Saving Chinese-language education in Singapore

Abstract

Three-quarters of Singapore's population consists of ethnic Chinese, and yet, learning Chinese (Mandarin) has been a headache for many Singapore students. Recently, many scholars have argued that the rhetoric of language planning for Mandarin Chinese should be shifted from emphasizing its cultural value to stressing its economic value since China's economy is on the rise. Others have proposed that there be a wider use of Mandarin in domains outside the classroom. Given that Singapore's language planning uses a top-down model, these are issues that can only be left to the discretion of the authorities. This article traces the policies that have led to a decline in Chinese-language proficiency in Singapore. It then suggests how some changes can be made to help students have a chance to learn Mandarin in a progressive and effective way, thus saving Chinese-language proficiency in Singapore.