Chinese four year olds discuss My Little Pony

I've been watching "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" with my class of 3-4 year olds in China, and they are absolutely in love with it. Whenever we have a free minute, they start asking me if we can watch "the ponies," they start singing the theme song out of nowhere, and they march down the hall playing imaginary instruments like Pinkie Pie in "Swarm of the Century." Basically, it's the cutest thing ever. :3

Two months later, the kids continue their obsession. They've seen every episode at least 3x (Winter Wrap Up and Best Night Ever are more like 10x) and have started playing ponies on the playground. Lots of Pinkie Pies, Fluttershys, Rainbow Dashes, and Princess Celestias, and they usually inform me that I am either "bad pony" (Nightmare Moon) or "bad pony changed to good pony" (Luna), but sometimes I get to be Pinkie Pie and lead the parasprites around. :)

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• my little pony
• friendship is magic
• school
• pony
• friendship
• tv
• cute
• MLP
• mlp:fim
• applejack
• rainbow dash
• pinkie pie
• pinkie
• pie
• rainbow
• dash

[galactawarrior602011]

Seems like the teacher's more interested in MLP than the kids

[impsythealmighty]

@galactawarrior602011 I do love MLP, but every time I suggested we watch some other show/movie, they always protested and wanted ponies instead. They requested episodes by name. So I'd say they're just as interested as I am, haha

[SonicRatchet]

I think what you're doing is great! I wish that this was the MLP I grew up knowing, not that the previous generations were bad. Just saying, growing up with the morals from FiM as a kid would've made my life better. But better late than never rite?

[impsythealmighty]

@SonicRatchet Thank you! I agree. I never watched ponies as a kid (I was more of a Captain Planet/David the Gnome/Animaniacs kind of child) but these ponies I definitely would have liked. I mean we all like them now as adults despite people not getting it, we definitely would have loved them as kids! :D

[cudpug]

I think you're doing a great job here, impsy. Teaching kids English is incredibly useful for them in later life, but the messages that Friendship is Magic demonstrates will also teach them valuable skills in the future. The brony fandom is so big right now, it's sometimes easy to forget that kids are still inspired by the creativity of the show and love watching it as much as us older fans. Well done for doing a wonderful thing :3

[impsythealmighty]

@cudpug Thank you! The show has helped a ton in class. Being nice, no lying, and helping your friends really comes through, and I see them practicing it - and Rarity's "this is whining!" has taught them not to whine, too! haha. We watch an episode or two a day, and they really have learned a lot of words, but more importantly they see that girls (and boys!) can do anything they want to do, and it's okay to be yourself, whether you're outgoing, shy, studious, competitive, or anything else! :)

[impsythealmighty]

@henrik174 I'm their English teacher, so I'll take this as a compliment. :D It's a full-day all-English kindergarten - all the classes are in English, and they pick it up SO fast. Some of them have been in this school for two years, and their English is amazing. Ponies is actually pretty hard when you're listening from an EFL perspective, and they get a lot of it, though there are some concepts they just don't understand yet (slumber parties and the CMC go totally over their heads).

[impsythealmighty]

@ElasticSword I lol'd. :D 

[TheImperfectTheory]

Did she say Rainbow Jack? I'm fine with that...

[XCryxOfxThexHeartX]

So adorable! X3 <3

[YujinXshadow]

What is this place fill with so many children? Speaking English not that I now am wonder. Young boys and girls, watching cute little ponies.......May I know which country these adorable children came from?

[MartoLun]

Moral: The "Who is best pony" discussion will never end.

[EpicQuestBrny917]

WARNING!

This video may give you Diabeetus!

You have been warned...

[OncheurMagique]

@ElasticSword It's for all ages, even if kids can't understand all the magic of this show.

[SkittlesTheLucario]

@feckadoodlethe2nd Somepony hasn't gotten his or her daily does of love and tolerance~