Panda, Peppa, Kim or Pucca? New ways to learn Mandarin in Taiwan

These cartoons are an excellent way to improve your children's language skills during the upcoming summer break

By Laura Hsu, special to The China Post |
Whatever your choice is, there are many interesting cartoons available online to learn Mandarin during the summer break. (Courtesy of Panda Bus, Peppa Pig, Disney and Vooz/Jetx)

TAIPEI (The China Post) — If you want your child to learn Mandarin in Taiwan, there are many cartoons, video series and nursery rhymes available online with both English and Chinese subtitles.

These cartoons are an excellent way to improve their language skills during the upcoming summer break.

Baby Panda — The Best Series for Pre-K Children

Baby Panda sings nursery rhymes and songs in Mandarin. (Courtesy of Baby Panda video)

Baby Panda provides Chinese subtitles and audio narrations for each character that are clear and articulate. The Baby Panda series will allow your child to learn simple Mandarin in an instant. 

If your child is a beginner looking to improve his or her Mandarin pronunciation, singing along with these nursery rhymes are both fun and entertaining.

Peppa Pig — The Most Suitable Program for Kindergarten Children

SyS Mandarin teaches Mandarin from Peppa Pig videos (Courtesy of Peppa Pig/SyS Mandarin)

Sys Mandarin is a YouTube channel that takes simple words and phrases from the famous cartoon, such as Peppa Pig, and explains them one by one.

The instructor speaks at a slow pace so beginners can easily understand how to pronounce each word and guess the meaning of each phrase. 

Kim Possible — Favorite of Elementary School Children 

Kim Possible is about a teenage cheerleader who saves the world in her spare time. (Courtesy of Disney)

Kim Possible is a cartoon about a teenage cheerleader who saves the world in her spare time. This popular cartoon, which is subtitled in Mandarin in Taiwan, boasts mandarin narration too.

If your child has already watched the English version of Kim Possible, this is a great cartoon to rewatch with friends and family to improve one’s Mandarin skills. 

Pucca — Suitable for the Young and Young at Heart 

Pucca, second left, isa South Korean girl who constantly trying to hug or kiss a ninja in training named Garu. (Courtesy of Vooz/Jetx)

Last but not least, Pucca centers around the main character’s determination in making Garu, a fellow ninja, fall in love with her.

This entertaining storyline grabs viewers’ attention in an instant thanks to its beautiful graphics.

The cartoon, which is subtitled and narrated in Mandarin, is broadcast on Disney Channel in Taiwan. 

Photo for illustrative purposes only. (Shutterstock)

Whatever your choice, all of the mandarin cartoons are suitable for pre-k all the way to elementary school kids. These four recommendations allow kids to connect with famous cartoon characters they are already familiar with, and at the same time, help improve their Mandarin-speaking skills.