Some pre-schools are reporting a rise in demand for programmes focusing on Chinese language and culture.
Lawyer Chua Shi Ying enrolled her daughter Hailey Ho at EtonHouse Zhong Hua Pre-school in the hope that the two-year-old will get a good foundation in Chinese.
The official policy of bilingualism has long been the subject of discussion in Singapore, with many Singaporeans lacking fluency in their mother tongue. Kindergarten 2 pupils making a Chinese painting of an orchid with help from teacher Liu Wen at EtonHouse Zhong Hua Pre-school. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Hailey’s progress has been rapid, says Ms Chua. “We speak English at home to her, but she’s so exposed to Mandarin, when she’s playing by herself, she speaks in Mandarin.”
She hopes that her daughter will have fond childhood memories of cultural activities that she will engage in at EtonHouse Zhong Hua, such as learning calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting. He describes the MindChamps Chinese Pre-schools as pre-schools that “apply the concept of SAP primary and secondary schools”. SAP stands for Special Assistance Plan, which is a programme catered to students who are strong in their mother tongue.
Associate Professor Lee Cher Leng, from the Department of Chinese Studies at National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, says there is virtually “no limit” to the number of languages that a young child can pick up. French parents Maxime Jouineau and Sabrina Mimoune with their son, Ayden Jouineau Mimoune, who is attending Elfa pre-school’s bilingual programme. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Mr Jouineau says: “I know how difficult it is to learn Chinese. I spent a year learning Chinese in university. Since we’re here, we are taking the opportunity to let him learn.” Mr Robitzki speaks to his children in German and lets Joona watch YouTube documentary videos in German to ensure they can speak some German. “Keeping in touch with family is important,” he says. His family members speak only German while Ms Li’s family speak Mandarin.
“Much of their language acquisition occurs implicitly without conscious effort. This makes them natural language learners.”
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