Mother Tongue Languages Symposium to Cultivate Children's Joyful Discovery in Mother Tongue Language Learning

The Ministry of Education (MOE) and the three Mother Tongue Language Learning and Promotion Committees (MTLLPCs)¹ will hold the flagship Mother Tongue Languages Symposium on Saturday, 1 August 2026. This year, the symposium makes its debut at the Singapore EXPO, bringing together more participants and a richer programme than before.

2. Now in its 14th year, the theme of this year's symposium, "A Garden for Joyful Discovery", symbolises a vibrant and joyful learning environment for children to learn and appreciate their Mother Tongue Languages (MTLs). Through storytelling, role-play and creative expression, young participants can explore fun and creative ways to learn and use their MTL in their daily lives alongside four mascots: Xiao Tao, the collaborative flower; Sani, the confident adventurer; Kavin, the creative garden whiz; and Peppy, the caring bee.

3. This year's symposium will feature 42 sharing sessions and interactive workshops, as well as 41 exhibitors from schools and community partners on ways to promote MTL learning and appreciation. The sharing sessions and interactive workshops will draw insights from academics, educators, curriculum specialists, early childhood advocates, and media personalities. For example, parents can learn how Mediacorp Chinese news presenter Zhao Quanyin draws on her experience as both an anchor and a mother to explore ways to incorporate play in joyful Chinese learning at home. They can also hear from celebrity entrepreneur and early childhood advocate Syah Ibrahim, who will share how everyday play moments can be transformed into rich Malay Language experiences. Mediacorp Oli 968 presenter Nithiyia Rao will also share how her journey in Tamil radio broadcasting has shaped her approach to keeping Tamil alive and meaningful at home through stories, music, and cultural experiences.

4. In addition, curriculum specialists from MOE will share about the MTL curricula, how digital resources can support home-based learning, and practical strategies for parents to raise confident bilingual children. (Please refer to Annex for more details.)

5. Parents and children can register for the event and sign up for the sharing sessions and workshops via the symposium's website from 13 July 2026. Parents may also visit the symposium's Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for more updates.

Footnotes

1. The three MTLLPCs are the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning, the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee, and the Tamil Promotion Committee.