Mother Tongue Languages
Explore how our Mother Tongue Language programmes in Chinese, Malay, and Tamil build language skills and cultural appreciation through enriching activities and competitions.
Our Learning Outcomes
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart." — Nelson Mandela
This quote encapsulates the spirit of Mother Tongue Language learning in our department. We hope to build confident and active Mother Tongue Language users who can express their thoughts and communicate effectively in their Mother Tongue Languages in both local and global contexts. We also seek to raise students' cultural awareness through various cultural programmes and activities, through which we hope students will come to embrace and appreciate both their own and other cultures.
Our Approach
The Mother Tongue Languages Department caters to diverse learning needs by providing a wide range of programmes for students of different abilities. To stretch learners who are passionate about languages, we offer Higher Mother Tongue Languages (HTML) in Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. This pathway develops advanced proficiency and fosters a deep appreciation for language, literature, and culture.
We also provide meaningful, authentic learning experiences both within and beyond the classroom across all subject levels, including through digital platforms. Our Mother Tongue Language programmes are offered at three levels — G1, G2, and G3 — catering to students of different abilities so that they can learn and enjoy the language at their own pace. We design interactive assignments that encourage critical thinking and peer collaboration, and through this collaborative approach, our students develop 21st Century Competencies, growing into critical thinkers, caring contributors and courageous leaders.
Our Signature Programmes and Activities
Chinese Language
Cultural Performance Exposure Scheme (CPES) (“文化随意门”计划)
Chinese New Year Celebrations
Orange distribution to the community
Mid-Autumn Festival
Learning Journey to Chinatown
World Book Day
Malay Language
Hari Raya Celebration Programme
Dates distribution to the community
Cultural Programme in collaboration with Mendaki
Learning Journey to Kampong Buangkok
Reading and Writing Workshop with National Library Board
Tamil Language
Pongal Festival in school & LEISHA Programme
Deepavali Celebrations
'Muruku' distribution to the community
Learning Journey to National Library Board
Writing Workshop with NIE Lecture and Author
Our Talent Development Programme
Chinese Language
Publication of school annual student literary compilation《明心见智》
Student representation in competitions at the cluster and national level
Malay Language
Publication of students’ literary writings in the Berita Harian Gen-G Newspaper
Student representation in competitions at cluster and national level
Tamil Language
Student representation in competitions at the national level
Naanum Oru Padaipaali (Budding Artistes and Writers) – a national level Tamil budding writers, poets, and artistes program and competition organised by MOE
Navarasam
S5 Cluster Tamil Drama Festival
Mother Tongue Language Symposium 2026 Tamil Language Booth
Our Reading Programme
Our Reading Programme is strategically designed to instill a lifelong interest in reading. By exploring a curated selection of MTL short stories, students learn to look beyond the surface of the text, deeply appreciating the author's intentional use of language, unique themes, and detailed characterization. To make the literary journey engaging, students do not simply read passively; they interact with the text through creative and multi-modal expressions. To inject an element of fun and adventure, students also take part in thematic escape room activities, where they solve literary riddles and language puzzles to "break out."
