Reivew: Youdao （有道） Dictionary Pen Version 2

Chinese is the nemesis of many in Singapore. It is a beautiful language but sadly, there's just insufficient time to expose ourselves to the beauty of its origins. Growing up, I struggled with the language as my family spoke predominantly in English. The closest to getting myself interested was when Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung, Leon Lai and Andy Lau graced the airwaves. I was smitten and obsessed with their songs and wanted to learn the lyrics. However, knowing the pronunciation of each character was painful, and searching up the words in a paper dictionary was agonizing.

Fast forward many decades later, with the advent of technology, dictionaries have evolved. No longer do we rely on the paper dictionary. There are now apps, reading pens and most recently discovered -- the OPTICAL YOUDAO （有道）DICTIONARY PEN!

Photo credit: @elitechinese

The Youdao （有道）dictionary pen is such an awesome invention, I wished it was available when I was taking my PSLE. 

Prior to owning it, we had a series of aids ranging from the electronic kind of dictionary (BESTA), some random reading pen bought from Taobao to the reading pen given by Berries (a local Chinese enrichment centre). 

The BESTA electronic dictionary was one recommended by our Primary school but it is sadly, the most underutilized. It is a chore to key in the word in question and as such, it has pretty much been a white elephant in our home. Big K has a huge aversion towards it. Consequently, I do not see an improvement in her comprehension where there are generally some words that are out of the syllabus. Try as I might, she simply refuses to pick up her dictionary. I don't blame her. 

When presented with the optical reading dictionary pen, she was instantly enthralled. It was love at first sight. She badgered me to allow her to bring it to school. I'm also seeing how independent she has become, reaching out the pen whenever she is attempting a composition or comprehension. A testament to the joys of using this gadget was that she discovered the use of voice recognition! How smart! Should you not know how to write a certain character, you may simply speak to the pen and the word cum definition would instantly pop up! This is way better than Google Translate, Pleco or the C-Pen, which several forums rave about.

It is able to scan and translate sentences

Did you know that Youdao is a New York Stock Exchange-listed company, which brands itself as a leading intelligent learning company in China? It also developed a neural network translation engine (有道词典）which seems to host a tonne more words than many other sources we've tried.

Below is a summary of the pros

PROS

1) AI Voice Assistance

This is a very useful feature when you wish to search up a word. But do note, your pronunciation has to be accurate lest it gives you the wrong word. However, it is said that through the high-fidelity speaker, pronunciation can be learned accurately.

2) User friendly

All you need to do is scan and translate. It is very idiot proof. 

3) Works on handwritten text

4) Reads out sentences or even paragraphs

Scans and translates multi-line or sentences fluently. It reads fast too. At 15 words per second, this definitely satisfies the need for speed.

5) Provides definition in Chinese and English

In some words, they even provide other variations and examples on how to use the word or how it is matched as a phrase. It is compatible with loads of picture books, newspapers and textbooks. All these provided the fonts are small enough. (Less than 2cm). It is also able to recognise various types of fonts. 

6) Portable

You can carry it around anywhere! Just put it in your pocket!

7) Clear audio

Unlike several other pens which made me cringe when listening to their English diction, this doesn't. It is crisp and clear.

8) Translates Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese & English words

Its translation is up to 98%

9) Shows 多音字

10) Suitable for both right and left-handers. 

It reads from left to right but has both left and right orientations.

11) Light and rechargeable using USB

After charging, one is able to use it offline for 8 hours 

12) Add words to favourites

You may add words to your favourites and revise them in the future. It has a big storage for learning.

13) Bluetooth & Type-C Connection

Connects with your Bluetooth or type-C headphones easily.

14) Sleek Design

I love how sleek it looks coupled with the colour, it's classy. I know I sound shallow but such things does affect my joy in using. 

With every technological gadget, there are bound to be some flaws. Youdao （有道）Dictionary pen is no exception. 

CONS

1) As it is made in China, for China, certain local (Singapore) phrases cannot be found. For instance, you are not able to find the phrase 巴刹 in it as over in China, they call it 市场. 

2) It can only read texts that are less than 2cm. Optimally about 1.2cm in height. Hence, it would not be compatible with several flashcards which we own. That said, at a higher level, they are generally faced with words which are small in font size.

3) When scanning a sentence, you may not know what you are looking for and accidentally scan a word or two before or after the actual phrase or sentence. Therefore, you may need a few trials to get the right characters in to make sense out of things.

4) Pronunciation may not be picked up. Big K tried saying a word or two, unfortunately her diction isn't accurate enough for the pen to pick up the correct character. I managed to breeze through. In a way, this may aid her in correcting her pronunciation. Probably a pro more than a con  if you think of it positively?

What we currently have is the Version 2. There is apparently another model Version 3 where one main difference is its interactive reading function. They have collaborated with Scholastic Inc to allow visual interactions for point reading for specific picture books! This is quite a draw for the younger kids but in my opinion, the Version 2 suffices for the general public. 

There are massive resources to tap on for the Version 3 and you may check out more about the Version 3 over here if you are keen.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It is clear that the Youdao （有道）Dictionary pen is our hot favourite of the moment. It really works for us and is igniting Big K's interest in the language. It is a huge step towards our efforts in self-directed learning. I would strongly recommend it for kids above the age of 6years old as then, they may be able to read more of the definition. It is also a great tool to have to encourage older children to read chapter books. Definitely a useful device to have to support your child's learning journey. So far, our other pens were mainly able to read only the books that are within their limited database of prescribed books. The quantum leap in technology and innovation today is undeniable. Such gadgets are a necessary evil. Being raised in a digital era, the Youdao Dictionary pen is here to stay and will gain traction and inspire many to embrace the language.

