Language Policy & its Implementation in Singapore Annex C Language Policy & its Implementation in Singapore Integrity, the Foundation . People, our Focus . Learning, our Passion . Excellence, our Pursuit

Outline of Presentation Annex C Outline of Presentation Introduction Population & language use Education & Language Policies Bilingual policy in education Compulsory education Implementation Issues & challenges Four major language reviews This is the outline of my presentation. I will touch on the population and language use of residents in Singapore, our Bilingual policy in education as well as the language reviews that were undertaken recently to enhance the teaching and learning of languages in schools.

Population & Languages Annex C Population & Languages Multi-ethnic population, about 3.6m citizens & PRs 75% Chinese, 14% Malay, 9% Indians, 2% others 4 official languages: Malay, Mandarin-Chinese, Tamil, English Singapore has a multi-ethnic population and a diverse language environment. The resident population, comprising citizens and permanent residents, was about 3.6 million as of June 2005[i]. About 75.6 percent of the population is Chinese, 13.6 percent Malays, 8.7 percent Indians, while 2.1 percent comprise other ethnic groups. There are four official languages: Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), Tamil, and English, and the national language is Malay[ii]. However, in daily life, English is the language of administration and the common language spoken by Singaporeans of various races. Mandarin is widely used among the Chinese population in place of other Chinese dialects[1], such as Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka, Hainanese, and Foochow. Besides Tamil, other languages spoken by the Indian population include Malayalam, Punjabi, Telegu, Hindi and Bengali.

Education & Language Policies Annex C Education & Language Policies Bilingual Policy in Education All students must study English and a Mother Tongue Language from Primary to Secondary levels Compulsory Education, 2003 Ensure all children learn core knowledge for future education and training The bilingual policy in education is a cornerstone of Singapore’s education system. It requires all students to study English and an official Mother Tongue Language from the early years of primary education to the secondary level. However, the way the languages are taught must respond to and anticipate changes in the environment. The environment refers both to the changing home language environment of Singaporeans as well as the wider regional and global environment. While English serves as the common language, or lingua franca, among Singaporeans and facilitates inter-ethnic communication, the learning of the Mother Tongue Languages is essential to maintain the linguistic and cultural roots of the main ethnic groups. Bilingualism in English and a Mother Tongue Language remains an imperative for Singapore.

Implementation Centralized education system Issues & challenges Annex C Implementation Centralized education system Curriculum, resources & monitoring Issues & challenges Some face difficulty learning two languages (oral & written) Sustaining interest in Mother Tongue Languages beyond school As Singapore has a centralized education system, there are monitoring mechanisms as well as resources dedicated to the implementation of this policy. Yet, one of the major challenges faced by Singapore’s students is the demanding nature of learning two languages from the early years of primary education. Furthermore, all students are expected to learn to read and write, as well as speak two languages, using the standard variety. For the vast majority of students, the standard variety that is taught in school is often different from the colloquial variety that is spoken at home.

Language Reviews Mother Tongue Language Reviews Chinese, 2004 Annex C Language Reviews Mother Tongue Language Reviews Chinese, 2004 Malay & Tamil Language, 2005 English Language, 2006 Between 2004 and 2005, major reviews of the Chinese, Malay and Tamil language curriculum were undertaken by the Ministry of Education. The impetus for these reviews is the changing language profile of the population. Between 2000 and 2005, more Singaporeans were speaking English as a predominant home language among all ethnic groups All three MTL saw the need for differentiated curriculum. To complete the cycle of reviews, an English Language Curriculum and Pedagogy Review was carried out in 2006, including public consultation. It was the first time that public feedback was actively sought during the review of the English language syllabus.

Differentiated Curriculum Annex C Differentiated Curriculum CL More differentiated curriculum objectives to suit the wide range of CL students Modular approach Core module Bridging and Enrichment modules ML Differentiated instruction Banding of students if there is more than 1 class Use of Tahap (levels of achievement) at key stages to reflect differentiated learning outcomes TL Differentiated instruction Banding of students if there is more than 1 class One major recommendation was to have a differentiated curriculum to meet the diverse learning needs of students. For Chinese, there will be more differentiated curriculum objectives to suit the wide range of Chinese students. The new curriculum will also adopt the modular structure. Under the modular approach, all students will do Core Modules. For students with little or no prior exposure, they will read Bridging Modules prior to Core Modules, and student with the interest and ability will do the Enrichment Modules on top of the Core Modules. It will be less practical for Malay and Tamil to have a structured modular approach in which students of different abilities are pulled out of class for separate lessons. Schools will be encouraged to adopt a flexible approach including the implementation of differentiated instruction within the same class. Schools with more than one Malay or Tamil class of students per level could choose to band students in different classes according to their abilities in the language. Some schools are already adopting differentiated instruction within the same class. For Malay, the curriculum would also make use of Tahap (levels of achievement) at key stages to reflect differentiated learning outcomes for students of different abilities in each of the language skills.

