“Solutions to improve the standard of Chinese language should never be facile” – this is the title of one of the forum letters published in the Chinese Daily  Lianhe Zaobao on 14 July 2009. The Chinese Challenge, launched on 30 March 2009, has sparked off an ongoing debate about Chinese language losing its supposed importance among the Chinese themselves and the solutions we should undertake in order to solve the problem.

As a medium to better understand the long ancient history of Chinese traditions and heritage, learning the Chinese language is the key to retain the treasured past for the Chinese and also to introduce this past to the others. It is sad to know that in Singapore, where the Chinese form the majority, more youngsters do not even see the language as important. A quick glance around you will show a decreasing number of people who are at ease with reading and writing the Chinese characters, let alone speak the language fluently.

Chinese lessons in school involved much repitition

This does not come as a surprise, though it is not an intended outcome. When Singapore first gained its full independence in 1965, the country still had a complete Chinese language education system in many schools.

However, in the bid to establish the country’s international status and for the people to compete more effectively with the English-speaking world, English was made the first language, while the mother tongue was reduced to a second language. The importance of the Chinese language, therefore, shrank, since it no longer ensured a good job and a bright future, and knowing your heritage is not enough to feed you.

A friend once told me, “In a garden full of different species of flowers, those which belong to the majority type will take up more space as they bloom, sometimes even taking up space meant for the minority flowers. Co-existence of all the flowers will then have to depend on the gardener to give extra care to the minority flowers as well.” This is the same when it comes to languages. English, being the dominant language now, has the possibility of replacing the other languages, which we are already seeing it happen to Chinese. So, who’s to blame?

Is it that of the government since they came up with the policies then, encouraging English and indirectly placing lesser emphasis on Chinese? Or can it be blamed on the culture of Singapore or maybe the media as we mimic the westerners, believing that English, by association, is the language symbolising power, prestige and a higher social standing? Perhaps, it’s due in part to parents wanting the best for their children and encouraging them to focus more on English in order to have a bright future. Or maybe at the end of it all, the blame still lies with the individuals who are just not interested in the language.

I believe that individuals play the most significant role in this problem. Without the individuals showing interest in learning the language, the good policies, conducive learning culture or encouragement from the parents do not matter. Let’s just take the situation now in Singapore as our example – the government is encouraging more Singaporeans to speak Mandarin with the setting up of the Promote Mandarin Council; the school is placing more emphasis on teaching Chinese, using different mediums to attract the students, but the situation still remains as such – it is just not working.

I believe that when it comes to learning a language, even if it is one that holds the key to the Chinese heritage, it should never be forced upon by anyone, definitely not on the pretext of treasuring our heritage and not forgetting our roots. Giving a choice to the youngsters nowadays may result in no one choosing to learn the language, but if you are to force them to learn a language, without first intriguing them with the wonders of it, will they even feel that the Chinese heritage is important? Or will they only be obliged to learn and perform well in the language just so that they can have their straight-A’s in their report cards.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew launching the 2009 Speak Mandarin Campaign yesterday. With him is Ms Lim Sau Hoong, chairman of the Promote Mandarin Council. - ST Photo

I applaud the government for their policies such as the Chinese B (where students can build on their foundations for the Chinese language) and accepting the flexible and customised Chinese language curriculum. Just like how schools are having classes divided by bands when it comes to subjects such as mathematics and English, the learning of Chinese should also take into consideration of the students with different aptitude – not just the divide between those taking Higher Chinese and those who do not.

Usually, the weaker students are the ones who do not have the interest in the language (nobody would be interested if they just can’t score in the exams). By catering to the needs of the weaker students, focusing on the foundations and allowing them to learn at their own pace, the students will then find it comfortable and probably have their interest developed for the language.

Though I can speak Mandarin fluently, I must admit that the language is tough to master – with the hanyu pinyin, and having to remember the strokes for the different Chinese characters. It requires patience to master it well and the interest for that language will help greatly as we go through the long and tedious process. Four years of learning my third language, Japanese, is one clear example of how interest matters the most. Till now, I am still no where near the fluency which I have expected out of the long learning process. There are many instances when I just felt like giving it up – as it becomes more time-consuming or when the frustration gets to me when I just cannot remember how to structure the sentence in the correct way or even the correct vocabulary to describe the situation – but it’s the interest that’s keeping me going on.  My perseverance has a lot to do with the encouragement to myself that I’m learning because I’m interested. Only then will I feel motivated to carry on with it.

Before we start talking about heritage and the need to remember our roots to the younger generation, it will be great if we can get them attracted to the language first. I remember my parents sending me to a class when I was five, which explained to me how the different Chinese characters came about – each stroke representing a graphic in the past, before it transformed into what it is today, something simpler and with lesser strokes to remember. Chinese phrases, too, have their fascinating stories behind them. Such appealing stories helped me greatly in remembering how the words and phrases came about and why they are used in a certain way. I guess that’s how I master the language since learning it no longer seems so boring.

Does it make us less Chinese if we do not speak Mandarin? Probably, but interest in the language or even the heritage should never be imposed upon as our younger generation need to recognize the importance of the tradition on their own.  We need them to change their mentality of learning Chinese – not memorizing to do well in school or to obey their parents, but the true understanding of the meaning behind the creation and the usage of the language. It’s this understanding that will inspire each individual to accept the language and the culture instead of rejecting it straightaway. After all, we are not just looking for Mandarin-speaking beings. We are nurturing individuals who are sincerely appreciative of their heritage.