learning a foreign language with speech dificulties

[davidsatthebar]

My 12 yaar old has recently started learning Chinese. She is having a lot of problems thugh as she cannot make the sh, z, s, ch, sounds.

She sees a speech therapist and it is documented that she has a speech problem. I have tried t explain this to her teacher, who doesn't "get" it. she makes fun of her when she can't pronounce a word and it's upseting my daughter.

My daughter really wants to study Chinese. She's getting private tuition, so I can change teachers. What can I do to make them understand that there are just certain things that she can't say.

Is Chinese such a good choice? Its a tonal language and the sounds she can't make are ones that are very frequent.
And change teachers. Any teacher who makes fun of a child isn't worth seeing again.

wow you have very international interests! Sorry to hear that your DD is having trouble with Chinese. Sounds like you need a more understanding teacher. Do you have a private speech therapist? Just that if you don't, maybe it would be good for her to have more help with the sounds that she can't make.

She is really keen on learning the language, so I'll try to support her as best I can. I'd rather find another teacher than keep her from doing something that interests her.

She has had speech therapy for a long time, but I have seen little improvement.

can I ask what her issue is? My dd, as you know, has severe CP and can't speak. She's now 4, the speech therapist is useless. I doubt she will ever speak

A good teacher surely can accept that there is more to a language than just speech. Your DD could still learn to read and/or write chinesse couldn't she. To understand even with out being able to speak clearly is still a very usefull skill.
I can read way more german than I can speak or understand spoken. Its still been usefull when I vist germany as I can figure out train and bus conections, use web sites to book accomadation and check out places.