Mr Ling Lee Hua, Chairman, Singapore Foochow Association

Mr Lee Ngain Kai, President, Singapore Chinese Teachers’ Union

Mr Patrick Sih, Principal, Ang Mo Kio Primary School

Teachers

Students

             Good morning. I am very happy to join you once again at the National Primary Schools On-The-Spot Chinese Essay-Writing Competition. It is a good initiative by the organisers. Activities like this are one of the many ways in which we can stimulate our children’s desire to learn a language. And to all of you here - I hope that your preparation for this competition and your participation here today will lead you to develop a deeper interest in reading and writing in the Chinese language.

2.         Both English and the mother tongues are essential for your future. Learning the English language and learning it well is still the key to retaining our role in the world. English allows you to reach out to a world of knowledge and ideas, and to make the best use of it. The majority of our workforce is now able to speak and understand English. It has enabled us to attract several thousand international enterprises to Singapore. It also enables Singaporeans to deal with people from all over the world, and to operate from almost anywhere in the world.

3.          China understands this. Although its population is large and homogenous, the Chinese people are also learning English at a voracious rate. They have realised that it gives them advantage to speak and understand the language of global commerce and technology, which is English. Every primary school in China now teaches English as a subject. All manner of training institutes and schemes are being set up across the country to help the Chinese people learn to speak English. Just 5 days ago, the BBC together with China’s leading media and internet company, Sina, launched a unique service aimed at teaching English over the mobile phone. Users will receive a daily text message on their mobile phones containing an English phrase together with a Chinese translation. They can then log on to a website to listen to and read the phrase as part of a longer dialogue, and to read explanations about the language. BBC and Sina hope to reach up to 200 million Chinese mobile phone users this way. This may be ambitious. But they will expand the growing wave of Chinese who are eager to practise speaking English.

4.          While we must continue to be proficient and confident in our use of English, it is equally important that we cherish and use our mother tongues. They are a living link between the world we live in, where change is the only constant, and the world from which our history and traditions are derived. They help us to develop a sense of belonging to our families, our community and ultimately our country. Just remember. Most of your grandparents did not speak English. Very few of them even spoke English when they were in school. Your grandparents spoke the language of their forefathers. Your forefathers. You should try to keep this precious past alive, this link with where you came from. And by keeping our own identities, we can also reach out with confidence to learn about other cultures. Knowledge of your own culture is the foundation for multiculturalism.

5.          Another advantage of being comfortable in our mother tongues is that these languages have increasing economic and business value. That is why, while the people of China are eager to learn English, people from around the world are eager to learn Mandarin. They want to be able to build closer and more meaningful relationships with their Chinese partners. This is likewise true for any country that we want to do good business with, but the Chinese language is especially important because of the country’s sheer market size and growth potential.

6.          We are in a unique position, with our command of English and our mother tongues and our perspectives as a multicultural society, to be a meeting point for Asia and the West. We have a deep understanding of China, India and Southeast Asia, arising from our closeness to them both physically and culturally. We are also open to cultures and ideas from around the world. We can use these qualities to open up new opportunities for ourselves. They will help transform Singapore into a vibrant global hub for ideas and business.

7.          The challenge to turn Singapore into a centre for ideas and opportunity is what lies before our young people. I hope that you will be encouraged to study your mother tongue to the highest level you can attain. Listen closely to your language teachers, read books in both English and your mother tongue, and try your best to use both languages. I wish all of you the best in the competition.