Mother Tongue

“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.”
Frank Smith

While English Language enables us to communicate with people from around the world, our Mother Tongue Languages (MTL) endow us with a different set of cultural lenses and perspectives to connect with the world around us. Our horizons are widened when we are bilingual. Having an appreciation of MTL cultures not only enhances Singapore’s multicultural identity and fosters social cohesion in our daily lives, it also gives our students a competitive edge when tapping into global or regional opportunities in the future.

Our Curriculum

As part of Singapore’s bilingual policy, every student learns a Mother Tongue Language. At Bedok Green Secondary School, we aim to make the learning of MTL come alive, engaging and meaningful for our students though authentic learning experiences. Our students will be competent and confident in using MTL to tell stories, share feelings and thoughts, engage in discussions and debates. They will be able to gain much wisdom from the poems, idioms, proverbs which are deeply ingrained in the Mother Tongue Languages.

Our Enrichment

Our students go through authentic learning experiences to understand and appreciate the Mother Tongue Languages. For example, our students are engaged in learning journeys like exploring Kallang River, interviewing food stall vendors and patrons or even performing at homes for the elderly using ethnic musical instruments like the angklung. Such exposure provides our students with opportunities to make use of their mother tongue language as well as to better understand our rich heritage and culture. Using the information gathered during these learning journeys, students are then given tasks like production of video clips which helps develop 21st century competencies like collaboration and communication skills. In addition, the MTL programme includes the MTL Fortnight Programmes, Reading @BGSS, Overseas Immersion Programmes and competitions organized by external organisations.