Speech by RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State, Ministry of Education, at the YMCA Plain English Speaking Award (PESA) Award Presentation Ceremony on Friday, 31 August 2007, at 5.30 pm at the Lee Kong Chian Auditorium, YMCA of Singapore

SPEECH BY RADM (NS) LUI TUCK YEW, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, AT THE YMCA PLAIN ENGLISH SPEAKING AWARD (PESA) AWARD PRESENTATION CEREMONY ON FRIDAY, 31 AUGUST 2007, AT 5:30PM AT THE LEE KONG CHIAN AUDITORIUM, YMCA OF SINGAPORE

1. I am happy to be here this evening to celebrate the efforts and achievements of our students at the 21st Plain English Speaking Awards (PESA) ceremony.

2. Good communication skills is a valuable asset we should seek to inculcate in our young. Speaking effectively, articulating and expressing ourselves clearly are vital competencies, especially in today’s global landscape where English remains the lingua franca for exchanging ideas in business, science and technology.

3. Much more challenging though, is the ability to speak confidently to large audiences; to stand before a crowd and move them with words, sparking new insights and imparting keen perspectives and fresh perceptions. In this, PESA is laudable for it offers our students an avenue to sharpen these speaking skills and build confidence in public presentation from a young age. These are assets that will stand them in good stead.

4. Today’s award ceremony highlights a commitment to engage our students in learning and appreciating good English. Good English is about speaking clearly to be understood. It is effective communication crystallized into unambiguous, simple and grammatical sentences. It is not about acquiring an accent, neither is it about engaging in verbose vocabulary that serves to confuse and mystify. Good language habits are cultivated over time, through guidance, practice and effort, so that our students learn to speak English well, and to present their ideas and thoughts clearly and convincingly. Ideally, we should start inculcating good English habits in our students from a young age so that they will carry them through to adulthood. Activities like today’s which leverage on the element of fun and competition go far in reaching out to our young and developing in them, good language habits.

5. This year’s Plain Speaking English competition marks the inauguration of two new categories for pre-schoolers and lower primary school participants. Over sixty participants between the ages of five to nine have joined their peers from the upper primary, secondary and tertiary levels in competing this year. This is heartening to note for it encourages our students, from a very young age, to speak up, speak out and speak well. By starting our youth early in their journey of language appreciation, we plant the seeds of success in developing a robust and lively language curriculum that effectively engages and holistically develops the learner.

6. Another change in this year’s competition is the change in format for the upper primary category. Participants this year were encouraged to craft and deliver speeches on pressing social and environmental issues, ranging from topics on global warming to that of the role of foreign domestic workers in Singapore. This is a marked departure from previous years’ competitions, in which upper primary school participants engaged solely in story-telling. In encouraging our primary school pupils to research and converse on social and environmental issues, we are initiating from young, a zest for inquiry, an instinct for critical and independent thinking and an awareness of social and environmental implications. These are traits that can and will impact our society at large, growing a nation of creative thinkers and social activists; conscious of their place, actions and consequences in an increasingly globalised world.

7. Before I conclude, I would like to commend the main organizers, YMCA, along with co-organisers, the National Library Board and the Speak Good English Movement, for the success of today’s event. Through partnerships such as today’s, we create an environment favourable to language acquisition and excite in our young learners gathered here today, a spirit of competition, passion and affinity for the language.

8. I understand that over the course of the competition, strong friendships have been cemented among participants. This was articulated by finalist of the Secondary School Category, Kueh Xiuling of Temasek JC, who commented that the three things she would take away with her from the competition would be “a great public speaking experience, wonderful friends and memories to last a lifetime”. Aptly worded indeed and a striking testament to the success of today’s event!

9. I applaud all award winners, participants and participating schools for their gallant efforts and impressive performances. I hope this has been a fruitful experience for you and wish you all the best in your future public speaking endeavours. To all the teachers and parents present here today, who have come out in full force to support your charges, congratulations on a job well done and I hope you continue to engage your students in developing a love for the language.