Launch of Wow Wild Learn Programme in the Tamil Language

1. Pre-school children can now see the Tamil Language come alive through fun and interactive experiential activities at the River Safari. Following the positive response to the Chinese and Malay Language editions of the Wow Wild Learn (WWL) programme, the Tamil Language Learning and Promotion Committee (TLLPC) is now collaborating with Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) to launch a Tamil edition.

2. The programme will comprise a series of activities for pre-school children and training workshops for pre-school Tamil Language teachers. A total of 16 teachers from 14 pre-school centres will be participating this year. TLLPC aims to expand the WWL programme to 20 more centres by next year.

3. In support of the programme, Chairman for TLLPC, Mr Vikram Nair, said, “TLLPC is committed to promoting the use of Tamil beyond the classroom, and to support the teaching and learning of the language in schools. Children usually love going outdoors, and the WWL programme will encourage young children to learn Tamil by making such learning fun and interactive - relating it to activities they will enjoy.”

4. Ms May Lok, Director of Education, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said, “Bilingualism is one of the key strengths educators try to inculcate in our students, and we believe that the mother tongue will strengthen each child’s values and sense of cultural belonging. With our parks as a living classroom, we hope the wildlife learning environment will help students gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Tamil language.”

5. Application for this programme has been open since March 2018, and all participating pre-school centres will receive subsidised funding when they participate. Please refer to the Annex for more details.