DPM Lawrence Wong wishes his Mandarin is stronger, will keep practising

SINGAPORE – He grew up speaking, reading and writing predominantly in English. So he has to keep making an extra effort and have the discipline to improve his ability to speak and engage in Mandarin, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Speaking at the launch of Lianhe Zaobao student newspaper Thumbs Up Little Junior’s (TULJ) 10th anniversary roving exhibition on Sunday (June 4), Mr Wong emphasised the importance of cultivating bilingualism from a very young age.

Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said while he is well versed in English and “can read anything in English and absorb (the information) quickly”, it is a different matter when it comes to Mandarin.

“I do not have the same command and control of the language, and I can immediately feel the difference. I wish it were different. But I cannot go back to my formative years and redo my learning experience,” he said, adding that he has to keep practising to ensure he improves his ability to speak and engage in Mandarin regularly.

Speaking in both English and Mandarin to the parents attending the event, Mr Wong said they can make a difference for their children by exposing them to their mother tongue “at a very young age, and not just wait till they go to primary school”.

“We are providing you with more resources to do that through the Lee Kuan Yew bilingualism fund; through SPH Media; all the different resources for you to provide this exposure at a very young age to your children so that they grow up in a bilingual environment,” he added.

“Hopefully, that will give them the best chance to grow up with the ability to be equally conversant in both English and their mother tongue.”

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TULJ is a fortnightly Chinese periodical for pre-schoolers, published by ZBSchools of SPH Media’s Chinese Media Group.

Funded by the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism, TULJ is distributed free to more than 30,000 kindergarten children in pre-schools. 

Its 10th anniversary’s roving exhibition will be held until Aug 25 at three community libraries in Ang Mo Kio, Jurong and Punggol.

Its highlight is an interactive cardboard play structure, which is specially designed and built for children to learn the Chinese language through play. 

The children can also attend workshops and story-telling sessions on selected weekends. 

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.