Alright, after a few weeks’ break, here we are again for some great Facebook groups that help support Chinese language learning for our kids. All the groups featured today are location specific, so please keep that in mind. Of course, if they inspire you to create your own group for your area, all the better!
1) Mandarin Immersion Social Adventures – A group of parents in Southern California a private & insured parent-run club for all Mandarin Immersion families in the Los Angeles area who enjoy going to places or doing stuff together! All MI-Adventurers can plan and promote any adventure as long as it is (1) FUN and (2) related to one or more of the following disciplines: STEMMM – that’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Music & Mandarin
YVT, a fellow member of one of the Facebook groups I’m in said her son is the founder and she’s the secretary (the heavy lifter). It started from their journey at Broadway Mandarin Immersion (LAUSD) in 2011. The majority of the members hail from their former school community but it’s open to anyone who is learning Mandarin. Adventures are science, tech, engineering, math, music and Mandarin related. Obviously, you would need to live in the area to actually attend their adventures.
Sounds super fun to me!
Seems like they are also a Google+ group and you can opt in several ways. Please see their Facebook page for more information.
Thanks to YVT for the tip!
2) EBAAP (East Bay Asian American Parents) – Originally a MeetUp group that migrated to Facebook to avoid fees, it’s not as active as it used to be since many of the founding families’ kids have aged out of the “playdate” range. However, a lot of us are still friends and in the East Bay Area and connect and offer each other resources.
While not specifically for Chinese Immersion or for Chinese people, there are quite a few Chinese/Taiwanese American families in the group and they have weekly Mandarin playgroups. I met some of my best friends in a Mandarin playgroup through this group when Cookie Monster was 15 months old. And then later, at a different Mandarin playgroup, I met some more good friends. Super grateful for this group.
Obviously, you would need to live in the area, be Asian American (or at least have some members of your family be Asian American), and have children.
3) Summer in Taipei 2015 – This group is actually for Hong Kong mothers who spend or want to spend their summers in Taipei. Each year, they change the group name to the appropriate year. I get a lot of info here for Taiwanese summer camps and sessions (as well as places to live and stay).
Again, this is more specifically for mothers in Hong Kong so the community is small, closed, and very specific in terms of the issues they address. (Eg: housing, au pairs, visas, additional schooling for mommies, etc.) (I got snuck in somehow thanks to HK Mama Bear for the add last summer. So helpful!)
However, there is enough information that is useful to non-HK mothers and just folks in general who want to send their kids to local Taipei schools in the summer. In general, I would not join this group unless you are also a mother in Hong Kong. I have been cross-posting a lot of their information in other FB groups.
And that’s it for this week! As always, if you are a member of any of these groups, please comment and let us know your opinions. Or, if there is a FB group you think I should know about, please let me know that as well!