Develop Oral Communication Skills Annex C Develop Oral Communication Skills Greater emphasis on developing oral communication skills CL: systematic teaching of listening and speaking skills to develop fluency and confidence in oral communication ML: have a good command of standard Malay and be able to speak spontaneously in a variety of situations with ease and skill TL: able to converse comfortably with one another and with their teachers in Spoken Tamil All three review committees noted the importance of oral communication skills. There is a natural progression in language acquisition, beginning with the ability to converse in the language. Hence, it is important, especially for students from English speaking homes, to learn good oral communication skills at the onset. This is also a practical skill that students would use even after they leave school. For CL, the curriculum will adopt a systematic teaching of listening and speaking skills to develop fluency and confidence in oral communication. For ML, the curriculum will ensure that students have a good command of standard Malay and be able to speak spontaneously in a variety of situations with ease and skill. For TL, the curriculum will enable students to converse comfortably with one another and with their teachers in Spoken Tamil.

Reading Greater emphasis on developing reading skills Annex C Reading Greater emphasis on developing reading skills CL: develop students’ reading ability to create and sustain interest in the language ML and TL: make available age-appropriate and attractive readers for students to help build a strong foundation in reading Developing an early proficiency in reading will help pupils acquire the vocabulary to express themselves better. Being able to read at an earlier age will also give students access to a wider range of stories and books that would appeal to their interest. It is also observed that reading has a multiplier effect in language learning. Therefore, reading will be given greater emphasis in all three Mother Tongue Languages. For ML and TL, age-appropriate and attractive readers for students will be made available to help them build a strong foundation in reading. This can be both supported by the community and the ministry.

Other Recommendations Annex C Other Recommendations Develop engaging instructional materials Assessing students’ ability to use the language in context Strengthening training of teachers Community involvement Other key recommendations that is similar across the three Mother Tongue Languages include: Developing engaging instructional materials to stimulate students’ interest in learning the language; Assessing students’ ability to use the language in context; Strengthening training of teachers so that they will be able to execute the new curricula; and Greater involvement from the Community.

Community Involvement Annex C Community Involvement CL: Committee for Promoting Chinese Language Learning ML: Malay Language Learning & Promotion Committee TL: Tamil Language Learning & Promotion Committee MOE has set up three committees to oversee the collaboration with our community partners. For Chinese, there is the Committee for Promoting Chinese Language Learning. For Malay, there is the Malay Language Learning & Promotion Committee. For Tamil, we have the Tamil Language Learning & Promotion Committee. These are chaired by prominent members of their respective communities.

English Language Review: Objectives Annex C English Language Review: Objectives Enjoy learning English Develop different levels of competency Attain good foundational skills  all Develop a good level of competence  majority High degree of proficiency  significant number Mastery in command of the language  small group The English Language Review committee was convened in 2006 and finalised its recommendations in Oct 2006. The committee recommended that the following objectives for the English Language curriculum: All students should enjoy learning the language and should attain good foundational skills The aim was for the majority of students to develop a good level of competence and for the majority to acquire a high degrees of proficiency And for a smaller group to achieve mastery in the command of the language.

English Language Review Annex C English Language Review Build a strong foundation in the primary school years - Grammar, spoken English - Exposure to rich texts for reading & writing For all levels, the emphasis is to build a strong foundation in grammar and spoken English. We will also expose students to rich texts for reading and writing.

English Language Review Annex C English Language Review Cater to the learning needs of students without prior exposure to English and with limited reading exposure - STELLAR: Strategies for English Language Learning & Reading - Enhanced Learning Support Programme (LSP) At the primary level, through programmes such as STELLAR and the enhanced Learning Support Programme, we strive to meet the learning needs of students without prior exposure to English. STELLAR is a programme that seeks to empower teachers to teach our children the critical life skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in English through effective and engaging strategies that are developmentally appropriate. It provides a pedagogic framework, as well as resources for the teaching and learning of EL in an effective and engaging manner.

Conclusion Time needed for curriculum changes to be implemented Annex C Conclusion Time needed for curriculum changes to be implemented Syllabuses & Instructional materials Teacher training Continual need to keep up with changes language use pedagogy technology The Government has accepted the recommendations of all the language review committees and has dedicated resources necessary to implement the proposed changes successfully. Going ahead, the various recommendations will take some time to be fully implemented, notably recommendations pertaining to changes to the syllabuses, instructional materials and national examinations. Some of these, such as changes to examination requirements, have to be carefully studied and pilot tested. Curriculum planners and developers are currently working on the new curriculum materials as well as studying the impact of the initial stages of implementation. The current changes do not represent a final solution to the challenges of implementing bilingualism and biliteracy in education. New ideas and new technology will emerge, as will new findings about effective pedagogy and educational practices. To keep pace with a changing world, the ways in which languages are to be taught and learnt will have to be constantly reviewed and studied.

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