Two Needed Changes in Chinese Language Teaching: Assessment and Approach

Abstract

Chinese Language has a unique position in Singapore where about three quarters of the population are ethnic Chinese. Up till the end of the 1970s, there were English schools and vernacular schools (i.e. Chinese schools, Malay schools, and Indian schools). Since the introduction of the national united curriculum, all schools have the same curricular structure. By this it means all subject are learned through English except the Chinese, Malay, and Indian (Tamil). The languages were then referred to as second languages and were hence taught at a lower level, said to be 2 years lower than the first language. These were later officially referred to as Mother Tongue Languages (MTLs) and were assigned between 15% and 18% of the curriculum time for formal instruction.