About
Growing up in the UK, I didn’t fully appreciate the effort my parents made to teach us Cantonese. At the time, I would happily have skipped Chinese School every Sunday.
It was only after I had my daughter that I began to see things differently. I wanted her to understand her culture and to grow up hearing and speaking Cantonese. But I quickly realised how difficult that can be.
Spoken Cantonese presents a particular challenge. It differs from written Chinese, and many resources focus on literacy rather than everyday speech. I struggled to find materials that felt engaging, practical, and usable at home.
It can feel even harder if only one parent speaks Cantonese, or if you are not a native speaker. As children become immersed in English at nursery and school, it is very easy for families to default to English. Even native speakers code-switch without realising. This is something I still catch myself doing.
To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world
(Proverb)
My first spoken Cantonese book focused on animals — because, like many children, my daughter loved them. The positive response from other families encouraged me to continue. Since then, I’ve expanded the series, written a practical parenting phrase book (Daily Conversation), and created picture books — some of which I illustrated myself.
This website began as a way to share free resources for learning spoken Cantonese. It remains a part-time project, funded through book sales. A portion of profits is donated to charity. If there are resources you would find helpful, I welcome suggestions.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this journey — especially the readers who have written with encouragement, feedback, or thoughtful corrections. And to the parents doing their best to keep this beautiful language alive: 加油 (gaa1 jau2).
— Farina
Charities Supported:
AAPI Community Fund
Bowel Cancer UK
Cancer Research
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Prostate Cancer
Rainbow Trust
World Land Trust
Worldwide Fund For Nature (WWF)