Schools, parents and community help create conducive environment for learning mother tongue

We fully agree with Forum writer Qian Bingyun’s view (Create supportive environments for using mother tongue, June 18).

Our schools are committed to providing a conducive environment that encourages students to learn their Mother Tongue Language (MTL) to as high a level, and for as long as possible.

We recognise that our students come from different backgrounds with varying MTL proficiency levels. Schools thus offer a differentiated curriculum and a range of programmes to support students in learning their MTLs.

Students who are strong and interested in MTL are encouraged to deepen their learning by taking Higher MTL and participating in MTL enrichment programmes and competitions.

Primary 3 and 4 pupils who need more help are placed in smaller groups of eight to 12 under the Mother Tongue Support Programme, which focuses on strengthening oracy and literacy skills to boost pupils’ confidence in MTL learning.

Studies have shown that a rich language environment at home helps young children pick up languages. Thus, parents play a key role in MTL learning in their children’s early years. Parents can enrich their children’s language environment by speaking MTL at home or reading MTL books with their children.

Together with parents, pre-schools play an important role in supporting early bilingualism. MOE Kindergartens (MKs) and many pre-school operators offer all three official MTLs to expose children to their mother tongue from young. From 2025, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will increase daily MTL learning from one hour to 1.5 hours at MK@Hougang and MK@Elias Park. We will study the impact to decide if this can be expanded to more MKs.

In addition, MOE works closely with community partners to organise engaging activities ranging from literary festivals and theatre performances to language-based competitions such as the Xin Kong Xia Xinyao Singing and Song-writing Competition. These deepen students’ appreciation of the MTL and culture, and let students use their MTL in authentic settings.

It takes a whole-of-society effort to create a conducive environment that promotes MTL learning and use. MOE will continue to work closely with schools, parents and community partners to foster a vibrant and supportive environment to promote deeper learning and appreciation of MTLs.

Heng Boey Hong
Director, Mother Tongue Languages Branch
Ministry of Education