Let's talk about one of my favorite TV show for kids: Ni Hao Kai Lan.
One of the most obvious reasons I love it is because it teaches kids Mandarin! Kai Lan is just a little girl who is living the average Chinese-American lifestyle. She speaks in English and speaks Chinese, teaching all of her friends new words, too.
I had the fortune of catching the show yesterday and was taken aback when I heard all the Chinese being used. There was an entire exchange done completely in Chinese -- no subtitles, no re-iterating in English what was said.
I'm assuming that if the children have followed Kai Lan through her two season's worth of episodes they can also understand the exchange. I know some people my age who are Chinese-American and wouldn't even understand what was said!
With shows like Ni Hao Kai Lan and her predecessor Dora the Explorer, Nickelodeon is really working to expand a child's mind with two very important languages to Americans, I'd say. Having exposure to these new languages allows kids to be open to very rich cultures. Hopefully it's a stepping stone to open-mindedness and a future of global awareness.
Nice!
