The Usual Place Podcast

Rooting for our mother tongues in Singapore

Learning your mother tongue is not just about being bilingual – it’s an opportunity to shape some parts of your identity.

Natasha Ann Zachariah

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Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.

Learning your mother tongue is not just about being bilingual – it’s an opportunity to shape some parts of your identity, preserve your culture and connect with your roots. But it doesn’t always come easy.

My three guests in this episode of The Usual Place Podcast know about the struggles of learning one’s mother tongue when growing up, or about teaching the younger generation now.

HeyKaki content producer Zhang Xi Ying, Tamil Murasu’s branding and promotions executive C Aishwarya and Berita Harian’s deputy audience and growth editor Rabiatul Adawiya Binhan share their views with me on what it takes to be bilingual in Singapore now.

(From left) Rabiatul Binhan from Berita Harian, C Aishwarya from Tamil Murasu, Natasha Zachariah and Xi Ying from CMG’s HeyKaki podcast get together for a frank chat about mother tongue challenges.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

The matter of learning one’s mother tongue came up recently, at the National Day Rally in August 2024.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in his Mandarin speech that he understood that the Chinese community is “very concerned” about the standard of Mandarin in Singapore.

In an effort to spur on pupils who show aptitude in their mother tongues, Mr Wong announced that

those who do well in these languages in primary school will be able to study them at a higher level from Secondary 1.

To begin with, Xi Ying and Aishwarya say, it’s now cool to be fluent in your mother tongue.

Xi Ying says that, growing up, others insulted her for being good at Chinese.

She says: “But I see the perspective changing as I grow up, and more people are more open to Chinese. Now they’ll be like wow, you’re so good at Chinese… they’ll be impressed.”

But Rabiatul adds that sometimes, the struggle to master one’s mother tongue can be real. The mother of two, aged five and nine, has tried different ways to get her children interested in learning Malay.

When her family has conversations in their mother tongue, her children “totally tune out”, and cannot participate. Rabiatul wants them to learn Malay so that they are not alienated from their family.

But does that mean that adults who are not proficient in their mother tongues are out of touch with their roots?

Not always, says Aishwarya, who cites some overseas Indian friends who cannot speak Tamil, but “cling ever more so to the culture”.

They celebrate cultural and religious festivals more fervently, and embrace ethnic wear, food and music.

For them, it’s the least they can do to keep their culture alive.

“I can’t even speak it. I’m not gonna let it die,” is their perspective, says Aishwarya.

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HeyKaki

Orang Muda Gitew

and

இன்னொரு day இன்னொரு slay.

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Host: Natasha Zachariah (

natashaz@sph.com.sg