MTL and Bilingualism Talent Development Programme

MTL Bilingualism & Talent Development Programme

Chinese Language

The Mother Tongue (Chinese Language) Talent Development Programme in Queensway aims to provide a platform for students to hone their language abilities and showcase their language skills through authentic learning experiences.

Students are groomed to participate in various competitions and language programmes such as Bilingual Debate Competition, Bilingual Podcast, Translation Module, Journalism courses, where they showcase and apply the knowledge and language skills that they have learned.

In 2022, the students worked together to create a Bilingual Newsletter, Connections! Click here to read it.

Student Experiences

Wang Xichen
“This year, I was really fortunate to participate in various activities and competitions as part of the Chinese Talent development programme (TDP). This year’s TDP activities ranged from being DJs for a bilingual radio podcast, to film making for a short movie, as well as a calligraphy competition. I had so much fun while participating in all these activities. 

One of the most memorable experiences was the bilingual debate competition. My fellow TDP mates and I decided to team up and give debating a shot, even though it was new to us. While preparing for the competition, our team learnt to work closely with and motivate each other. With the guidance of our teacher and support from other schoolmates within the Chinese TDP, we cleared the preliminary rounds of the debate competition. It was definitely a meaningful and fulfilling experience for me. 

The Chinese TDP has helped me become more positive and confident in terms of stepping out of my comfort zone to take on new challenges. I am truly grateful for the many opportunities to hone my language skills and I will treasure the memorable experiences for many years to come.” 

Yeo Yhi-hsin Olivia 
“I had a great experience taking part in the Chinese TDP. In particular, I enjoyed learning how to conduct interviews and write scripts during the Chinese journalism modules. The teacher conducting the course was very patient and encouraging. She made every session engaging and fun! I really appreciate the effort that the teachers put in to help us learn. I have also made many new friends from taking part in Chinese TDP. 

My Chinese has also improved tremendously as a result of the TDP, which has increased my exposure to the language. Listening to the teacher explain journalism concepts in Chinese, as well as speaking and writing in Chinese with my TDP mates has helped me to be more a confident writer and speaker.”

Ang Jing Yan 
“I have gained a deeper appreciation of the crucial role of translation in daily life. The way the teacher conducted the course was also interesting and engaging. The course gave us many opportunities to ask questions and clarify our doubts. From this course, I learnt that translating texts or media can help us to be better communicators, as well as improve our communication skills. I have benefitted a lot from participating in the translation module, and I look forward to attending the next translation course!”

Malay Language

ML Talent Development Programme students underwent a series of workshops to hone their language capabilities and enhance their confidence in using the language. These workshops include lyrics translation, lyrics composition and voice exploration. Our students also wrote their own scripts, emcee-ed and dramatised a skit for the 2021 Hari Raya celebrations.

This year, we appointed two Malay Language ambassadors, who represented our school in national language competitions and inter-school language-related activities. They also attended a nation-wide dialogue and networking event on Zoom with other ML ambassadors.

“I truly enjoyed planning, organising and producing the Hari Raya celebration presentation. I had so much fun writing and delivering my script as an emcee. ML TD has helped me to improve my interpersonal and communication skills, so that I am able to converse fluently and confidently with others. I have also learned how to craft engaging, interactive and appealing presentations, which is a useful life skill that has also come in handy for other subjects.” 

“I have really enjoyed all the activities I have participated in as part of ML TD! My most memorable experience in the ML Talent Development Programme was the  filming of the Hari Raya show with my friends! It was a time filled with fun and laughter as we planned and rehearsed together.  I am so proud of my team for staying united and working together to motivate each other. Despite the challenges presented by Covid,  we still managed to put together a successful performance! From the ML TD, I have gained a deeper appreciation of the Malay language and culture. I have also learnt the importance of preserving our culture, so that it remains relevant for future generations.”

Tamil Language

TL Talent Development Programme students underwent a series of workshops to hone their language capabilities and enhance their confidence in using the language. Among the in-house workshops that students participated in include:

1. Innovative Writing
2. Adoption of Literary Devices in Writing
3. Cross-product Writing (News Report to Essay Writing)

• Using imagination to create a story with the help of images

• Integrating famous quotes and similes in creative writing

• Writing a story based on an authentic news report

In Semester 2, students learnt about translation and review writing. In addition, they were given the opportunity to research on various aspects of Tamil language and culture as part of communal knowledge-building. Their research findings were consolidated on a webpage in the form of audio posts, which allowed them to learn from each other. 

Student Experiences

Pandian Subashini
“Participating in Tamil Language TDP was a novel and meaningful experience for me. It has helped me to be a more confident communicator, both in terms of speaking and writing.  I am thankful to my teachers and peers, who were supportive of me. Their feedback helped me to improve my command of the language. At first, I was nervous when I was nominated to take part in a writing competition, as I had never done anything like that before. However, my teachers were very encouraging and patient with me.  They inspired me to do my best, even though it was a new experience for me.

I was amazed to discover that I had won a prize in the competition, and had been selected to present my story. I couldn’t believe it at first, because there were so many other students who had also entered the competition. I am thankful to my teachers and peers for guiding and supporting me in my language journey. I have really enjoyed TD, as it has really helped me to improve in the language!”

Click here to read some of our students’ works!