Singapore's Bilingual Journey
At a time when many Chinese could not understand the choice, Lee Kuan Yew selected English as the working language for the state.
English is a common language in the Commonwealth countries and in most countries worldwide. And common exact knowledge favour cliques using the same language which thus enable clear communication.
China is making English as the most intensive studied language and as an essential 'tool of survival' and to serve people better.
I tell my son who share the same birth date as Lee Kuan Yew to read 'My Lifelong Challenge' over and over again. He has been asked to write the date on the page after the hard cover when he begin to read Lee's book and to write again the date each time he reread the book. I believed he would gradually inhale the recipe of a journey as he read on.
The book also reveal why Lee studied Japanese in Queen Street, a street my wife and me spent our afternoon a day after Christmas last year, before we attended a dinner at the Park Royal on Beach Road on the same evening.
When I was at the Popular Book Store on Saturday 10 March 2012, I have two choices. One is to buy the book 'A Doctor In The House ~ The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad'. The other is to buy the book 'My Lifelong Challenge ~ Singapore's Bilingual Journey by Lee Kuan Yew'. It took much effort to reach a decision on which book to buy first.
But then I am mindful that I must buy the book 'A Doctor In The House' first because I love the man who was once my Prime Minister. I continue to love him because he is the 'father' of modern Malaysia.
After walking out of the store, I told my wife and children that I have to get a copy of 'My Lifelong Challenge ~ Singapore's Bilingual Journey' and never expected I would get a hard copy on Sunday 22 April 2012 10:51 hours, which happened to be the eve of the World Book Day.
I watched the live-telecast National Day Parade every year over SBC 8 and SBC 5 since 1967 with my first 'Sharp' TV. They used Malay, Tamil and Mandarin. It is only now after reaching Page 50 of Lee's book that I realised that Singapore took more than 2 decades to use English for the first time on the National Day, 9 August 1986. On voice ~ English.
With SBC 8, I picked up Mandarin, listen and spoken. I never attended a Chinese School whereas all my brothers did. An aunt, who retired as a teacher from Yok Bin Secondary School 育明中学 27 years ago had advised my mother to send me to an English School back in 1966. I began my nursery school with the Saint Francis Xavier kindergarten, primary at Bandar Hilir English School and secondary at Malacca High School. I am now thankful to SBC , that I am able to apprehend and converse simple Mandarin or putonghua today.
For many like me who are unlikely to see the private photographs of Mr. Lee, seeing Mr and Mrs Lee and their three young children enjoying a game of Chinese Chess is the best gift in life.
LEE KUAN YEW | My Lifelong Challenge ~ Singapore's Bilingual Journey.
read the blog If Only Singaporeans Stopped to Think
English is a common language in the Commonwealth countries and in most countries worldwide. And common exact knowledge favour cliques using the same language which thus enable clear communication.
China is making English as the most intensive studied language and as an essential 'tool of survival' and to serve people better.
I tell my son who share the same birth date as Lee Kuan Yew to read 'My Lifelong Challenge' over and over again. He has been asked to write the date on the page after the hard cover when he begin to read Lee's book and to write again the date each time he reread the book. I believed he would gradually inhale the recipe of a journey as he read on.
The book also reveal why Lee studied Japanese in Queen Street, a street my wife and me spent our afternoon a day after Christmas last year, before we attended a dinner at the Park Royal on Beach Road on the same evening.
When I was at the Popular Book Store on Saturday 10 March 2012, I have two choices. One is to buy the book 'A Doctor In The House ~ The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad'. The other is to buy the book 'My Lifelong Challenge ~ Singapore's Bilingual Journey by Lee Kuan Yew'. It took much effort to reach a decision on which book to buy first.
But then I am mindful that I must buy the book 'A Doctor In The House' first because I love the man who was once my Prime Minister. I continue to love him because he is the 'father' of modern Malaysia.
After walking out of the store, I told my wife and children that I have to get a copy of 'My Lifelong Challenge ~ Singapore's Bilingual Journey' and never expected I would get a hard copy on Sunday 22 April 2012 10:51 hours, which happened to be the eve of the World Book Day.
I watched the live-telecast National Day Parade every year over SBC 8 and SBC 5 since 1967 with my first 'Sharp' TV. They used Malay, Tamil and Mandarin. It is only now after reaching Page 50 of Lee's book that I realised that Singapore took more than 2 decades to use English for the first time on the National Day, 9 August 1986. On voice ~ English.
With SBC 8, I picked up Mandarin, listen and spoken. I never attended a Chinese School whereas all my brothers did. An aunt, who retired as a teacher from Yok Bin Secondary School 育明中学 27 years ago had advised my mother to send me to an English School back in 1966. I began my nursery school with the Saint Francis Xavier kindergarten, primary at Bandar Hilir English School and secondary at Malacca High School. I am now thankful to SBC , that I am able to apprehend and converse simple Mandarin or putonghua today.
For many like me who are unlikely to see the private photographs of Mr. Lee, seeing Mr and Mrs Lee and their three young children enjoying a game of Chinese Chess is the best gift in life.
LEE KUAN YEW | My Lifelong Challenge ~ Singapore's Bilingual Journey.
read the blog If Only Singaporeans Stopped to Think
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