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Chapter 8. Conflicting goals of language-in-education planning in Singapore

Chinese character (汉字 hanzi) education as a case
  • Shouhui Zhao and Dongbo Zhang
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Learning Chinese in Diasporic Communities
This chapter is in the book Learning Chinese in Diasporic Communities

Abstract

This study examines the conflicting nature of official language-in-education planning goals in Singapore through analysing, firstly, the inconsistencies in curriculum reform documents at different levels of the goals and pedagogies of Chinese character (汉字 hanzi) teaching; and secondly, the inconsistencies between what is stated in these documents about hanzi and students’ and teachers’ perceptions as well as teaching practices related to hanzi. Based on student and teacher surveys, supplemented by teachers’ focus group discussions and classroom observations, this chapter provides a critical evaluation of multiple dimensions of the official policies and instructional guides on hanzi teaching and learning in Singapore’s primary schools. The study endeavors to draw attention to the humanistic dimensions of hanzi education such as its values in cultural heritage, artistic/aesthetic appreciation and character cultivation. It calls for a holistic evaluation of hanzi’s role from a broader perspective and aims to place a more proper status of hanzi in the next round of reform of Chinese-as-a-mother-tongue education in Singapore.

Abstract

This study examines the conflicting nature of official language-in-education planning goals in Singapore through analysing, firstly, the inconsistencies in curriculum reform documents at different levels of the goals and pedagogies of Chinese character (汉字 hanzi) teaching; and secondly, the inconsistencies between what is stated in these documents about hanzi and students’ and teachers’ perceptions as well as teaching practices related to hanzi. Based on student and teacher surveys, supplemented by teachers’ focus group discussions and classroom observations, this chapter provides a critical evaluation of multiple dimensions of the official policies and instructional guides on hanzi teaching and learning in Singapore’s primary schools. The study endeavors to draw attention to the humanistic dimensions of hanzi education such as its values in cultural heritage, artistic/aesthetic appreciation and character cultivation. It calls for a holistic evaluation of hanzi’s role from a broader perspective and aims to place a more proper status of hanzi in the next round of reform of Chinese-as-a-mother-tongue education in Singapore.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Contributors ix
  5. List of figures xiii
  6. List of tables xv
  7. Introduction 1
  8. Part I. Family socialization patterns in language learning and literacy practices
  9. Chapter 1. Language socialization into Chinese language and “Chineseness” in diaspora communities 13
  10. Chapter 2. Family language policy 35
  11. Part II. Complementary/heritage Chinese schools in diasporas
  12. Chapter 3. Chinese complementary schools in Scotland and the Continua of Biliteracy 59
  13. Chapter 4. Chinese heritage language schools in the United States 81
  14. Chapter 5. Learning and teaching Chinese in the Netherlands 97
  15. Chapter 6. Language and literacy teaching, learning and socialization in the Chinese complementary school classroom 117
  16. Part III. Bilingual Chinese educational models
  17. Chapter 7. Chinese Education in Malaysia 139
  18. Chapter 8. Conflicting goals of language-in-education planning in Singapore 159
  19. Chapter 9. Chinese language teaching in Australia 181
  20. Part IV. Chinese language, culture and identity
  21. Chapter 10. Speaking of identity? 203
  22. Chapter 11. Chinese language learning by adolescents and young adults in the Chinese diaspora 219
  23. Index 239
https://doi.org/10.1075/aals.12.09sho

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Contributors ix
  5. List of figures xiii
  6. List of tables xv
  7. Introduction 1
  8. Part I. Family socialization patterns in language learning and literacy practices
  9. Chapter 1. Language socialization into Chinese language and “Chineseness” in diaspora communities 13
  10. Chapter 2. Family language policy 35
  11. Part II. Complementary/heritage Chinese schools in diasporas
  12. Chapter 3. Chinese complementary schools in Scotland and the Continua of Biliteracy 59
  13. Chapter 4. Chinese heritage language schools in the United States 81
  14. Chapter 5. Learning and teaching Chinese in the Netherlands 97
  15. Chapter 6. Language and literacy teaching, learning and socialization in the Chinese complementary school classroom 117
  16. Part III. Bilingual Chinese educational models
  17. Chapter 7. Chinese Education in Malaysia 139
  18. Chapter 8. Conflicting goals of language-in-education planning in Singapore 159
  19. Chapter 9. Chinese language teaching in Australia 181
  20. Part IV. Chinese language, culture and identity
  21. Chapter 10. Speaking of identity? 203
  22. Chapter 11. Chinese language learning by adolescents and young adults in the Chinese diaspora 219
  23. Index 239
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