2018 PSLE Discussions & Strategies (Born in 2006)
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hercules:
For the sec 2 text in Chapter 16, 杜牧的“清明” and 王之涣的“登鹤雀楼” should be familiar to quite a number of primary school students. Coincidentally, my kid is (trying) reading this:
...
So far all the kids (incl mine) whom I know can't hold a proper Mandarin conversation and have forgotten most of the Chinese characters after their uni (my daughter is still reading Chinese novels currently but she can't make it in her Mandarin speaking too coz so lacking in practice). I actually tested some of them Sec 2 text and they smiling sheepishly at me:
...![](\"https://i.postimg.cc/zGVn1tGv/S2.jpg\")
https://i.postimg.cc/zGVn1tGv/S2.jpg\">
...
.![](\"https://i.postimg.cc/mD6b1Jjx/F804-CA5-A-7174-4-D46-8-F0-A-6-D09-E6-B76-DBD.jpg\")
Most of the poems are too cheem and difficult for her (P1) but the book is supposedly meant for age 7 to 12 (NLB says so; found under Children’s section).
As for Chinese language, it’s about sustaining an interest in both the language and the culture. Personal experience: my French, German and American ex-colleagues (note: plural, not singular) can converse in perfect 普通话, I don’t see what excuses we Chinese can have for ourselves. -
sky minecrafter:
[quote]local Chinese probably got the highest grade via tuition while the real 'Chinese Chinese' don't usually attend Chinese tuition
Facts as of Y2018: 1) A (lower primary) classmate (parents born in China) goes to 2 Chinese tuition/enrichment centres, on top of parental coaching at home 2) Another classmate (parents born in China) also goes to a Chinese tuition/enrichment centre[/quote]have lah....I saw a few PRC children attending Wang and Jiang. -
sky minecrafter:
[quote]local Chinese probably got the highest grade via tuition while the real 'Chinese Chinese' don't usually attend Chinese tuition
Facts as of Y2018: 1) A (lower primary) classmate (parents born in China) goes to 2 Chinese tuition/enrichment centres, on top of parental coaching at home 2) Another classmate (parents born in China) also goes to a Chinese tuition/enrichment centre[/quote]Yup, many students with parents from China attend Chinese tuition. Either those centres we are familiar or those known in their own circles (centres set up by新移民 and attend mainly by 新移民) -
Parents of PRC kids typically make their way back to China for Chinese language tuition as they've a lot of good resources for their CL. For those alr sunk roots here, they'll depend on our local tuition centers just to meet our PSLE.
I used to hv a PRC family whose grandma was a teacher in Hebei. She had taught a few local kids & was dismayed that Spore kids hv very poor foundation to build on, unlike their kids who had at least gone through 5/6 years of PRC education & when theyvreturn to China, they just pick up fr there. Vaguely rmbr she gauged Spore kids mostly can only reach their primary beginners level when at our primary 3 level. So it's generally 3 years behind. Of course there are exceptions. One frd who hv Chinese educated parents who are caregivers at home & son consistently top in Chinese & earned his A+ for PSLE.
I'm exposed to some ASEAN scholars (Msians, PRC, Vista & Indonesians). Discovered that my kids can't compare with those Msians & Indonesian Chinese taking HCL in sec schools. Seems their Pri sch system requires them to cover all the basic Chinese literature readings. Yes, they do tuition back in Msia & Indonesia but heard for every hour of our 1-1 home tuition fees, it gets them a whole month's value of tuition at twice a week! That's abt S$40-50 a mth twice weekly!
However, they feel less competent in their English capabilities & feels the immense pressures when competing with our local kids.
However, our local kids fr diff non-Chinese bkgrd will perform just as well esp if the family starts them fr very young. I've known a few kids fr families with at least one parent of Indian descent apparently enjoy doing Chinese language & feels detached fr learning Tamil tho they speak the language.
Yet, I know of a naturalized Sporean family whose patriarch (former Indonesian) feels 2nd language hv no value & seek to reduce burdens for his 3 kids by 'paying' for medical reasons as exemption support. Only his youngest girl fought for chance to continue with her CL at SCGS & mum coached her. She did very well with her mother's support.
It's my believe that if we want our kids not to struggle in languages or any subjs, we will need to show support & provide resources to nurture their interests & abilities. If parents do not speak much of CL, peers in school relate more in English, then the environment is not conducive to nurture the love for CL. At least parents speak English & CL interchangeably or with grandparents, kids will hv a sustaining reason to perform better. -
floppy:
Many kids can recite 唐诗宋词 from about 3 years old, never mind that they can't read those words or know the deep meanings behind. Asked my son about 锄禾日当午 and he can't continue from there at all (all returned to me / the teacher oredi).[
For the sec 2 text in Chapter 16, 杜牧的“清明” and 王之涣的“登鹤雀楼” should be familiar to quite a number of primary school students. Coincidentally, my kid is (trying) reading this:
Most of the poems are too cheem and difficult for her (P1) but the book is supposedly meant for age 7 to 12 (NLB says so; found under Children’s section).
As for Chinese language, it’s about sustaining an interest in both the language and the culture. Personal experience: my French, German and American ex-colleagues (note: plural, not singular) can converse in perfect 普通话, I don’t see what excuses we Chinese can have for ourselves.
