You have a bright kid who gets bored easily.
And honestly, you sympathize, because you know where your kid got it from. (Or you don’t have kids, and YOU have shiny object syndrome –it’s the internet age..we all do.)
Encouraging Chinese-speaking dialogue is difficult if it’s not required, or if you’re not a native speaker. But if you don’t use the language — you lose it. How do you make Chinese available in your home?
Our Story
Chinese Star Tales is a fun bilingual podcast made by Mama Yen and her kindergartener daughter Jing Jing, also made possible by Grandma’s tiger-headed insistence that everyone speaks Chinese. Grandma taught Chinese for years.
But where do we find the time? We have plenty of excuses not to maintain Chinese: Jing Jing has younger siblings (one of whom has Down syndrome who needs regular therapies), we don’t have a Chinese-speaking household because Dad is Korean, and Mama’s busy (plus has high standards). It’s easier to give up.
The philosophy? Any exposure – some or a little, is better than none. And we’re always just doing the best we can. So we searched for good content but couldn’t find anything that stuck.
Our Team
Grandma – I’m a classically trained artist and writer, with 2 masters degrees under my belt in Chinese Literature (National Chengchi University in Taiwan) and Teacher Education (University of Dayton, Ohio). When I was Editor of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the National Central Library in Taiwan, I fell in love with the etymology and art of Chinese characters. After a career in Chinese literature teaching and early education, supplemented by teaching Chinese language and calligraphy in America, I continue my life’s work of writing poetry, essays, and calligraphy. My work is regularly published in 世界日報 (World Journal). You can see some of my award winning calligraphy at Shufa Life.
Mama Yen – I was raised in a Chinese-speaking home even while growing up in Ohio. By age 4, I was publishing simple Chinese writings and drawings in Chinese newspapers like the World Journal, a practice I continued through high school. My homegrown literacy allowed me eventually to conduct business in HK in Chinese. One of my greatest challenges is passing on this literacy to my own daughter.
Jing Jing – Our own little ray of light — she’s a sassy kindergartener who loves playing and listening to podcasts.
Our Process
We started recording episodes when Jing Jing was 5. She named the podcast and drew the initial version of the logo. Our goal is to invite other little listeners on the show eventually for read-alongs, challenging our listeners to speak Chinese with us.
We pick approachable stories and songs, for the young (and young at heart!). There may also be a modern twist, though Chinese culture gets a spotlight. We’ll release weekly companion Chinese and English episodes about the same story, with a focus on empowering themes.
Our mission is to keep Chinese experiences fun.
Let’s help you keep Chinese alive at home!