I’m a Singaporean Chinese youth. I speak only basic Mandarin. Is that enough?

Definitions below.

It was a moment to be proud of. Together, one united Singapore stood up to applaud the valiant and laudable efforts of Nathan Hartono, the Singaporean singer-songwriter who clinched the runner-up position at the Sing! China competition back in 2016.

Previously establishing himself as an English-speaking jazz songbird and heartthrob in Singapore, one could be forgiven for not knowing he could sing and converse in Mandarin. Nathan himself admitted that before the competition, he was barely able to complete full Mandarin sentences without inserting English words in them.

But before we jump the gun and blame it on a lack of foundation, Nathan himself attended Nanyang Primary School (NYPS), a top school that prides itself on its focus of Chinese Language education. Are there other reasons why we are only able to attain basic Mandarin standards, as a Singaporean Chinese student?

Why are we only able to attain basic Mandarin standards?

This topic has generated much debate here in Singapore.

In Singapore, a multi-ethnic society, Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian children study together in schools. English is hence used as the standard language for teaching and communication. No prizes for guessing which language is being used amongst students, day in day out!

Also, with all other classes being taught in the English language, exposure to Mandarin is limited to Chinese Language classes in school. Just as well, I shudder at the thought of reading the Periodic table and having to read the elements in Chinese characters!

Furthermore, schools teaching the mother tongue are too focussed on rote learning. Classes focus on attaining results rather than trying to pique students’ interest in learning the language.

As a result, most students are indifferent to learning and improving their abysmal Mandarin standards, as we do not see the importance of it.

We think having basic Mandarin standards is enough.

While Nathan Hartono’s success in the China-based competition was noteworthy and exemplary, he also showed us that having only a basic command of the language can get you that far in a Chinese competition. Who’d have thought, huh?

Besides Nathan’s trailblazing example, the following few factors seemingly point to a conclusion that having a basic command of Mandarin is enough.

Nationality over Ethnicity

At the end of the day, do we consider ourselves Singaporeans first or Chinese first? I’m sure many would agree that we should not totally disregard our ethnicity and toss it aside. However, I do believe that when we introduce ourselves, we do make it a point to say that we are Singaporeans, first and foremost, before even discussing ethnicity, religion etc.

So, why does that matter? It means that we see ourselves as Singaporeans first. Singapore uses a unique form of communication — Singlish. With our melting pot of cultures, we have managed to create a lingo only Singaporeans can understand.

As a result, the mother tongue has become a secondary form of communication, in this case Mandarin. The lack of emphasis contributes to the lowering/plateau of Mandarin standards over the years.

Basic Communication with the Elders

Booked an elderly Grab/Taxi driver who only speaks Mandarin, and he asks you where to go? Got that covered. Chinese nationals ask for directions? You can handle it. Parents ask you to communicate with your elderly grandparents? Err…

Realistically, communicating with your Mandarin speaking grandparents would be one of the challenges you face as a child growing up, especially as it doesn’t come naturally to us. Stringing together a few lines of coherent Mandarin would be the achievement of our day.

I feel that parents in this day of age also have resigned to the declining Mandarin standards in our society and urge their kids to learn basic Mandarin, so that they do not ‘siasuay’ the parents. (See siasuay — colloquial term; to cause somebody else to lose face) As long as you can communicate with other Mandarin speaking people, all good.

Multi-Ethnic Singapore!

Earlier on, I mentioned that due to Singapore being a multi-ethnic society, English is used as the standard medium of communication. Be it for education, business or just casual conversation, the English language has undoubtedly become an integral part of our lives.

This has thus eroded the importance of having a good command of the Mandarin language.

Sure or not? Basic Mandarin enough meh?

Surely some of you must be throwing your hands up in anger, probably thinking that I’m just another Millennial trying to justify our abysmal Mandarin standards. To be clear, that’s not my intention.

A basic search of JobStreet.com shows 1,945 job openings with ‘Mandarin Speaking’ as a job prerequisite. Surely, we cannot ignore the booming Chinese economy, the much heralded ‘upcoming economic superpower”. Beyond the economic aspects, there is also the cultural aspect to consider as well. Generations to come will not be able to appreciate Chinese art forms as well as the previous generations.

Basic Mandarin is not enough, but we perceive it to be so.

The problem, we must recognise, is that successive generations seem to perceive learning Mandarin as of decreasing importance. The blasé attitude that stems from resignation is understandable but are we ready to throw in the towel and accept this situation?

Perhaps the government needs to rethink how schools teach Mandarin, how to make it more interesting and appealing to students instead of just aiming for results. The reality is that the prevailing circumstances of our society have resulted in such decline of our Mandarin standards, and that we must do something about it before it is too late.

*Singaporean Chinese — Ethnic Chinese Singaporeans who have been brought up by the Singapore Education System. Not just those who have been born here, but also including those that have spent a significant amount of their developmental years here.

**Basic Mandarin — of conversational standards; able to hold and sustain a basic conversation in Mandarin with other ethnic Chinese counterparts, of different origins. To me, speaking basic Mandarin is to be able to interact with other ethnic Chinese individuals, and that both parties can understand what each is trying to say.

Credits to Kaili for content and idea brainstorming, my Mum for structure and content edits, and Ryan for proofreading and suggesting some minor edits!