Start bilingualism young: Lee Kuan Yew
Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew believes having English as a master language and learning a mother tongue is possible in Singapore and that children should be exposed to both languages at a young age.
Lee shared his difficulties in mastering Mandarin, his mother tongue. He said, "My Chinese, I had no total immersion. So it was a constant struggle to overcome one difficulty after another, so that in the end I am able to speak without much effort."
"I think if we arrange our education system, especially in kindergarten and pre-school, in such a way that our children are exposed to two languages straightaway, we will make bilingualism a reality and easily achieved by all," he was reported as saying by Channel NewsAsia.
Lee, who turned 88 on Friday, was speaking at the launch of the Chinese edition of his latest book, "Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going".
Switching easily between English and Mandarin, he told guests that while it is important to be bilingual, it is an added advantage if one could also speak a third language.
He said, "It is best to have Malay as a third language. If you can understand it and speak it, you will be up to date with happenings from Malaysia and Indonesia. It is a plus point."
Lee noted that English as a master language has opened doors for Singapore to the world, while Mandarin has made it easier for the country to ride on the waves of a rising China.
The Chinese edition of Hard Truths, based on 16 interviews with the former minister mentor on a range of topics, targets older Singaporeans, who may not read English.
The English edition was first released in early January this year and its first print run of 45,000 was sold out within a month.
