3rd Language for Your Child

[concern2]

As parents, if given a choice, which 3rd language would you choose for your child and why?


The polls give consideration to languages except English since it is the first and compulsory language to learn in Singapore.

The languages are listed in alphabetical order. If the language of your choice is not included, please select \"others\" and state what it is.

You may also select \"none\" if you do not think you'd let your child learn a 3rd language (for whatever reason).

[UncleLim]

Malay would be the most practical. For many years I wondered why the government has not encouraged us to pick the language up despite us having to interact with Malaysians and Indonesians, our nearest neighbours. Would that not have improved racial harmony even more ? But better late than never. In any case many of us have picked Malay up in NS or reservist training and use a smattering of terms at the food centre. So I would let all my kids learn Malay.

[concern2]

Yes, UncleLim! DS likes to ask me how to say this and that in Malay, because he wants to know what his malay friends talk about. He also doesn’t understand why his Malay friends’ can take Chinese and why he can’t take Malay language…


I understand that in most primary school nowadays, they do let the kids learn a 3rd language in P3. Is this correct? If so, how long are they given a chance to pursue the language - is that a one or two terms kind of thing?

LKY recommends Malay as 3rd language (is it yesterday?) , but I think some parents may stand to differ…

[UncleLim]

And we in Singapore will get to use Malay and speak it on a daily basis simply because there are people to speak the language with.


I took French as a 3rd language from Sec 1 and it has all gone to waste. Who in the world is going to speak French with me in my daily life?

Anyway, I think if a child can manage English, Mandarin and Malay, he or she will find interacting easy with most of our Asian neighbours.

This brings to mind an encounter with an American colleague who was travelling with me to the different offices around Asia. He communicated with me in English, heard me speak Mandarin in Taiwan and then Cantonese in HK. To him who spoke only English, that was bewildering! So maybe that is the Singaporean advantage?

[Oppsgal]

I am interested in letting my kid learn Malay. But ask the childcare teacher, teacher said no such language teach in school. :roll:


So if young cannot expose the the trilingual language, then how to have a good foundation?

Reason why want to learn Malay? If we are \"asked\" to go to neighbor countries to survive for old age, we can at least manage to communicate.

If compare to Malaysia schools, they learnt more languages (malay, chinese and english), so school fees are cheaper? :rotflmao:

[concern2]

Oppsgal:

Reason why want to learn Malay? If we are \"asked\" to go to neighbor countries to survive for old age, we can at least manage to communicate.

If compare to Malaysia schools, they learnt more languages (malay, chinese and english), so school fees are cheaper? :rotflmao:

:rotflmao:

[kittybank]

Japanese. So that he can translate food labels for me.

[jtoh]

MOE has started a initiative to let students learn conversational Malay in schools. All students will undergo the course. I think it was started in 2008.

[verykiasu2010]

Malay language studies is compulsory in HCI ? Quite popular in RI too


Recently met some angmo’s who speak mandarin like we do … wah, tough competition hor

[concern2]

verykiasu2010:

Malay language studies is compulsory in HCI ? Quite popular in RI too


Recently met some angmo's who speak mandarin like we do .... wah, tough competition hor

Ya - that's why must keep our mother tongue - the dialects :rotflmao:
Looks like now, the more languages you know, the better.