Relevance of Bulan Bahasa in Improving Learning and Use of Malay Language

Mr Zainudin Nordin asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the relevance of "Bulan Bahasa" in the context of improving the use and learning of the Malay language; (b) whether there are fundamental concerns with regard to the diminishing use of the Malay language in the community; and (c) whether the teaching and learning of the Malay language will be further improved to inspire our younger generation to use it more.

Bulan Bahasa is an annual initiative of the Malay Language Council Singapore to showcase Malay language, culture and heritage, which are very much part of our shared Singaporean heritage and identity. So, Bulan Bahasa is as much for the Malay community in Singapore as it is for all Singaporeans.

There has been an increased awareness of and support for Bulan Bahasa since it was first launched in 1988. In 2011, the decision was taken to make Bulan Bahasa a yearly event, instead of biennially before then. This year's Bulan Bahasa, organised with the support of the National Heritage Board (NHB), attracted over 20,000 participants, double that of last year. The programmes allowed participants, many of whom are our youth and students, to use the Malay language in a lively way. For example, the Asian Civilisations Museum featured the Rakan Rakan Muzium programme (Friends of the Museum) in which Secondary and tertiary students were trained to introduce the artefacts in Malay to visitors.

In 2015, as part of our Golden Jubilee celebrations, NHB will support the plans by the Malay Language Council to organise Bulan Bahasa on a larger scale. For instance, there are plans to hold exhibitions and associated programmes showcasing the contributions of our literary pioneers and community leaders to the development and promotion of the Malay language in Singapore. The Council also intends to organise language and literature programmes, such as book talks and Malay language performances, targeted at students of all ages, from pre-school to tertiary. We hope these activities will help Singaporeans better understand this important part of our cultural heritage.

The Member asked if there were concerns with regard to the diminishing use of the Malay language in the community and how the teaching and learning of the language for the young can be improved. It is true that English is becoming more and more prevalently used at home today. This applies to all communities, including Malay households. It is in view of

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this trend that MOE's efforts to strengthen the motivation of students in learning their mother tongue languages become even more important.

Arising from the recommendations made by the Mother Tongue Language Review Committee in 2010, MOE has redesigned its materials and teaching approaches to make lesson time more interactive. Through group discussions, debates, role-plays and the use of technology, lessons have become a lot more fun and engaging.

Schools also organise Mother Tongue Fortnights annually, in collaboration with community organisations and stakeholders, during which cultural activities are showcased to stimulate students' interest in their mother tongue and help them to see how the language can come alive. Some schools go the extra mile to expose their non-Malay students to the Malay language and culture. A good example is Edgefield Secondary School where all its students learn conversational mother tongue languages, including Malay, as well as about the respective cultures, in Secondary 1.

The Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism (LKYFB) also supplements efforts through initiatives that reach out to pre-school centres, homes and the community.

With these collective efforts, we hope to keep the language alive for the Malay community and to inspire more non-Malays to pick up the language.