Mother Tongue Languages
CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK
The new Primary MTL curriculum enables young learners to experience the joy of learning MTL, so as to motivate them to like and learn MTL for life. The Primary MTL curriculum equips learners with the essential communication and language competencies, culture & values and 21st Century Competencies, and helps them become confident MTL users.
Communication - Students are equipped with foundational language skills to ensure effective communication.
Culture & Values - Students learn to appreciate their own MTLs, culture and traditions.
21st Century Competencies - Students are equipped with foundational social-emotional competencies and competencies such as civic literacy, global awareness and cross-cultural skills, critical and inventive thinking.
DEPARTMENT PROGRAMMES
EXPERIENCES
Language Week
This programme is organised in collaboration with the English Department and aims to nurture a love for reading through a wide range of engaging language activities both within and beyond the curriculum. Throughout the week, students participate in exciting hands-on language games during recess, while Mother Tongue lessons feature activities such as storytelling, poetry recitals and the creation of brain teasers. Students also take part in Reading Bingo activities designed to encourage reading. Creative activities such as bookmark design, comic creation and writing a letter to an author further enrich their learning experience. A highlight of the programme is Character Day whereby students come to school dressed as their favourite book characters and share about them with their peers, bringing stories to life in a fun and meaningful way.
Mother Tongue Language (MTL) Fortnight
During MTL Fortnight, students take part in a wide range of immersive cultural and language activities designed to deepen appreciation of their culture and language. Through hands-on experiences such as Chinese calligraphy, wayang kulit making and deepam design, students learn more about the unique crafts and traditions of their respective cultures. They are also given meaningful opportunities to use the language through songs, poetry recitals, tongue twisters, rap and role play, making language learning lively and engaging. Complementing these activities are cultural exhibits centred on various themes, which help students gain a deeper understanding of traditions and practices across different communities. Through this programme, we aim to nurture students’ cultural awareness while strengthening their confidence and joy in using their Mother Tongue Language.
P1 & P2 Speech & Drama
This programme aims to develop students’ oracy skills and arouse their interest in the learning of the language through stories and drama.
Cultural Performance Exposure Scheme
This programme provides students with opportunities to experience language and culture through engaging performances by both local and foreign performing arts groups. Students are brought to the theatre to watch the performances. Through these performances, students are exposed to the richness of the language in an authentic way. We hope that these experiences will sustain their interest in language learning and deepen their cultural awareness.
Authentic Learning Experiences (Lower Primary)
Authentic learning experiences are created within the curriculum to bring classroom teaching alive. For example, CL students take on the role of stallholders and customers when purchasing items. Students enjoyed the experience while learning the sentence structures for the lesson. ML students learnt the skill of journal writing through the unit “We are Active Learners”. Students learnt about animal folklore through storytelling and experienced paper weaving before writing about their experiences. Drama-based teaching methods are also employed in the TL classroom. By taking on different roles in an imaginary setting, students are empowered to engage in creative conversations with their peers. The enthusiasm shown by the students during these lessons brings out the joy of learning.
SUPPORT PROGRAMMES
P4-P6 Remediation Programme
This programme provides targeted support for identified students to address learning gaps and support them in their learning through a structured remediation plan.
EXTENSION PROGRAMMES
Competitions
The department provides opportunities and exposure to selected students to stretch their potential in relevant language skills, e.g. writing and oracy. Some competitions that our students have participated in include Text Recital Competition, On-the-Spot Chinese Creative Essay Writing Competition, National Primary School Picture Book Creation Competition, National Pintar Kata App Competition and Muthamizh Vizha.
USEFUL WEBSITES
FOR CL LEARNING
Huanle Huoban 2.0
Aligned to the 2024 Primary School Chinese Language curriculum. Focuses on developing students’ skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing in a fun way. Students can log on to Student Learning Space (SLS) with their account to access the resources..
FOR ML LEARNING
Cita
(Suitable for Primary 1 to 5) Aligned to the 2024 Primary School Malay Language curriculum. It provides complementary multimedia resources which develop students’ Malay Language skills and knowledge in a fun and engaging way. Students can log on to Student Learning Space (SLS) with their account to access the resources..
Young Readers Series, Nabil and Nabilah
(Suitable for Primary 1 to 3) Developed by the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee.
https://www.mllpc.sg/agab-publications.html
FOR TL LEARNING
Inbathamizh
Aligned to the 2024 Tamil Language Primary curriculum, the multimedia resources include animated songs, stories, interactive pages etc. These resources focus on developing students’ language skills and knowledge through joyful learning. Students can log on to Student Learning Space (SLS) with their account to access the resources.