Disclaimer: All photos are property of www.themishmashmess.blogspot. We are gifted the Youdao Dictionary Pen 2, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own and written according to my experience in using the product. Please seek permission before reposting and give due credit when doing so. 

Review: Kidstartnow June Holiday Superhero Camp

It's the June Holidays once again! My favourite time of the year! Not because I get to rest more, but on the contrary, I have to work harder! There's a host of activities out there for us to participate in! It is so tough to squeeze them all. Hence, one has got to be selective.

This June, we have been kindly invited to attend a 4 day Chinese holiday camp organised by Kidstartnow. There are three classes held:

1) Role-playing and conversation camp for 3-6 year olds

This focuses on role-playing and oral conversation. 

Maximum of 8 students

2) Show and Tell & Word recognition camp for 6-8 year olds.

This prepares children for show and tell in primary school as well as boosts their level of vocabulary 

Maximum of 10 students

3) P2 game show camp for 8 year olds

The camp reinforces concepts learnt in school so that kids are well-prepared. 

Parents also get personalised progress report sent to them, as well as actionable tips on how to help kids achieve better grades.

This camp has been consistently sold out since its inception in 2013. With such track record, it must be pretty good right? In fact, they have expanded and now have two outlets: Bedok & Serangoon. We were in the camp for show and tell and mommy is loving it! Truth be told, I am, like any other parent, Kiasu. Not to a large extent but I do want my child to excel in school. Big K is a pretty smart girl, however, she is rather soft spoken. Last year, when she was in K1, our preschool teacher highlighted that she wasn't sensitive towards Chinese characters! Say what? How could that be, I asked myself. Granted I did not do much writing with her, I have definitely read a good amount of books with her. Sometimes, I am being forced to as the school assigned them books to read at home. At my in-law's place where she goes every weekday evening, the family speaks to her in Mandarin. Coupled with that, we lived with the in-laws for almost half a year! So, I couldn't really accept the fact that my daughter was inadequate in the language. I panicked and we pulled up our socks. We did see marked improvements, but honestly, I needed more help. Chinese isn't my forte. Just like many, I dreaded the subject. I was put through rote learning when young and I did not want my child to go through the same path of learning. 

At Kidstartnow, for preschoolers, they use a multi-sensory approach that combines animated stories, games and role-playing to build a deep passion for Chinese and a solid foundation. Learn through play! That's exactly what I have been advocating since day one! 

The adorable Boshi Panda (博士熊猫）

To be honest, I was a little apprehensive as this baby girl of mine isn't confident when it comes to speaking up. Not that she doesn't know. In fact, she does! Oral is extremely important these days with the new syllabus. The weightage have gone up and the format has changed. You are expected to give your opinions rather than regurgitate what your teachers have told you. Hence, I am particularly concerned in this area and am trying my best to boost her confidence.The moment we stepped into the centre, I felt at ease. The place was so colourfully decorated to the theme -- Superheroes. Even the walls had intricately cut out bamboo stems to make the whole look and feel complete. Dedication! It made the place very welcoming. Our teacher, 刘老师 was also a very experienced teacher who was able to nudge the child into participating. And, participate was what Big K did! I saw her prancing around in class from day one! She was exhilarated to be chosen to be Little Panda sister 熊猫妹妹. I guess the role has got to be hers, because she's the tiniest in class and the youngest!

In class, to encourage the children to participate, they were given electronic gold coins as a reward. Their scores can be seen on a screen and that got many kids excited. Most children are by nature, competitive. Even an introvert like Big K was raising her hand to answer questions! They were taught several Chinese words and phrases and even idioms through stories revolving around a pair of panda siblings who are constantly quarrelling. Through the story, they will learn about sibling love. Something which I inculcate at home as well. The children are taught descriptive words and each time, after explaining, the teacher would get them to make  sentence (造句). This is a fundamental skill as it would be useless if one only knows the meaning by heart but not know how to apply it. Big K was initially making rather short sentences. However, perhaps due to peer pressure, by Day 2, the teacher told us that she was making longer sentences! yay!

Now, I did say they made use of animated stories to entice the students. These stories were told in class and in addition to that, everyday, they would email us the link to review the story! Apart from accessing it through the email via the computer, one can also save it on the phone as a webapp! Lessons on the go! In this era of technology, it is very difficult to deny a child of access to the iPad. However, as much as possible, I only expose them to useful things and this definitely is one of them! Apart from listening to the story, there is also a tab to listen to the hanyu pinyin taught in class. Very helpful for both parent and child. Their proprietary software empowers your kids to excel quickly in exams by providing timely actionable feedback so you know how your kids are doing and who to help them.

Here's Big K playing with her friends before class. Look how tiny she is! She's the youngest but that's no problem as she was able to catch up really fast. Also, the teacher catered to her standards and guided her along. #proudmama

Over and above, I think it has been a very fruitful and beneficial camp for Big K. She has been opening her eyes each day and asking me if she would be going for the camp every. single. day! Wow! There are discounts available for bulk purchase for their June Holiday programmes so do enquire! If for some reason you are unable to make it for the camp, do give their regular classes a try too! There are trial classes.

Follow Kidstartnow on Facebook or check out their website for more details. 

Foundation is built when the child is young. It has to be laid well especially since many schools are starting off Higher Chinese at P1! *sweats. Big K is still not  speaking to me a lot in Mandarin but I definitely see an improvement as her passion for the subject seems to have been rekindled!

Disclaimer: I was given an invitation to attend the June holiday camp for the purpose of this review. No additional monetary compensation was received. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and written according to my experience in using the products/ services.