ChineseatHome.com

In the ongoing debate about the teaching of Chinese language, Singapore's Minister for Education Ng Eng Hen has emphasised the need to match teaching methods and outcomes appropriate to the student's ability.

Speaking at the annual ceremony to appoint principals, Dr Ng said this should start as soon as the student enters Primary One.

Teaching Chinese language in Singapore has been a topic of much debate. It has also been a subject often dealt with by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

Dr Ng said both the public and professional community understood that if Singapore's bilingual policy is to remain relevant, the country must deal with the new reality decisively.

"We will not get stuck in any mental mould or system even when they have become less effective or relevant in changed circumstances. Instead, we must remain open to new ideas, methods and tools that are available to more effectively help all our students with different abilities learn CL (Chinese language)," Dr Ng said.

"We want to engage all our students, help them become proficient in using the language - to converse and read in everyday contexts," he added.

For those who can excel in the language, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will continue to help.

Dr Ng said: "If more students do well in CL and have more demand for SAP (Special Assistance Plan) school places, MOE is willing to consider setting up one more SAP school."

For the broad middle band, Dr Ng said there is a need to re-calibrate expectations and teaching methods.

Dr Ng acknowledged that teaching a student Chinese language as a second language is fundamentally different from teaching a student whose mother tongue is Chinese. Hence, the teaching approaches must recognise this.

So for some primary students, it would require using English to help them learn the language and initial pilots have shown positive results. The ministry will also emphasise speaking and listening, to make the learning more relevant and useful.

As part of the 2004 Chinese language review, it was announced that the oral component for PSLE and O Level Chinese language would increase from 2006. Now, the ministry said it will further increase the oral component.

ICT (info-communications technologies) platforms will also be used more to help students learn and write the language.

As with all subjects, Dr Ng stressed Singapore must align teaching methods, curriculum and testing formats to achieve the right outcomes for Chinese language.

So the ministry's review team is also looking at curriculum and testing approaches from other systems which include the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), the International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement.

Dr Ng said: "The review is still in exploratory mode but we are interested in these other systems as they are more tailored for students with home language environments that approximate a growing segment of our students.

"Their end points have a different emphasis - less focused on writing components but more targeted to help students use the language and build confidence progressively - a goal we share."

And principals have an important role in explaining the policy changes.

"If we communicate our policies with the intent of helping the kids, parents will certainly respond and work alongside with the schools," said Lee Hui Feng, principal, Nanyang Primary School.

Aini Maarof, principal, Tanglin Secondary School said: "Using the meeting-the-parents session, which we usually have, our small group discussions with the parents support group, where we can enrol the group to speak to other parents, and through emails and letters to parents."

More details on Chinese language teaching will be disclosed during the ministry's budget debate in Parliament in March 2010.