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Chess and Chinese:
A Dual Pathway to Cognitive Growth and Chinese Language Immersion

Did you find yourself fascinated by the intricate game of chess after binge-watching the popular series "The Queen's Gambit", which was a hit in 2020 on Netflix?

 

Or it could be that your child has exhibited a newfound curiosity in understanding this game of strategy?

 

If so, you're certainly not alone in this! Allow me to narrate my personal journey of delving into the captivating world of chess with my young son and how it turned into a unique experience that strengthened our bond. My son, Henry, who is seven years old, first came across chess last year during the summer holidays when we visited his cousin who is an English speaker. Despite never having played chess myself, I witnessed Henry develop a keen interest and almost a fascination with the game, and he expressed his wish to include it in our daily activities at home.

 

As he began teaching me the fundamental rules and movements of the game, we alternated between English and Cantonese, because he had picked up the game in English and was not familiar with the equivalent words in Chinese. Driven by a desire to deepen our bond and boost his cognitive development through this game, I took it upon myself to learn the specific terminologies related to chess in Chinese.

During my online browsing sessions, I chanced upon several YouTube channels that offered chess tutorials in the below languages:

 

Cantonese with traditional characters caption:

Mandy Chess Academy

 

Mandarin with traditional characters caption:

ReyChess

 

Mandarin with simplified characters caption:
VIP Chess

 

One particular channel we found incredibly useful was "Mandy Chess Academy", which used Cantonese narration and traditional characters subtitles, making it perfect for our immersive Cantonese practice time.

 

Henry also found these videos very engaging and we would routinely pause them to practice the new terms in Cantonese and then use them in our games on the actual chessboard.

 

While having a personal coach would have been the most ideal situation, our shared journey of discovering chess through YouTube tutorials proved to be a valuable experience, offering us the chance for Cantonese language immersion, learning about chess, and a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the mother-son bond.

Have you recently started any fresh learning ventures with your child? We would love to hear about your experiences and any useful insights you might have gained! Regardless of whether it's chess or any other activity, the shared journey of learning something new together is always a cause for celebration. 🌟

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