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More learning dialects to connect with seniors, culture
Covid-19 has also triggered interest in dialects, say language schools and clan associations
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Accountant Teo Seok Kheng has been taking Hokkien lessons since January last year. She has completed the basic and intermediate lessons held by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Cultural Academy on Wednesday nights and found it easier to communicate with elderly residents in Dawson, as part of her volunteer work with non-profit group My Community.
Ms Teo, 56, says the lessons have also helped her embrace her cultural roots. "When I entered primary school, my family switched to speaking Mandarin from Hokkien so that I could do well in school. Even my grandmother struggled to pick up Mandarin for her grandchildren's sake," she said. "It's now time to reconnect with my cultural identity, and I have also started speaking Hokkien with my father again."
