Post by twodogs on May 12, 2006 12:32:06 GMT 7
MM Lee wants Singaporeans to have a command of world standard English
BEIJING: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew says Singapore should ensure all Singaporeans have a command of world standard English.
And if they are Chinese Singaporeans, they should be able to converse clearly in Mandarin.
MM Lee was speaking at a meeting with Singaporean professionals and students based in Beijing on Thursday.
Singaporean Audrey Koh was inspired to do a Chinese degree in China because she wanted to raise the standard of the language back home as a teacher.
She made the decision while preparing for her GCE 'A' levels four years ago.
She is the only one among her peers to have chosen this path.
MM Lee said: "We need people like you. If we don't keep our own, our system won't be able to reproduce it."
Mr Lee said Singapore's problem is that there are too many languages and dialects spoken on the island.
What must be done, he said, is to ensure the people can read, write and speak world standard English.
And for Chinese Singaporeans, they must also be able to converse clearly in Mandarin.
Mr Lee said: "I'm optimistic that if we do this, over the next 10-20 years, we will be able to produce in your successor generation, people who come here and have no difficulty fitting in. Just like when we go to England or America."
Mr Lee was keen to find out why the group of Singaporeans had chosen to be in China.
Many told him they wanted a first-hand experience of the economic powerhouse that China has become.
Some professionals told him that as Singaporeans, they have an edge as they can serve as a bridge between the East and the West.
The Minister Mentor identified the challenge of ensuring the children of China-based Singaporeans will stay connected to the Republic.
The British, he said, had solved the problem by having good boarding schools throughout their colonial empire.
Frank Kouo, Nokia (China)'s director treasury, said: "I will like Singapore to open, maybe, a few schools here so that our kids can go to school, maybe in Beijing or Shanghai, that will be the best."
Apart from meeting Singaporeans and understanding how they are fitting in with work and life in Beijing, MM Lee's visit to China is also an opportunity to touch base with the Chinese leaders and to exchange views on issues of common concerns.
The Minister Mentor called on Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu whom he last met five years ago in Suzhou.
The Chinese leader praised Mr Lee for being not only an outstanding statesman of Singapore but also an influential politician on the world stage, a pride for all Chinese.
He thanked Mr Lee for his understanding, support and help in China's reform, opening up and modernisation.
Responding, Mr Lee said Singapore has always been optimistic about China's development, and is proud the island can make a small contribution to the country's success.
BEIJING: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew says Singapore should ensure all Singaporeans have a command of world standard English.
And if they are Chinese Singaporeans, they should be able to converse clearly in Mandarin.
MM Lee was speaking at a meeting with Singaporean professionals and students based in Beijing on Thursday.
Singaporean Audrey Koh was inspired to do a Chinese degree in China because she wanted to raise the standard of the language back home as a teacher.
She made the decision while preparing for her GCE 'A' levels four years ago.
She is the only one among her peers to have chosen this path.
MM Lee said: "We need people like you. If we don't keep our own, our system won't be able to reproduce it."
Mr Lee said Singapore's problem is that there are too many languages and dialects spoken on the island.
What must be done, he said, is to ensure the people can read, write and speak world standard English.
And for Chinese Singaporeans, they must also be able to converse clearly in Mandarin.
Mr Lee said: "I'm optimistic that if we do this, over the next 10-20 years, we will be able to produce in your successor generation, people who come here and have no difficulty fitting in. Just like when we go to England or America."
Mr Lee was keen to find out why the group of Singaporeans had chosen to be in China.
Many told him they wanted a first-hand experience of the economic powerhouse that China has become.
Some professionals told him that as Singaporeans, they have an edge as they can serve as a bridge between the East and the West.
The Minister Mentor identified the challenge of ensuring the children of China-based Singaporeans will stay connected to the Republic.
The British, he said, had solved the problem by having good boarding schools throughout their colonial empire.
Frank Kouo, Nokia (China)'s director treasury, said: "I will like Singapore to open, maybe, a few schools here so that our kids can go to school, maybe in Beijing or Shanghai, that will be the best."
Apart from meeting Singaporeans and understanding how they are fitting in with work and life in Beijing, MM Lee's visit to China is also an opportunity to touch base with the Chinese leaders and to exchange views on issues of common concerns.
The Minister Mentor called on Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu whom he last met five years ago in Suzhou.
The Chinese leader praised Mr Lee for being not only an outstanding statesman of Singapore but also an influential politician on the world stage, a pride for all Chinese.
He thanked Mr Lee for his understanding, support and help in China's reform, opening up and modernisation.
Responding, Mr Lee said Singapore has always been optimistic about China's development, and is proud the island can make a small contribution to the country's success.