Bilingual policy

More students can take mother tongue Language Elective Programme from 2027

Education Minister Desmond Lee announced these changes at the Mother Tongue Languages Symposium 2026, held at the Singapore EXPO on Aug 1.

The post-Speak Mandarin question the Dear You saga has raised

The limited release of Teochew-language film Dear You reignited debate over the longstanding restriction on dialect films.

From bilingualism to multilingual confidence: What the Dear You debate is telling us

A new divide at work: The AI fluent and the AI fearful

This new form of bilingualism could split society into those proficient in AI, and those left behind, says the writer.

Try these practical strategies for raising bilingual kids

Mother Tongue teacher Madam Faridah Mohamed Ali, 32, reading to her three children (from left) Atma Salima Luqman Hakim, four, Noor Muhammad Luqman Hakim, five, and Halimah Zahra Luqman Hakim, seven. She gets them to do crafts related to stories they read, for instance, making satay with putty while reading a book about satay.

Minor Issues: Why my husband and I had limited success raising bilingual kids

The author realised belatedly that she did not prioritise borrowing Chinese storybooks from the library.

How to raise a bilingual child, even if you are not fluent in one of the languages

To nurture a bilingual child, it helps to have a positive attitude towards the language, provide resources like storybooks and learn alongside the child.

Chinese language and culture for kids: Popular with locals and expats in S’pore

Lawyer Chua Shi Ying enrolled her daughter Hailey Ho at EtonHouse Zhong Hua Pre-school in the hope that the two-year-old will get a good foundation in Chinese.

20 years as PM

Younger generation of Singaporeans understand importance of the Chinese language: PM Lee

Many young parents are making an effort to speak more Mandarin at home, in the hope their children's command of the language will be stronger than theirs.

Forum: Please be patient when I try to speak Mandarin

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.