CRPP - Conference Papers

Be it in curriculum and syllabus planning, pedagogy or testing and evaluation, Chinese language education specialists and practitioners in Singapore usually look to their counterparts in China for insights. However, whereas the Chinese language is the first language for pupils in China, it, though called “mother-tongue”, is practically a second language for pupils from English-speaking families in Singapore, and not quite the first language for even pupils from Chinese-speaking families. Therefore, practices which maybe useful in China may not often be so in Singapore. Rather than CL1 pedagogies in China, I believe we can learn more from its CSL pedagogical theories and practices. An examination of they do for the HSK (Hanyu shuipin kaoshi, or Proficiency Test for Putonghua), as well as what they do for CL1 but not adopt for HSK, can provide much insights for CL educationists in Singapore. Their researches in CSL teaching will also be useful for us to reflect on our CL education strategies.