Forum: Create supportive environments for using mother tongue

Bilingualism lies at the heart of Singapore’s language policy, where English serves as the working language alongside mother tongues like Chinese, Malay or Tamil.

As a Chinese language educator in Singapore, I have witnessed first-hand the challenges of developing genuine bilingualism among students, particularly in mastering their mother tongue. 

It is disheartening to witness many of my students learning Chinese solely for passing examinations, rather than to appreciate the language and its cultural significance.

Internationally, multilingual education is increasingly recognised for its benefits, including enhanced cognitive abilities and socio-emotional skills. Despite these advantages, Singapore faces unique challenges in maintaining bilingualism due to several key factors.

First, there is a notable preference for speaking English at home, influenced by the higher prestige and economic relevance of the English language. As more families opt to communicate in English with their children, children have less exposure to their mother tongue.

The second major challenge is the children’s attitude towards learning their mother tongue in school. Given its limited usage in daily lives, they struggle to find practical use for the language. When mother tongue teachers teach them new vocabulary and phrases, they do not get to apply them after class, as they use only English terms in real life.

Also, large class sizes in primary schools here make it harder for language instruction.

In an environment where there are many students and limited adult supervision, it becomes increasingly challenging for teachers to provide personalised attention and respond to each child’s contributions.

Individualised attention is crucial in language learning, where students require tailored guidance and feedback to progress.

Culture and language are intertwined aspects of identity and development. Children exposed primarily to a working language rather than their mother tongue may display ambivalence about their culture in later life. 

To foster genuine bilingualism, Singapore must prioritise creating supportive environments that encourage meaningful interaction with mother tongue languages.

This includes promoting language use beyond academic settings, fostering positive attitudes towards cultural and linguistic diversity, and providing more opportunities for authentic language practice both inside and outside the classroom.

Qian Bingyun