At present, Chinese language education for young children in Singapore adopts a language policy of bilingual and multilingual systems, and it is also a country where English is the main language of communication.
The reason why Singapore chose to implement such a language policy has also been considered from multiple perspectives.
Firstly, Singapore is an immigrant country. In addition to English, the official languages include Chinese, Malay, and Tamil.
The multilingualism implemented in Singapore does not necessarily mean that every citizen must speak the four official languages, but every citizen must be able to speak English, followed by the ability to speak their own mother tongue.
For example, Chinese people can speak Chinese, while Indians can speak Tamil, and so on. Since then, there have been three types of bilingual citizens in Singapore, namely those who speak English and Chinese; English and Malay; English and Tamil. Therefore, for citizens themselves, Singapore advocates bilingualism.
This is the current multilingual and bilingual policy in Singapore. After considering multiple factors, Singapore has finally formulated a language policy of bilingual and multilingual systems, with English as the official lingua franca.
This measure is conducive to the stable development of the country, while also promoting the integration of various ethnic groups and people, providing reference for language development issues in multi-ethnic countries.
The development of Chinese language education for young children in Singapore is rapid, and the forms of education are diverse.
Singapore is gradually popularizing Chinese language teaching in the basic education stage, offering Chinese language courses in primary and secondary schools, and some universities have established Chinese language departments specifically.
In addition, Singapore is vigorously preparing to build Chinese language schools, with over 10000 primary and secondary school students currently learning Chinese.
Currently, there are three types of educational models for Chinese language education in Singapore:
Firstly, public schools in Singapore offer Chinese language courses and majors. In Singapore, Chinese language education has a complete education system.
In the early childhood stage, bilingual teaching is implemented according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education, which uses English and the mother tongue of the country as the teaching medium, with English as the first language.
In primary school, the school offers specialized Chinese courses; In middle school, there are 5 different levels of Chinese language courses, and students are required to pass the HSK Level 6 test to meet graduation standards.
During the university stage, some public universities offer Chinese language majors and have dedicated Chinese language departments to confer degrees.
Secondly, private training institutions and specialized Chinese tutoring centers provide Chinese language training. Due to the continuous improvement in the popularity of Chinese, its practical value has also increased.
In addition to the Chinese language courses offered by general public schools, a large number of private training centers in Singapore have also conducted Chinese language teaching to cultivate Chinese language talents.
For example, the School of Management of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce in Singapore offers a Chinese language class, with degree courses mainly focused on training Chinese language teachers.
There are many Chinese tutoring centers in Singapore, and even classes are taught in some popular clubs. In addition, some families also hire Chinese language teachers to teach their children separately.
Finally, Chinese universities are running schools in Singapore, offering degree courses in Chinese language majors.
In 1993, Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China and Huaxia School of Management in Singapore jointly launched a Chinese MBA program, with bilingual (English and Chinese) teaching; In 1998, the Chinese Department of Nanjing University launched a master’s program in Chinese language and literature in Singapore.
There are various reasons for the development of Chinese language education for young children in Singapore. This was influenced by British colonial rule, but the more important reason is that it is closely related to factors such as Singapore’s language policy, education policy, and social value orientation.
Firstly, it is reflected in Singapore’s education policy. Singapore implements bilingual education, where English is the dominant language, while other ethnic languages such as Chinese are only a single subject. Compared to English, the required level of other subjects is significantly lower.
This to some extent leads to a lack of emphasis on Chinese language learning among students. In addition, as Singapore is a multi-ethnic and multicultural country, from the perspective of promoting racial harmony, the Singapore government has chosen English as the official language of the country, aiming to reduce the status and influence of Chinese in Singapore.
Secondly, the value orientation of society is also one of the reasons for the limited development of Chinese language education.
In Singapore, citizens with higher levels of education and social status are more inclined to speak English. The lack of emphasis on Chinese language in society is to some extent linked to an individual’s future.
As the famous Singaporean writer Huang Mengwen once said, “If you only know Chinese, your employment prospects will be greatly limited. For local Singaporeans, those with a higher level of Chinese proficiency may not have a sufficient level of English proficiency. They will prefer the circle of pure English speakers.
It is precisely due to this ideology that the development of Chinese language in Singapore has been limited. Many Singaporean students lack interest in further learning Chinese and believe that it cannot bring corresponding economic value.
In addition, some families also take a pragmatic perspective and do not attach much importance to cultivating children’s interest in learning Chinese.
In recent years, the development of Chinese language education for young children in Singapore has been rapid, and the overall development prospects are improving.
The country attaches great importance to the cultivation of Chinese language education for students and implements active policies and measures to promote the promotion of Chinese language education in Singapore.