Learn a Language, Build a Bond
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Finger puppets bring Malay words to life.
If you happen to pass by a Woodlands Primary classroom on a Saturday morning, don’t be surprised to see pupils enjoying a language lesson - together with their parents no less! Besides simple things like saying “hello”, “goodbye” or introducing themselves, they also learn how to count, how to address people appropriately and even how to order food. All the better to interact with people of other races, we hope - and maybe even to score a bigger helping of food at the hawker centre!
The free language lessons are a result of the Language to Bond Project which started in 2006. For eight Saturday mornings, five parent and teacher volunteers give Chinese, Malay and Tamil lessons to interested parents and pupils. No formal tests or oral exams here - participants simply drop in and pick up some conversational phrases in a casual, comfortable environment.
Woodlands Primary parents learn through play-acting Chinese words.
No matter how shy someone was at first, everyone had the chance to practise their verbal skills. Sure, there was a little awkwardness over how “funny” they thought they sounded when they first spoke in the new language - but once they got used to it, they were off and running. We also structured the lessons to help them revise what they had picked up earlier, to reinforce the new sounds and vocabulary.
Language to Bond is not just a great avenue to help people of different races to learn about each other. It has also helped to strengthen family ties. Parents and children, even grandmothers and siblings, trooped in together to learn, make mistakes, make improvements and simply enjoy each other’s company.
Picking up Tamil is a breeze with interactive elements.
Many parents later told us that they appreciated the quality time with their children. Mr Tan Kok Cheng felt that he had gained some insight into his son Shi Qi’s character. "The lessons gave me the opportunity to see how Shi Qi learns in a classroom setting and to understand his problems better.”
Moreover, children learn so quickly, they could even help their parents along. For instance, Mr Ng Choon Yong relished getting help from his son Jia Xiang. “He knows just how to fill in the gaps with the right word in Tamil at the right moment.”
The biggest treat was when six pupils from the 2006 Language to Bond project greeted their teachers in a third language in front of the whole school on Teachers’ Day. They were able to use the right phrases and pronounce them accurately, much to the delight of their teachers and parents - and some of them were only in Pri 1!
Our two language modules were so popular in 2006, we’re running them again this year and will introduce a new module in 2008. We’re also thinking of uploading our teaching resources onto the school website, for the benefit of those who need more practice or for anyone who’s simply curious about a new language.
Contributed by:
Mdm Ong Kim
Vice Principal
Woodlands Primary School