach your destination!

Take a well-desrved break to enjoy the stupendous view atop Mount Faber.

And a seflie or two. 😁

Head further upwards and you will reach the back of Arbora Hilltop Garden & Bistro... and the rows of bells tied to the compound fencing.

Continue along the back of the bistro and you will soon join back to the main path at Mount Faber.

Turn left and it will bring you towards Henderson Waves and HortPark while turning right will lead you to Marang Trail which is a long flight of stairs that will bring you back to ground level beside Seah Im Food Centre.

From there, you can easily reach VivoCity or take the MRT at HarbourFront MRT Station.

All in, the hike from the starting point at Wishart Road to the top of Mount Faber will take about 40 to 50 minutes - extremely doable for beginners and even for kids!

MAP

CLICK TO ENLARGE