I enjoy watching this video of the little boy speaking multi languages (and I admired how Jack Ma learnt his English). They learnt coz of needs and not coz of exams.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRuyy0akcX4 -
hercules:
Temp post but must still quote lah, otherwise how to respond.
...
So far in my life, I yet to meet any young adult who tells me he/she loves Chinese. (recently my 15 yo nephew asking me about helping him to secure an A for his next year O level Chinese and that's why I am going thru all the vocab needed from S1 to S4 and asking around those who had completed their O Chinese about their grades to assess his chance. My conclusion is No Chance and the max I can help him is a B3 and therefore not worth to spend time brushing up his Chinese and just concentrate on others to secure his straight As. I love Chinese but when come to 'practicality', it's a 'dispensable subject' when a child actually has no interest but only on the A).
* Temp post. Pls do not quote.
To love and appreciate Chinese, it's not about ace-ing the subject. If you do it for the purpose of ace-ing the language, you will forget it after the exams (and IMHO, A at PSLE / O Level is easy peasy lah).
To love / appreciate Chinese, you would have to love / appreciate the culture aspect of it as well... in my case:
- I love Jin Yong, Gu Long and Liang Yusheng (aka the 3 Greats)
- I love TV wuxia shows... which happens to relate to the above
- I love computer games... especially KOEI's Romance of the 3 Kingdoms series, Water Margin. As a result of the above, I read Romance of the 3 Kingdoms, Water Margin
- One of my exam subject concerns the history of Asian art which also means I have to understand Chinese history... Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, 3 Kingdom, Jin, North / South dynasties, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing
Your kid should talk more cos it's not really that difficult (unless environment really don't give her the opportunity). -
sky minecrafter:
[quote]It's not true that SAP school doesn't have non-Chinese race. There are quite a lot of students with mixed-parentage or Eurasians in SAP schools.
Yes, every batch, I seem to see an Indian, Caucasian... child, studying Higher Chinese. In fact, my child's Indochinese classmate writes Chinese characters better than us.[/quote]If go to Kumon (Novena) branch, one can see many Indian kindingarten children aged K1, K2, (5 or 6 years old) taking up Chinese tuition at Kumon, at such a young age . Many started young.
I spoke to one Indian parent, sitting outside Kumon classroom, awaiting to pick up her K2 son, chit chat.
I asked her what Mother tongue she intend her son to study , next time go Primary 1 ?
She replied that she prefer him to learn Chinese in schools. She said while young, must let her son learn Chinese, because Tamil they can speak at home, and she able to teach him. I asked her why she so persistent that her son must learn Chinese ? She replied that China is a strong, super power economy. Next time when her son grow up, he may work in China or travel to China to do business, so it is important that he must be able to speak, read and write in Chinese. And must learn from young, as being young, give them an added advantage, in buulding a strong foundation. -
sky minecrafter:
[quote]local Chinese probably got the highest grade via tuition while the real 'Chinese Chinese' don't usually attend Chinese tuition
Facts as of Y2018: 1) A (lower primary) classmate (parents born in China) goes to 2 Chinese tuition/enrichment centres, on top of parental coaching at home 2) Another classmate (parents born in China) also goes to a Chinese tuition/enrichment centre[/quote]Spoken to a China parent whose son (born in China) is studying in a local primary school. He said he enrolled his son under Phase 3, into a local primary school.
He said during regular Term time, his son will take English tuition lessons in Sg, to help him strengthen his command of English.
However come school holiday time, he will fly back with his son to China, during the long term break (vacation), eg during June and Dec school holiday.
And his son will continue to receive Chinese tuition, back in China..He said that Chinese tuition standard back in China, is much higher than that of Sg.
He also mentioned that China students' Maths and Science, are also strong. He said in China, Maths and Science subjects , are all taught in Chinese. -
floppy:
I find Chinese a breeze and so I also can't understand why my own son was struggling with it but I accepted it and even allowed him to drop Chinese at end of S3. What I find easy I cannot expect others to find it easy as well. I figured coz I am fluent in several dialects from young and so that sort of helped me in mastering Chinese (that the younger generation is lacking in this).
To love and appreciate Chinese, it's not about ace-ing the subject. If you do it for the purpose of ace-ing the language, you will forget it after the exams (and IMHO, A at PSLE / O Level is easy peasy lah). -
Maybe it’s too sweeping a statement but I think only Singaporean Chinese learn Chinese until 要生要死.
What is the Mother Tongue? It is the language that one grows up speaking with since early childhood.
So we have to ask ourselves, what language do we speak to our children. Was it “You want milk milk?” Or “要不要泡nei nei?” If the former, then your kid’s mother tongue is English!!
Well, my mum spoke to me in mandarin, I watched lots of Cantonese and Taiwanese serials with my grandma. Thus, I have no problem conversing fluently in mandarin. I know some parents don’t even allow their kids to watch these bo liao serials. But that’s one good way to learn mandarin and be introduced to Chinese culture.
I also notice there are parents who rather speak to their kids in broken English than to use mandarin. That, we have to ask ourselves why. Sometimes, our children are what we shaped them into.
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