Quantity or Quality?

Category: Educational issues

Source: Bilingual policy spawns many fluent in neither
From The Straits Times, Apr 30, 2007

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“Language is not only the vehicle of thought, it is a great and efficient instrument in thinking.” Language, indubitably, is the most powerful means of communication, and Singaporeans, with our culture of bilingualism, seem fortunate to have the advantage of at least two languages in our arsenal. Yet looking back at the past decade or so, despite the government’s efforts to promote language, the bilingual policy has seemingly backfired, and yielded many students incompetent in both languages.

In this fast paced world, Singapore has to stay relevant to ensure survival. Bilingualism will definitely give us an edge over others as we are able to connect to both eastern and western cultures, but that said, we can only do so effectively if we have a good grasp of both languages.

The article speaks of “sacrificing the sacred cow of bilingualism, in order to produce citizens who are actually competent in at least one language.” In my opinion, we should not sacrifice bilingualism to make ourselves better at one of the two. One reason is that given the current education system, we already have people who have become very proficient in English and Mandarin based on whichever they choose to focus on. The system itself should always allow people to choose what they prefer to excel in, and provide the resources for them to do so, rather than lay down a single track for all to follow. Such a choice, in turn, will depend on individuals’ cultural leanings and plans for the future. If one wished to work in fast-expanding China, then, we would only deny him opportunities to improve his Mandarin if we decided to pit everyone towards the sole pursuit of mastery in English.

Besides, not all schools are similar. Some schools such as Chinese High and Dunman High place a heavy emphasis on learning Mandarin, and produce many excellent Mandarin speakers. Some of the more English-oriented schools, on the other hand, produce top debaters who excel internationally. There is no one-size-fits-all solution that the educational system can implement across the board. Each school excels in its own way, and such variety should be encouraged. Ultimately, the most important factor in the learning of a language is perhaps the language they speak at home. The educational system cannot do that much in that respect; it is a matter of family choice and the culture which one belongs to.

Being the future leaders in a global environment, we students have to play our part by consciously working to improve our English and Mandarin. No matter how much resources the Government puts in to help students, they will go to waste if we do not make an effort to change – it takes two hands to clap. Living in a Mandarin-speaking family, I personally do not wish to see bilingualism end in Singapore. If we can master both languages, we will hold the keys to both the Eastern and Western worlds, and our lives will be richer and fuller than if we forsook the other.

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