Way to understanding mandarin is through dialects

[rover2sg]

Uncle understands, appreciates and is thankful to LKY for promoting Mandarin as the common language of the Chinese speaking citizens.

What this old uncle objects to and disagrees with him is his "burying" of the Chinese dialects totally in the communication and entertainment environment.

LKY was able to pick up Mandarin fast because he had first learnt formal Hokkien (the dialect of his mother) before embarking on Mandarin.

I was in his environment and found it totally difficult to learn Mandarin in my younger days because I was using English to convert my communication to Mandarin - a totally difficult endeavour. I had to give up after many attempts.

It is only in my old age that I realise that if I had first "think" in Hokkien (rudimentary as it is) that I could communicate better in Mandarin. I believe he has failed in this, in encouraging more people to speak Mandarin.

I missed all the cultural aspects of the Chinese in the forms of the dialects - be it hokkien, cantonese or teochew.

I do not see why we cannot continue with our dialects but all learn/use Mandarin as a common and "official" mean of communication.

 

[red amoeba]

Uncle understands, appreciates and is thankful to LKY for promoting Mandarin as the common language of the Chinese speaking citizens.

What this old uncle objects to and disagrees with him is his "burying" of the Chinese dialects totally in the communication and entertainment environment.

LKY was able to pick up Mandarin fast because he had first learnt formal Hokkien (the dialect of his mother) before embarking on Mandarin.

I was in his environment and found it totally difficult to learn Mandarin in my younger days because I was using English to convert my communication to Mandarin - a totally difficult endeavour. I had to give up after many attempts.

It is only in my old age that I realise that if I had first "think" in Hokkien (rudimentary as it is) that I could communicate better in Mandarin. I believe he has failed in this, in encouraging more people to speak Mandarin.

I missed all the cultural aspects of the Chinese in the forms of the dialects - be it hokkien, cantonese or teochew.

I do not see why we cannot continue with our dialects but all learn/use Mandarin as a common and "official" mean of communication.

LKY's about turn comes after he "realise" it is not possible for anyone (except his smart children) to master more than one language. So, we have to learn English and struggle with Chinese. If we have to learn dialects and if we allow dialects, it will automatically dominate English and all others. English then become Second lang, and no place for Chinese.

End of day, everyone start speaking dialect and cause split in Chinese group. And imagine, if we are all speaking dialect, and he brings in FTs from PRCs like today, the "integration" problem will be worse than now.

We then form enclaves which is brewing pots for troubles.

 

[rover2sg]

LKY's about turn comes after he "realise" it is not possible for anyone (except his smart children) to master more than one language. So, we have to learn English and struggle with Chinese. If we have to learn dialects and if we allow dialects, it will automatically dominate English and all others. English then become Second lang, and no place for Chinese.

End of day, everyone start speaking dialect and cause split in Chinese group. And imagine, if we are all speaking dialect, and he brings in FTs from PRCs like today, the "integration" problem will be worse than now.

We then form enclaves which is brewing pots for troubles.

i have stated that I support and understand the need for the policy.


But there are various means of implementing the policy. What we did was an "overkill" and we do not understand that the Singaporeans are also matured and realistic enough to learn to adapt to new policies which are for our own good.

Our civil service and junior "ministers" were (and still do) found of showing to the powerful leaders that they can do better and at faster results. The result - overkill!

Think of the "stopped at two" policy, the destroying of historical sites like the Raffles Institution at original its original site and the limiting of intakes of doctors, lawyers etc at the university ...

 

[Forvendet]

PAP is confusing every Singaporean of all races and stopping all Singaporeans of all races to unite as one Singapore. Be it Mandarin, dialects, Malay or Tamil, all should be private home tongues for those desiring so. English should be the single official language to unite Singaporeans as one Singapore.

But no, PAP chose to use the divide-and-conquer strategy. I'm not claiming English to be the superior language, just by history, it's the naturalized unifying language. PAP wants to unite the Chinese by promoting Mandarin, you think so? I think not. The 1980s speak Mandarin campaign was premeditated precursor and prerequisite to open the floodgate to PRC Chinese from any and all PRC provinces. "So as to achieve happiness, progress and prosperity" as in the pledge? I think not too. I think so as to sustain the policy of maintaining at least 75% ethnic Chinese in Singapore after the disastrous success of the 1970s 2-is-enough campaign.

 

[Agoraphobic]

Some people are good at languages, others are not.

Same with every other topic - academic, arts, sports, whatever. It is just not right to have ONE single subject/field pushed way ahead of everything else at the expense of others. Because of this pursuit to pass Mandarin, many hours have been wasted on too many people - while they could have spent that time nurtuting and cultivating other fields which they have a personal interest/knack for. At they end of it, they only come up with a mediocre pass in Mandarin - or should I say, hanyu pinyin.

If the people at the Ministry of Education can't stand up for Education, might as well not have the ministry at all.

Cheers!