Mother Tongue

MISSION:

(1) To create a conducive MTL learning environment

(2) To empower pupils to become effective communicators in their MTL

(3) To inculcate a passion for heritage and culture

VISION:

Active Mother Tongue Language Learners

Programmes Overview

Departmental Programmes & Activities

1. Mother Tongue Fortnight

To provide an immersive environment for students to learn and use the mother tongue language in a more in-depth manner, and to appreciate the culture through hands-on tasks, the MTL department organises a spectrum of activities for the annual Mother Tongue Fortnight. 

Mother Tongue Languages and Cultures Programme 2026

Our annual Mother Tongue Languages and Cultures Programme continues to provide an immersive environment for students to appreciate their linguistic roots. By integrating hands-on heritage activities with language learning, we aim to foster a strong sense of identity and curiosity in every child.

1. MTL Fortnight Programme 2026

This year, students across all levels engaged in diverse traditional arts and crafts during curriculum time. These activities were curated to deepen cultural understanding and showcase the beauty of our Mother Tongue languages through the theme of innovation and tradition.

Chinese Language Activities

• P1: Finger Painting – Bamboo (手指画 – 竹)
• P2: Zodiac Horse Clay Sculpting (泥塑 – 生肖马)
• P3: Tang Dynasty Poem Cloth Collage (唐诗布贴画)
• P4: Plaster Painting: Journey to the West (石膏西游绘画)
• P5: Beijing Opera Mask Painting: Three Kingdoms (京剧脸谱 – 三国)
• P6: Lacquer Painting (漆画)

Malay Language Activities

• P1 & P2: Exploration of Special Traditional Dishes (Hidangan yang Istimewa)
• P3 & P4: Designing Special Traditional Garment Buttons (Butang baju yang Istimewa)
• P5 & P6: Immersion into Shared Heritage and Customs (Tradisi Kita)

Tamil Language Activities

• P1: Yarn Doll Crafting
• P2: Creating Thanjavur Thalaiyatti Bommai (Traditional Bobble-head Dolls)
• P3: Wall Decoration  using Recycled Indian Cloth Strips
• P4: Traditional Oil Lamp Making
• P5: Incense Stick Holder Design using Coconut Shells
• P6: Miniature House Construction with Wooden Popsicle St

2. P3 Mother Tongue Cultural Camp 2026

Our P3 students were rotating through specialized stations designed to provide a deeper dive into traditional craftsmanship and heritage.

• Chinese Language: Mastering the art of the Chinese Knot (中国结) and creating Floral Round Fans (中国团扇 - 贴花).
• Malay Language: Hands-on workshops focusing on the Dokoh (traditional tiered pendant) and the Keris (ceremonial dagger).
• Tamil Language: An amazing race where students explored the contributions and heritage of the Tamil diaspora in countries such as Australia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, and Canada.

Through these authentic experiences, students do more than just study a language—they live the culture. By engaging with these traditions, our students continue to build a lasting pride in their heritage.

3. Mother Tongue Languages and Cultures Programme 2026

Our annual Mother Tongue Languages and Cultures Programme provides an immersive way for students to learn about their heritage. To complement our Mother Tongue Fortnight in Term 2, West Grove Primary School organized learning journeys to watch cultural performances for our Primary 4 students, connecting their lessons to real-life cultural experiences.

Chinese Language: Return of the Great Sage (大圣归来)

The Primary 4 Chinese Language students watched the stage play “Return of the Great Sage”, which tells a story about finding courage and persistence. The performance combined traditional elements like Chinese Opera, martial arts, and dance into a modern show. By watching these cultural arts in action, students enjoyed the beauty of the Mandarin language in a fun and exciting way, helping them see how the language stays relevant today.

Malay Language: Wow Wayang 

The Primary 4 Malay Language students took part in Wow Wayang, a shadow puppet show and workshop. During this session, students did more than just watch; they participated in a hands-on workshop to learn how these traditional puppets are used to tell stories. This experience helped them understand Malay folklore and heritage better, building their pride in the Malay language and its traditions.

Mother Tongue Languages and Cultures Programme 2025

Our annual Mother Tongue Languages and Cultures Programme is designed to create an immersive and meaningful environment for students to learn and appreciate their linguistic and cultural heritage. This initiative supports the holistic development of students by connecting language learning with cultural experiences that foster identity, pride, and curiosity.

Curriculum-Time Cultural Activities (2025, Term 2, Weeks 3 & 4)

This year, students across all levels participated in a wide range of engaging, hands-on activities during curriculum time. These experiences were thoughtfully curated to deepen their understanding of their respective cultures while reinforcing the relevance and beauty of their Mother Tongue languages.

Chinese Language Activities

• P1: Learning about traditional hand drums
• P2: Story-based reading and crafting Hanfu clay figurines
• P3: Storytelling and clay modelling of Chinese cuisine
• P4: Ink-wash fan painting
• P5: Bamboo slip creation
• P6: Traditional seal carving

Malay Language Activities

• P1 & P2: Designing traditional Wau kites
• P3 & P4: Crafting Bunga decorations
• P5 & P6: Batik Painting

Tamil Language Activities

• P1: Exploration of ancient household items
• P2: Handmade Kudai (traditional umbrellas)
• P3: Crafting Poonthotti (flower baskets)
• P4: Basket Designing
• P5: Traditional Doll-making
• P6: Sand Art Rangoli

2. P3 Mother Tongue Language Camp 2025

In addition to in-class activities, our P3 students took part in a dedicated Mother Tongue Language & Cultural Camp, where they rotated through a series of immersive learning stations focused on cultural arts and traditions.

