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Apathy to Chinese-language publications?
The appalling Chinese-language standards of young Singaporeans is a cause for concern. The Chinese media and educational and cultural groups, in particular, have been trying hard to halt the decline.
We live in an era that witnesses rapid developments in information technology and multimedia. Reading is no longer the only way for young people to acquire knowledge and information. Their poor command of the Chinese language also makes the reading of Chinese books and newspapers an unenjoyable chore that they would rather do without.
As a young person and a product of our bilingual education, my view is that Chinese is not a dreadful language to be avoided at all costs.
Whenever we discuss the deteriorating standards of the Chinese language, young people tend to point an accusing finger at the stressful schoolwork as the cause. Out of the average seven to eight subjects that secondary-school pupils study, at least six are taught in English. It does not make so-called economic sense thus to invest time in the Chinese language which is just a subject by itself.
On the other hand, the effect of globalisation is all-pervasive. Western culture now dominates the life of young Singaporeans, making the learning of Chinese increasingly irrelevant and burdensome. It is an arduous task to get young people keen on the language when there are so many competing interests.
It has been reported in the press that the standards of both‘O’and‘A’level examinations have fallen. This means that to emerge tops in the relentless competition, schools will have to outdo each other in more areas, such as sports, the arts and leadership quality, in addition to just academic brilliance. This, in turn will result in even less time for learning Chinese.
The problems that pupils weak in Chinese face are not necessarily tougher than those who are poor in English and the sciences. But for students who are hard-pressed for time, it is wiser to work on improving English as a better command of English will also help them do well in other subjects.
The Chinese language is in a rather helpless state. In designing the curriculum and restructuring the educational system, the Ministry of Education has hinted that being inadequate in Chinese will not spell the end for pupils, creating a misconception that the learning of Chinese can wait.
Students have several opportunities to pass the Chinese ‘O’ level examination. After getting their results, they can even opt for the less difficult Chinese B paper. It is said that this acts as a “safety net” for students who do well in all subjects except Chinese. However, in the eyes of many parents and students, this is just an “escape route” from having to learn Chinese.
It is a different story for English. There is no English B course for those weak in the subject. Students have no choice but to mug up on it if they want to progress further.
Psychological factors also cause some young people to shy away from Chinese publications. Let me share my personal experience. Whenever I am reading a Chinese-language book on the bus or in the train, some commuters will throw me a glance that seems to suggest it is strange that I should be reading what I'm reading, making me feel rather awkward. But if I happen to be reading something in English, there will not be such unwelcome curiosity and I will feel completely at ease.
When I flip open the Chinese-language newspapers in the hope of keeping abreast with current affairs through the mother tongue, I am often disheartened to find translated geographical, human or product names that read more like tongue-twisters. They slow down reading and make news reports harder to comprehend. It is comparatively easier to obtain information from English-language newpapers.
Even if we can grasp the facts and arguments of the Chinese-language articles, we often have to switch back to English when we discuss them with classmates and friends of other races. If we are accustomed to thinking in Chinese, this would mean we have to go through an additional process of mental translation which will impede spontaneous exchange and debate.
For young pupils, the Chinese language will almost certainly be sidelined in the course of learning. However, to lose our mother tongue and the rich cultural heritage that it embodies, young people also risk losing precious values that will serve them in life. Although it is not an easy job to make Chinese-language publications attractive to young people, it is a task that has to be undertaken.
(The writer is an SPH scholar. She is now attached to Zaobao's Commentary Desk.)
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新加坡年轻华人华文程度低落，是各界无不关注的问题，也是华文媒体和文教团体想方设法克服的课题。在电脑资讯和其他多媒体日新月异的时代，阅读对年轻人来说，已不是获取信息的唯一方式，而华文书报的阅读更因为语文程度的日益下降，变得勉强而且可有可无。我本身是受双语教育的年轻人，对这课题的看法是：华文绝不是洪水猛兽。
谈到华文程度下滑时，年轻人往往归咎于功课过于繁重。中学生一般选修七八个科目，至少六科是以英语为媒介语，华文只是单一科目，若要花心思搞好，所得成果似乎不太符合所谓的经济效益。
另一方面，无论是政治、资讯或娱乐，本地各领域都深受全球化的影响。西方文化在年轻一代的生活中扮演了更显著的角色，而华文的学习也似乎离我们生活越来越远。当学习变成一种负担，要在有限的空间里培养足够的兴趣，就变成一项艰巨工程。
有报道指出，‘O’水准和‘A’水准程度出现了下降的趋势。这意味着要脱颖而出，学校就得在各方面有更出类拔萃的表现。除了课业上的特优，国人对莘莘学子们的要求伸展至体育、艺术、领导才能等其他领域。在这样的要求下，时间愈显不足。
华文不好的学生所面对的困扰，其实不比英文或数理化差的学生来得大。然而，对分秒必争的学子们，搞好英文或许是更为划算的要求。因为花时间提升英文水平，也有助于更好掌握其他学科。
华文的确面对孤掌难鸣的处境，教育部在制定课程和调整教育体制时，不也暗示了华文差并不会击垮你，这让许多人误以为华文可以暂时搁置。
华文不及格可以重考很多次，等到成绩放榜后也可以改修程度较低的“华文B”。据了解，华文B是当局为其他成绩很好，但华文“有问题”的学生所设的，有如一道“安全网”。但在许多家长、学生眼中，这是“不必学华文”的一种开脱。
英文则不同。教育部并没有给英文弱的学生安排英文B课程，英文不好的学生只好破釜沉舟，硬着头皮把英文搞好。
有一部分的年轻人之所以对华文书报敬而远之，其实是不必要的心理因素。我本身便有这样的经验：在乘搭巴士或地铁，打开手里的中文读物开始阅读时，便感到周围的乘客向我和手上的书投以异样的眼光，让我觉得颇不自在。而当情况换成是我在阅读英文书刊时，那种不自在的感觉就好像不翼而飞似的。
翻开华文报章，想要通过自己的母语洞悉时事脉搏，却发现一大堆的地名、人名，甚至是产品名称都是拗口的翻译名词。本想多了解国际动态，但我还是要消化一大堆名词，报道也看不大明白，结果发现读英文报比较通畅。
此外，在阅读华文报，获得了有关资讯和论点之后，与同学或异族朋友讨论时，往往也得转化回英文的轨道上。要是我们习惯了用华文思考，这就等于须经历另一段翻译过程，不利于唇枪舌剑的短兵相接。
新加坡年轻一代的求学过程的确让华文变得渐行渐远，然而，失去母语以及母族文化背后源远流长的滋润，年轻一代将很快在价值定位上迷失方向。至于华文书报要怎样做才吸引到我们这一群读者，无疑是一项艰巨但肯定值得征服的任务。
·作者是新加坡报业控股集团奖学金得主，目前在早报言论组实习
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