Miao

Miao Mi- Learn Mandarin Chinese for Kids and Junior

4.7
Where to Buy

Miao Mi- Learn Mandarin Chinese for Kids and Junior App Review

App Info

Price: Free

Overview

Miao Mi – Learn Mandarin Chinese for Kids & Junior is a language immersion app designed to help preschoolers and young children learn Mandarin Chinese. The app includes a classroom section, a games section, and hundreds of videos that function in episodic fashion much like television shows.

Features include:

  • 500+ videos
  • Interactive games and activities
  • 7 day free trial with all features and a limited selection of videos active
  • All videos in Mandarin Chinese and English
  • Supports cognitive and language development

Quality

Miao Mi is a high quality app with tons of content available by subscription. A nice selection of sample content is available during the 7-day free trial, then subscriptions automatically begin to bill. The videos are animated productions with English and Mandarin versions to help young language learners. There are two games, as well as a “classroom” where basic vocabulary is introduced by repetition. Developers included a protected parents’ area with an extensive FAQ explaining how to use the app and giving information about immersive language learning.

Education

Miao Mi is highly educational and engaging for young children. It is designed to supplement or help prepare children for an immersion program, where the new language is spoken and children learn by example. Please note, that it is not an immersion program in and above itself; it is intended to supplement such a program from your child’s school or to prepare a child to attend an immersion program. However, all children will benefit from using this app if they want to begin to learn Mandarin. The most logical way to tackle the task is to begin in the “classroom” section, where common words and phrases are introduced in both languages and repeated several times. Next, watch the video episodes of favorite shows. These are available in both languages as well, and by watching both versions again and again, children will soon pick up words and phrases in Mandarin.  Immersion is a proven technique for teaching new languages to young children, so this app is quite valuable.

Entertainment

This app includes over 500 videos, many of them episodic like television shows, where characters have adventures and solve problems. They are animated and very child-friendly. Youngsters will want to come back again and again, and will watch in both languages. As they repeat viewings, they will come to understand more and more Mandarin.

Value

This app begins with a 7-day free trial featuring limited amounts of the content. There is plenty to help families make a decision about if the app is right for their needs.  Be aware that a subscription begins automatically at the end of the 7-day trial unless manually cancelled.  If families decide to subscribe, they can choose a monthly subscription for $5.99 or a 12-month subscription for $39.99.  There is also a third option, listed on the App Store as 6 months for $12.99 and in the app as 3 months for $12.99.  It is a bit disconcerting to have such a dramatic price difference for the middle option, and I strongly suggest you clarify the terms of that subscription before selecting it.

Child Friendliness

This app is very child-friendly. There are no advertisements, and the parents’ area and in-app purchases are protected by an effective parent gate.

  • Protected parent area (contains external links & social media)
  • NO 3rd party ads
  • YES in-app purchases, protected but visible
  • YES automatic subscription renewal from free trial
Miao
Miao Mi- Learn Mandarin Chinese for Kids and Junior
Miao Mi
Early childhood is an ideal time to learn new languages, and Mandarin Chinese is a highly sought-after skill. This app will help you and your child decide if learning the language is fun and give children an advantage if they are entering or currently enrolled in an immersion Mandarin Chinese educational program because of the extra practice it affords.
Quality
Education
Entertainment
Value
Child Friendly
4.7
Where to Buy