While it may not be easy, it’s definitely a convenience to master another language or two. It not only eases the conversation between two or more parties who share different mother tongues but also increases your chances of securing a job in this ever-competitive world.
Just recently, a clip shared by a Malaysian mother on her TikTok post @syambatu went viral, and it shows a quick conversation with her daughter about getting a new Hijab. As a Malay family, the mother and daughter conversed in Mandarin like a native.
The conversation was simply about her daughter expressing her desire to get herself a new Hijab, and telling her mother that she has money for that. They didn’t need any deep conversation to show their fluency in the language. If you browse through her TikTok, there are more short clips that show the family having random conversations in Mandarin.
Speaking to WORLD OF BUZZ, the mother, Syam said that her daughter, Fatimah is the only one among her children to attend Chinese school since Standard 1, and she has her own reasons as to why she decided to let Fatimah learn Mandarin.
“Fatimah is a fast learner and I’ve been encouraging her to learn Mandarin since last time. She also loves singing, so I convinced my husband to allow Fatimah to learn Mandarin and continue my legacy.”
As for Syam herself who has a mix of Chinese blood, her grandfather travelled to Malaya from China in the past. This explains why she has a deep interest in the Chinese language.
Fatimah’s siblings did not learn Mandarin but they speak the dialect a little, and they learned it from listening to her conversations. When it comes to Fatimah’s future, Syam told WORLD OF BUZZ that she wants her daughter, who is currently in Form 3 to continue learning the language.
“With her singing talent, it has brought her to places. She was in China in 2017 for Season 5 of Let’s Sing Kids, and the Jungle Voice Season 2 in 2019,” Syam revealed.
Syam also said that she converses with Fatimah in Mandarin on a daily basis but they at the same time did not abandon their mother tongue, as well as the English language.
You can watch Fatimah’s performance in Let’s Sing Kids here, and her performance in The Jungle Voice here. In the meantime, you can also watch the viral TikTok clip below.
@syambatu jom borak pnjg sikit bila tudung setakat kena minyak skit je pun #timah #fatimahnoryyah #syambatu #mandarinwithmamasyam #belajar #mandarin #tiktok #daughter #fyp
It’s fascinating to see how far a young talent can go by just learning an extra language. To the parents out there, have you ever thought of allowing your children to learn an extra language?
