Bilingualism has become a global trend, and as a result, parents are raising their kids to be bilingual at an early age. The reason for this is that research says bilingual children have improved cognitive abilities.
MRI scans also show that bilingual children have improved brain activity. Just as other research suggests that exposing a child to several languages can support the child’s development later on.
Following this research, many parents are in the market hunting bilingual nannies for their kids. However, another consideration is what language to teach their kids.
With the Chinese language being the second most spoken language in the world after the English language, the ability to speak Chinese is a priceless skill. As a result, Chinese-speaking nannies are well sought-after.
However, getting a bilingual nanny who speaks Chinese isn’t where it starts and ends. You also have to think about which Chinese dialect the nanny speaks and which one you want your child to learn.
What are the major Chinese dialects?
If you ask anyone how many Chinese dialects there are, you will most likely get the answer ‘a lot’. That’s because there are a lot, and it is quite hard to be specific about how many there are. So, you have better chances when you find out about the major Chinese dialects.
Here are the 7 major Chinese dialects:
- Mandarin
Most times, when people say they want to learn Chinese or ask if you speak Chinese, they actually mean Mandarin. With over one billion speakers of Mandarin, it is the most-spoken Chinese dialect and the world’s most-spoken language.
Mandarin is China’s official language. Taiwan and Singapore citizens also speak Mandarin, although a slightly different version.
- Cantonese/Yue
The Cantonese dialect is spoken in southern China’s Canton region. It is the official dialect of Macau and Hong Kong.
- Min
Min is spoken in Fujian and other Southeastern provinces of China. It is also spoken in Taiwan, although a little differently from China’s Min dialect.
- Hakka/Keija
Hakka is most widely spoken in China’s southeastern region just like the Min dialect.
- Gan
Gan is also a dialect that is mostly spoken in China’s southeastern region. However, speakers of Gan live further in the region inland and not in the coastal areas where you will find Min and Hakka dialects.
- Xiang
Xiang is mostly spoken in the Hunan province, which is located in China’s central region.
- Wu Chinese
Wu Chinese is popularly used in Shanghai, as well as the coastal regions of central Eastern China.
Which Chinese dialect is preferred for hiring a bilingual nanny?
Now that we have identified the 7 major Chinese dialects, what’s the best choice of dialect for your bilingual nanny? Mandarin!
Mandarin is China’s official language and is spoken around the world. Mandarin is also the language used in formal government communication education or media. As a result, most people in China either speak Mandarin as a second language or a first.
Mandarin is the best choice for families who want improved future career prospects for their kids. So, hiring a Mandarin-speaking nanny is the best decision to make. In fact, Mandarin is not only spoken in China but also in Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, and others.
Learning Mandarin is a good start for kids who want to be bilingual, and there are many Mandarin-speaking bilingual nannies, although they are in high demand and are being snatched up fast.
If you need more convincing, Mandarin is one of the world’s fastest-growing languages. Mandarin is one of the United Nations' official languages. Within the United States, Chinese is the second most emerging foreign language after Spanish.
Hire a Mandarin-speaking bilingual nanny
If the above points have convinced you of the benefits of hiring a Mandarin-speaking bilingual nanny for your kids, the next step is to look for such a nanny and engage their services.
These nannies will use their additional language skills to teach your kids Mandarin Chinese and support your dream to raise a bilingual child.
When hiring a bilingual nanny, you can recruit them yourself, use online websites, or work with a nanny concierge such as AyiConnect where you will find many Mandarin-speaking bilingual nannies. You can choose a candidate that best suits your needs and requirements and begin the journey to training bilingual children.
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AyiConnect is a platform to connect families with helpers who have a language specialty in addition to care. You can engage with them directly through self-service or concierge service. The concierge 1:1 service can provide another option to ensure successful matches for busy families who don't have time to search or need language assistance. Schedule a free consultation here for our concierge service, or check us out on ayiconnection.com
