Mother Tongue Languages

Overview:
Our MTL curriculum and programme seek to inspire a love for learning through fun, engaging and student-centered experiences that develop confident communicators, empathetic leaders and adaptive learners. By integrating pedagogies such as EdTech, Differentiated Instruction (DI), Inquiry-Based Learning through the Thinking Routine (IBL-TR), experiential learning and gamification, we create authentic and meaningful learning experiences. Students explore language through real-world contexts, collaborative discussions, and interactive digital tools that cater to their diverse learning needs. These approaches not only strengthen their language proficiency but also deepen their cultural appreciation, enabling them to connect with their heritage, value cultural diversity, and thrive as future-ready global citizens.

Department mission:
To inspire a love for learning MT through fun, engaging and student-centered learning experiences.

Objectives:

We inspire a love for learning MTL through fun, engaging and student-centred experiences that build confident and proficient communicators, empowering them to become future-ready global citizens.
To deepen students’ appreciation of their culture, traditions, literature and history, nurturing empathetic leaders who value their roots and respect diverse cultures.
To nurture adaptive learners who, through proficiency in MTL and cultural rootedness, can connect meaningfully with their heritage and diverse communities across the world.

Our Key Programmes

MTL Journaling EMMA

P3 and P4 HMT students engage in journaling as a platform to reflect on real-world issues using the students’ newsletter as a key resource. Through journaling, students read selected articles, explore current affairs and express their thoughts, opinions and emotions in writing. Guided by Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) and thinking routines, they question, analyse and make meaningful connections between what they read and their own experiences. This journaling process nurtures adaptive learners who think critically, reflect deeply, and respond thoughtfully to the world around them.

Higher Mother Tongue (HMT)

MOE’s Higher Mother Tongue curriculum develops integrated mastery of listening, viewing, speaking, reading and writing. Using enriched texts, literary appreciation, debate and authentic tasks—interviews, community storytelling—students practise advanced language features while deepening intercultural awareness. Feedback cycles emphasise clarity and ethical reasoning. Experiential learning anchor language in real needs, training students to listen before leading and acting with care. By joining linguistic growth with empathy-building experiences, HMT nurtures bilingual, bicultural communicators who bridge differences and serve as thoughtful, compassionate leaders.

MTL Reading Programme

The MTL Reading Programme encourages a joyful reading culture and nurtures a love for Mother Tongue languages. For Primary 1–4, SOAR guides our approach: Spark interest with engaging stories and read-aloud; Open minds through diverse genres and perspectives; Appreciate cultural roots via folklore, traditions, and festivals; and Rise as bilingual readers with progressive targets. Dedicated curriculum time is set aside for students to visit the school library with their MT teachers and classmates to engage in reading activities and borrow books. World Book Day features author talks, character dress-ups, and buddy reading.