The decision by the Education Ministry to change its policy on the learning of a third language means that non-Chinese students will be allowed to study Chinese as a third language. By the same token, Chinese students will also be able to learn the mother tongues of other ethnic groups, such as the Malay language.
Apart from giving students the opportunity to master an additional language which may prove handy in future for career advancement, the objective of letting students take up a third language is to help foster better understanding between the different racial communities as well as greater appreciation of the culture of the different ethnic groups.
In my view, the government should consider extending this policy beyond the school to the society at large. Singaporeans, especially young Singaporeans who have just started work, will then get a chance to study a third language during their free time.
For many students, the tremendous demand of schoolwork has already made them feel that learning the mother tongue is a strain. There is no reason to pile on the pressure by studying a third language. Yet, after they have completed their education and joined the rat race, they may become more mature and may desire to learn a third language when the avenue for it is no longer readily available.
The government should consider offering such language courses since they will obviously benefit our multi-racial society.
We have been stressing the importance of lifelong learning with the focus on keeping up with rapid progress in science and technology and management know-how. The little attention paid to language and culture leaves much to be desired. The irony is that we do not know much about the language of other ethnic groups even though we are a multi-racial country located at the centre of Southeast Asia.
There are young working Singaporeans who hope to learn the Malay language but have little idea where such courses are available. Some private schools and community clubs do offer Malay-language classes but they are mostly short courses. For people who are keen on acquiring a deeper knowledge of the Malay language and culture, where should they turn to？
Similarly, there are non-Chinese Singaporeans who are interested in learning the Chinese language. Do we have Chinese organisations which specialise in providing such courses？ Perhaps the Japanese Cultural Society in Singapore, where many Singaporeans spend years to learn the Japanese language in a systematic manner, can serve as a model for us in designing professional courses for the learning of the Chinese or Malay language.
（The writer is a community worker. Translated by Yap Gee Poh.）
教育部已決定修訂第三語文政策,也就是說在籍的學生,如屬非華族,可選修華文為第三語文。同樣的,華族學生也能選修馬來文或其他族群的語言為第三語文。
推行第三語文政策的目的,除了讓學生多掌握一種語文知識,以便將來在社會上工作時多了一種謀生技能,也有助于多元種族社會的相互了解,促進各族之間對彼此文化的欣賞。
政府的這項政策的主要對象是學生。其實我覺得政府不妨考慮推廣到社會的各個階層,讓其他的國人,尤其是那些剛踏入社會工作的年輕人,也能在工余之時學習第三語文。
由于學生們在求學時代要應付的功課實在太多,要他們學習母語已經不勝負荷了,如果要他們再學習第三語文,更是提不起勁。然而這些學生一旦畢業(yè)并踏入社會一段日子后,也許身心思想各方面都更加成熟,這時如果他們想要學習第三語文,卻往往不得其門而入。
因此政府不妨考慮也為工作人士開辦第三語文課程,讓各族人士能通過學習彼此的語文,加強對各族文化的了解,這對多元種族的社會絕對有利。
政府雖然強調終身學習,但主要都是在科技工商管理方面。對于語言文化方面,我們可以說是未臻理想。然而具反諷的卻是我們是一個多元種族的國家,位處東南亞的中心,對于他族的語言文字,我們又了解多少？
本地有不少踏入社會工作的年輕人都希望學習馬來文,卻不一定曉得有哪些機構開辦相關課程。雖然一些私人學?；蚵摻j所開辦馬來語課程,但都是屬于短期性質的,如果要有系統(tǒng)的學習馬來文并加深文化層面的認識,他們又可以在什么地方學習呢？
同樣的,本地的異族同胞也有人想要學習華文,然而試問：有哪一個組織專門開辦這些課程呢？ 在本地,有不少人以好幾年的時間在新日文化協會有系統(tǒng)的學習日文,或許我們也應該像新日文化協會那樣,有系統(tǒng)的開辦華文、馬來文等專業(yè)課程。
Apart from giving students the opportunity to master an additional language which may prove handy in future for career advancement, the objective of letting students take up a third language is to help foster better understanding between the different racial communities as well as greater appreciation of the culture of the different ethnic groups.
In my view, the government should consider extending this policy beyond the school to the society at large. Singaporeans, especially young Singaporeans who have just started work, will then get a chance to study a third language during their free time.
For many students, the tremendous demand of schoolwork has already made them feel that learning the mother tongue is a strain. There is no reason to pile on the pressure by studying a third language. Yet, after they have completed their education and joined the rat race, they may become more mature and may desire to learn a third language when the avenue for it is no longer readily available.
The government should consider offering such language courses since they will obviously benefit our multi-racial society.
We have been stressing the importance of lifelong learning with the focus on keeping up with rapid progress in science and technology and management know-how. The little attention paid to language and culture leaves much to be desired. The irony is that we do not know much about the language of other ethnic groups even though we are a multi-racial country located at the centre of Southeast Asia.
There are young working Singaporeans who hope to learn the Malay language but have little idea where such courses are available. Some private schools and community clubs do offer Malay-language classes but they are mostly short courses. For people who are keen on acquiring a deeper knowledge of the Malay language and culture, where should they turn to？
Similarly, there are non-Chinese Singaporeans who are interested in learning the Chinese language. Do we have Chinese organisations which specialise in providing such courses？ Perhaps the Japanese Cultural Society in Singapore, where many Singaporeans spend years to learn the Japanese language in a systematic manner, can serve as a model for us in designing professional courses for the learning of the Chinese or Malay language.
（The writer is a community worker. Translated by Yap Gee Poh.）
教育部已決定修訂第三語文政策,也就是說在籍的學生,如屬非華族,可選修華文為第三語文。同樣的,華族學生也能選修馬來文或其他族群的語言為第三語文。
推行第三語文政策的目的,除了讓學生多掌握一種語文知識,以便將來在社會上工作時多了一種謀生技能,也有助于多元種族社會的相互了解,促進各族之間對彼此文化的欣賞。
政府的這項政策的主要對象是學生。其實我覺得政府不妨考慮推廣到社會的各個階層,讓其他的國人,尤其是那些剛踏入社會工作的年輕人,也能在工余之時學習第三語文。
由于學生們在求學時代要應付的功課實在太多,要他們學習母語已經不勝負荷了,如果要他們再學習第三語文,更是提不起勁。然而這些學生一旦畢業(yè)并踏入社會一段日子后,也許身心思想各方面都更加成熟,這時如果他們想要學習第三語文,卻往往不得其門而入。
因此政府不妨考慮也為工作人士開辦第三語文課程,讓各族人士能通過學習彼此的語文,加強對各族文化的了解,這對多元種族的社會絕對有利。
政府雖然強調終身學習,但主要都是在科技工商管理方面。對于語言文化方面,我們可以說是未臻理想。然而具反諷的卻是我們是一個多元種族的國家,位處東南亞的中心,對于他族的語言文字,我們又了解多少？
本地有不少踏入社會工作的年輕人都希望學習馬來文,卻不一定曉得有哪些機構開辦相關課程。雖然一些私人學?；蚵摻j所開辦馬來語課程,但都是屬于短期性質的,如果要有系統(tǒng)的學習馬來文并加深文化層面的認識,他們又可以在什么地方學習呢？
同樣的,本地的異族同胞也有人想要學習華文,然而試問：有哪一個組織專門開辦這些課程呢？ 在本地,有不少人以好幾年的時間在新日文化協會有系統(tǒng)的學習日文,或許我們也應該像新日文化協會那樣,有系統(tǒng)的開辦華文、馬來文等專業(yè)課程。