• Chinese Language: Traditional Fan Design (中国扇) and Blue-and-White Porcelain (中国青花瓷)
• Malay Language: Seni Anyaman (Weaving Art) and Seni Tembikar (Pottery Art)
• Tamil Language: Making Pallanguzhi, a traditional game using seeds or shells

These authentic learning experiences not only enhanced students’ language skills but also ignited a joy for cultural discovery. By engaging in traditional arts and crafts, students developed a deeper sense of identity and pride in their heritage.

At the heart of this programme lies our belief: Language is not only spoken — it is lived, felt, and celebrated.

3. 2025 Little Reporters Programme: Nurturing Digital-Age Journalists

West Grove Primary School’s Mother Tongue Languages Department successfully conducted our Little Reporters programme during the March Holiday, where students enhanced their mother tongue language skills through hands-on journalism experiences.

Our students participated in specialised workshops where Tamil and Chinese Language learners mastered Moo-V technology, while Malay Language students created news content using Canva. A key highlight of this programme included getting  our young reporters to interview our school leaders, including our Principal, where they prepared their questions in English and completed reflections in their mother tongue languages.

All student-created content has been showcased on our dedicated Little Reporters microsite, where the school community can access news stories, interviews, and creative content produced by our budding journalists. This innovative programme demonstrated our commitment to meaningful ICT integration in mother tongue language learning.

Students enrolled in this programme also go on yearly learning journey trips.

 4.China Immersion Trip

 The P5 Overseas Immersion Trip is in line with the school’s focus on Teaching & Learning and the WGPS School-wide Pedagogy, emphasising authentic learning experiences, student-centric approaches and the development of 21st Century Competencies (21CC).

Through pre-trip preparation, cultural immersion and post-trip sharing, students experienced innovative practices that integrate language learning, cross-cultural awareness, and environmental education.

The programme also complements National Education outcomes by nurturing rootedness to Singapore while fostering global perspectives.

5. Conversational Chinese/Malay Programme (CCM) 

Conversational Chinese/Malay is an MOE initiated programme which aims to strengthen Singapore’s multi-racial compact and to enable students to have some grounding of the language so that they could more easily pick up the language should they need it for economic or other reasons in adult life.

In West Grove Primary School, this module is being offered as an enrichment programme to our Primary 3 and 4 students who are interested in learning the Chinese / Malay language and culture, other than their own mother tongue language.  The CCM programme comprises of two 20-hour modules (Beginner Module and Basic Module). Upon completion of the Beginner Module in Primary 3, students will advance to Basic Module 1 in Primary 4. Students who have completed each module will be awarded with a certificate of completion.

Based on the survey conducted after each module, students generally enjoyed the lessons and agreed that they had learnt more about the Chinese/Malay language & culture. Moreover, students also mentioned that this programme provided them the opportunity to understand their peers of another race better as they are now better equipped to converse in their peers’ own mother tongue language to some extent.

Mother Tongue Flipped Classroom

Mother Tongue classes have adopted the flipped classroom model to promote active learning, increase student engagement, and improve student performance by allowing more opportunities for collaboration and interaction with peers.

While the flipped classroom model offers many potential benefits, there are also some challenges to consider. Flipped classrooms rely on technology, such as access to the internet, computers, and mobile devices. Not all students may have access to these resources, which can create a digital divide and limit the effectiveness of the flipped classroom approach. Besides that, flipped classrooms require students to take responsibility for their own learning and manage their time effectively to complete the required pre-class assignments. Some students may struggle with motivation or time management skills. In addition, students who are used to a more passive learning style may struggle with the increased level of responsibility and independence required in a flipped classroom.

Thus, at this stage, teachers still create time and space for students to access their Student Learning Space (SLS) to complete their pre-class assignments so that all students benefit from this teaching approach.

6. External Competitions 

The primary objective of our Mother Tongue Department is to foster a deep-seated passion for the Mother Tongue language and culture, empowering students to communicate with confidence, creativity, and excellence on both national and global platforms.

Highlights of 2024–2025

Our students have brought home numerous accolades, demonstrating that dedication and curiosity lead to remarkable results:

7. Mother Tongue Reading Programme

The goal of our reading programme is to cultivate a genuine interest in Mother Tongue literature and increase the overall reading rate among our students. We aim to help students build a regular reading habit through a structured curriculum that allows them to appreciate various literary works. This foundation is further strengthened through active participation in platforms such as text recital, poetry, and riddles guessing competitions, which allow students to engage with the language in a fun and meaningful way. Our 2025 review shows that this tiered reading approach has been very successful. By exploring a wide range of materials from traditional texts to modern digital content students are developing a strong command of the language and becoming more confident communicators.

Useful Links:

Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board Approved Dictionary

https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/documents/list_of_dictionaries_for_examination.pdf

Mother Tongue Level Representatives