A study of spoken Chinese vocabulary in primary school in Singapore: A case study of "HuanLe HuoBan" textbook

Since 2015, the introduction of the new syllabus, "Primary Chinese Language Curriculum Standards" (小学华文课程标准), has marked a notable development in Chinese language education in Singapore. With a focus on enhancing language proficiency among primary school students, the Ministry of Education (MOE) introduced this curriculum to set standards for teaching Chinese (2015: page 6). This initiative underscores the significance of language proficiency in the overall curriculum. Specifically, the "cultivating language abilities" (培养语言能力) was elevated to the primary goal in the 2007 curriculum standards and continued to be emphasized in the 2015 revision, highlighting its paramount importance in the Chinese language curriculum (Wang & Zhang, 2019).

The 2015 curriculum standards outlined specific outcomes, emphasizing the importance of students developing comprehensive language abilities, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Primary school students were expected to achieve goals such as understanding information from various sources, expressing personal thoughts clearly, independent reading, using common writing techniques, engaging in oral and written communication, and integrating language skills for effective interaction.

In light of the emphasis on spoken language skills in the revised curriculum, this research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of current teaching materials, with a specific focus on spoken vocabulary taught in the "HuanLeHuoBan" textbook. The study seeks to determine whether the materials aligned with the new syllabus adequately address the spoken vocabulary development needs of primary school students.