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Nurturing Students' Love for Mother Tongue Languages Through Expanded Opportunities and Joyful Discovery

Published on: 01 Aug 2026

NewsPress releases

  At the 14th Mother Tongue Languages Symposium (MTLS) on 1 August 2026, Minister for Education Desmond Lee announced the following initiatives to strengthen Mother Tongue Language (MTL) learning and deepen students' appreciation of language and culture:

  1. Expansion of the Mother Tongue Language Elective Programme at both the secondary and pre-university levels to give more students the opportunity to pursue their MTL at an advanced level.
  2. Expansion of the Malay (Special Programme) to allow more students the opportunity to learn Malay as a third language.
  3. Launch of a new AI Essay Marking System (AIMS) to support Chinese Language teachers and students in secondary schools.

Expansion of Mother Tongue Language Elective Programme

2 The Mother Tongue Language Elective Programme (LEP), offered in selected junior colleges (LEP-JC) and secondary schools (LEP-Sec), nurtures linguistically talented students to achieve high proficiency in Chinese, Malay or Tamil and strengthen their engagement with culture and literature. The LEP-Sec focuses on building a strong foundation in language and cultural appreciation through the study of MTL Literature, while the LEP-JC seeks to cultivate a deeper interest in MTL and literature through a variety of cultural activities.

3 From 2027, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will expand both the LEP-JC and LEP-Sec programmes:

  1. The LEP-JC and LEP-Sec programmes in Tamil Language (TLEP-JC and TLEP-Sec) will be expanded through a centre-based approach at the Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre (UPTLC), in addition to the two junior colleges and three secondary schools currently offering the programmes. These programmes are now more accessible to students from schools that do not currently offer the TLEP, and provide a clearer progression pathway for students moving from TLEP-Sec to TLEP-JC.
  2. The LEP-JC programme in Chinese Language (CLEP-JC) will be expanded to a sixth school, Anderson Serangoon Junior College, allowing more students to benefit from the programme.

4 For more information about the LEP and the updated list of schools offering the LEP-Sec and LEP-JC, please refer to Annex A.

Expansion of Malay (Special Programme)

5 MOE offers various programmes for secondary school students to further pursue their interest in an MTL or Third Language. These include the Malay (Special Programme) (M(SP)), a Third Language programme for students whose MTL is not Malay to learn the language and build an understanding of the socio-cultural aspects of the Malay community in Singapore and the region. From 2027, MOE will expand the M(SP) to a fifth centre1 at National Junior College, providing more students with exposure to Malay language and culture.

Launch of AI Essay Marking System

6 In September 2026, the MOE will launch the new AI Essay Marking System (AIMS) on the Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS) platform to enhance the teaching and learning of Chinese Language in secondary schools. AIMS will support Chinese Language teachers by handling routine marking – such as grammar, spelling and sentence structure – for both handwritten and typewritten essays, so that the teachers can focus on providing individualised higher-order feedback on students' creativity, depth of expression, and quality of their ideas.

7 Teachers remain firmly at the centre of the feedback process, guiding and shaping how AIMS responds to students' writing. They retain full authority to review and curate the feedback, ensuring it is contextually appropriate and tailored to students' learning needs. Teachers can also customise AIMS' parameters to suit different language proficiency levels, enabling more personalised and targeted feedback for students of varying needs.

Outstanding Preschool Mother Tongue Language Teacher Award

8 At the symposium, 16 dedicated preschool teachers were recognised as recipients of the biennial Outstanding Preschool Mother Tongue Language (OPMTL) Teacher Award – eight received the Outstanding Award while another eight received the Merit Award. The award recipients were selected from a total of 209 nominations. (Please see Annex B for the list of award recipients.)

9 The OPMTL Teacher Award – jointly presented by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee (MLLPC), and the Tamil Promotion Committee (TPC) – recognises preschool teachers who have gone above and beyond in bringing MTL learning to life and in fostering a deep love of MTL among young children. Award recipients were identified by a panel of nine experienced educators and academics through a rigorous selection process which includes classroom observations and interviews with the teachers.

