Originally posted by socrates:
This is just a thought by me, hope it doesn't sounds too ridiculous...
Personally I feel that a mother tongue language is important in the past. Why ? Because in the past, most people do not know how to speak English. During that period the goverment want to implement English for people to learn is because we need a common language to communicate, thus leads to improvement in racial harmony. It is also becoming an increasing important language to learn during that period.
In a reply to this part of your post, we should ask - is 'MANDARIN' the common 'Mother Tongue' of Singaporean Chinese ?
Or are the TRUE 'Mother Tongues' of the Chinese in Singapore the various dialects of Cantonese, Foochow Hainanese, Hakka, Hokkien, Khek, Sei Yup, Teochew, and a host of other Chinese dialect groups found in Singapore ?
Mandarin was promoted aggressively by the Government as a unifying language for all Chinese in Singapore as a result of SM LKY family experience.
He had once stated that his daughter - a doctor at SGH then - had decribed to him a problem that she had encountered at her workplace; in which she could not understand any dialect, had to attend to a woman speaking only in a particular dialect, and assisted by a nurse from another dialect group; all three women had a tough time understanding each other.
Transposing his daughter's predicament, SM projected the confusion that was to be expected in getting the Government's message to the grassroot levels, if the same confusion is multiplied when English is the preferred medium of Government.
The fact that English was used in preference over the other National Languages of Malay, Tamil and Chinese, was a purposeful decision made from little political or economic choice.
Adopting English would simply level the playing field, and make it the common ground in which all races in Singapore are shown equal treatment, with no favoritism to any particular dialect or language.
continuing post by socrates:
However most singaporean only know their mother tongue language then. If there was a sudden change to learn English only and not their mother tongue, the people then will not accept it that easily. Thus they came up with the 2 language schemes, first to promote the use of a common language and second the people can still maintain their roots by learning their mother tongue, thus won't be that offended.
The adoption of Mandarin actually killed the use of the REAL 'Mother Tongues' - which are the various dialects used by the different dialect groups found in the Chinese Community.
In learning Mandarin, the various Chinese cultures and folklores died a natural death, with at least three generations of young Singaporeans, who are today unfamiliar with the 'ancient' dialects spoken, its accompanying cultures and values, as well as the ethnic roots of the respective dialect groups.
Many ethnic Chinese from the older generations were offended, and the Government did come down hard on those die-hards during the early period in implementing Mandarin as a Language.
Forty years later, dialect is encouraged to be spoken in Class today.
continuing post by socrates:
If you ask me now, I still feel that learning 2 languages is important. As what Atobe had said, there are still many people who knows little English and more mother tongue language like Chinese and Malay. Knowing 2 languages will give us an additional edge. In fact, many countries in the world are promoting the learning of 2 languages. China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, Korea etc etc are learning their national language, yet it is compulsory for them to learn English too.
Your credit should be given to 'BillyBong' for suggesting the importance of learning 2 languages.
It is certainly correct that learning 2 languages or more can only benefit any individual, let alone in a multi-racial country such as Singapore.
However, to make it as the most important factor to gain admission into Tertiary Education is ridiculous.
There have been quite a few instances when A-Level students, who were high achievers in the important studies of English, Mathematics, Sciences, COULD NOT achieve the minimum standards required in the Second Language 'Mandarin'; and had been turned away by NUS and NTU.
continuing post by socrates:
About the 400,000 students, I feel that the the figures is a bit exaggerated... I feel that there is lesser than 10,000 people per year that failed to get into local universities JUST and only JUST because of their 2nd language and not due to their other subjects. Learning 2nd language does not seems to be a problem in the past too where there are more people speaking in mother tongue.
You are correct that
'10,000 people per year that failed to get into local universities JUST and only JUST because of their 2nd language and not due to their other subjects'.
400,000 students is
not an exaggeration. You only have to multiply by
40 years onto the
10,000 students PER YEAR that do not make it into Singapore Universities, due to the poor results with Mandarin as a Second Language.
Do not mix up Mandarin with the Dialects Spoken as a Mother Tongue by Chinese in Singapore.