How Cosmotots Helps Ethan Build a Stronger Foundation in English

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It’s the school holidays and since I have a little more time to spare, I would like to share an insight of Ethan’s journey in improving his grasp on English.

I don’t speak, write nor read Chinese so the only language I use at home with the kids is English with a mixture of Bahasa (as I am after all a Peranakan Nyonya). I thought he would not fare too well in the Chinese language but he proved me wrong.

Being a Banana kid, he does well academically but I was a little surprise to discover he has a weakness in oral for English. This was really unexpected as English is his mother tongue.

Just as I was wondering how I can help Ethan improve his spoken English, I received an invitation from Cosmotots to learn more about their centre.

I brought both Ethan and Ayden to their centre in Subang Jaya to meet the team and to discover more on what they have got to offer.

Cosmotots Subang

19 & 21 Jalan USJ 21/11,
47600 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Phone: +60 3-8023 3080

We were greeted by Mr. Yung Ea Wei, the Chapter Manager who also promptly conducted an assessment on the boys.

Ethan was given a story book to read out loud. Mr. Yung then proceeded with some questions to gauge which level they should start working with him.

Ayden was paying very keen interest throughout the entire process. When asked if he would like to read too, he excitedly answered, “YES!”

Cosmotots caters to children from as young as 4 years old but they are more than happy to welcome Ayden since he enjoys reading so much. Ayden will only turn 4 in 2017 which is not too far away 

After their assessment, the boys were ushered outside where they are given educational board games to play with.

4-year-old kids are encouraged to attend classes 3 times a week. The frequency of their classes are reduced as they progress. I have yet to enroll Ayden though as I am unable to work on a suitable time slot for him at the moment.

As for big brother Ethan, he only attends classes twice weekly.

I remained inside with Mr. Yung and Ms. Patriana Patrick (Operations Manager) to discuss how we can work with Ethan (and maybe Ayden).

Mr. Yung reiterate that Cosmotots is not a tuition centre.

According to him, Ethan has a good command of the English language and an inquisitive mind. At Cosmotots, he will be introduced to classics such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. Not only will the focus be on comprehension and reading fluency, Ethan will be encouraged to relate to the characters in the book and share his opinions about the story with his friends during discussions. He will also be guided to communicate his opinions in a clear and organised manner through writing exercises done in class.

Ethan enjoys these discussions. There is also a quiz before the start of reading session and he thoroughly enjoys that too. He is always eager to tell me all about his class the first thing he enters the car when we picked him up from class.

Ethan was awarded the Golden Star Award for good planning last week. He was over the moon and insisted to go to sleep with it. It is nice to see him motivated like this.

I took for granted that English will come naturally to Ethan but I failed to notice that he was deprived of a good foundation due to our usage of mixed language at home.

Ethan flourished in the environment provided by Cosmotots where everyone speaks proper English unlike ‘rojak’ like me. He adapted to speaking English with proper tenses and refrained from mixing Bahasa or other languages into it. He showed vast improvements and is more confident to speak out in public. 

We just got home from a vacation abroad where we were surrounded by many Europeans.

I noticed Ethan was much more confident to interact with the kids there. Unlike previous trips where he keeps to himself, this time, he approached them without hesitation and spent the time playing and talking away.

For more info on Cosmotots, please call +603 8023 3080 or check out their website at http://cosmotots.com/