Highlights of MTLS 2026

10 This year's MTLS featured expanded interactive and immersive MTL activities across multiple zones. A regular feature of every MTLS, the Explorer Zone, brought fresh activities centred on nursery rhymes, storytelling, and communication, giving children the opportunity to explore and express themselves creatively in their MTL. The Centrepiece showcased MOE's innovative spirit in MTL learning, where families could explore creative MTL board games and card games, as well as LangBuddy, an AI chatbot for MTL oral interaction. These resources were developed by MOE to offer engaging and joyful MTL learning experiences for children. Families rounded off their visit with a commitment to MTL learning at the pledge wall.

11 Parents and educators also participated in sharing sessions on creative and activity-based approaches to language learning, including approaches for pre-preschool learners which were featured at MTLS for the first time.

  1. Dr Connie Lum, a senior early childhood educator with nearly 30 years of experience, shared simple and ready-to-use strategies to support pre-preschool infants' Chinese Language acquisition through everyday multisensory interactions. Mr James Lam, a recipient of the Distinguished Chinese Language Teachers Award, and a team of teachers from preschool and primary levels, brought diverse perspectives to explore how play-based executive function games can support children's transition from preschool to primary school, and strengthen their MTL learning.
  2. Mdm Faridah, a dynamic Malay Language teacher from Fuhua Primary School, invited parents and children to move to traditional Malay rhythms and discover how music and dance can ignite a love for writing. In the same spirit of creative and activity-based learning, Mdm Suria Yusof, an innovative Malay Language educator from MOE Kindergarten @ Jurong West, brought interactive storytelling to life using mystery, clues, and role-play to build children's vocabulary and confidence in speaking Malay.
  3. Mdm Usha Rani SC, an MOE Lead Curriculum Specialist with 36 years of experience, shared effective strategies for raising confident bilingual children, encouraging parents to prioritise joyful language experiences over perfect grammar. Grounded in the same philosophy of joyful and accessible Tamil learning, Ms Jayasutha, founder of Vidhaigal, a free fortnightly Tamil early learning community for toddlers and preschoolers, brought a simple story to life in an immersive and interactive way, making Tamil language learning memorable for preschoolers.

12 The exhibition at this year's symposium showcased the teaching and learning of MTL through e-pedagogy, cultural engagements, and creative expression. Visitors could explore the MOE Curriculum Booth alongside 41 exhibitors from schools and community partners, as well as the MTL Bookstore featuring more than 800 book titles. (Please see Annex C for the list of exhibition booths at the symposium.)

13 The MTLS website will feature slides from the sharing sessions and interactive workshops, as well as exhibition boards from the various booths, after the symposium.

About the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning

The Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL) was established in January 2005 by the Ministry of Education to bring together schools, community organisations, the media and professional bodies to foster the learning of Chinese language, literature and culture beyond the classroom. The CPCLL actively organises engaging and interactive activities that inspire students and develop in them an abiding interest in Chinese language and culture. For more information, please visit cpcll.sg.

About the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee

The Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee (MLLPC) was established in February 2006 by the Ministry of Education to bring together schools, community leaders, Malay organisations, the media and professional bodies to foster the learning of Malay language, literature and culture beyond the classroom. Currently chaired by Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Ministry of National Development, the MLLPC actively organises engaging and interactive activities that inspire students and nurture a lasting appreciation for Malay language and culture. For more information, please visit mllpc.moe.gov.sg.

About the Tamil Promotion Committee

The Tamil Promotion Committee (TPC), formerly known as the Tamil Language Learning and Promotion Committee, was established in February 2006 by the Ministry of Education to bring together schools, community organisations, the media and professional bodies to foster the learning of Tamil language, literature and culture beyond the classroom. Currently chaired by Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, Minister of State at the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the Ministry of Manpower, the TPC actively organises engaging and interactive activities that inspire students and cultivate a lifelong appreciation for Tamil language and culture. The Committee was rebranded in March 2026 to commemorate its 20th anniversary and to reflect its enhanced role of promoting Tamil language learning through greater digital engagement and youth and family involvement. For more information, please visit tpc.moe.gov.sg.

Footnotes
  1. The M(SP) is currently offered at 12 secondary schools and 4 centres – the MOE Language Centre (Bishan), Bukit Batok Secondary School, Tampines Secondary School, and Zhonghua Secondary School. Students whose schools do not offer the M(SP) will attend lessons at the centre nearest to their school.