Objective

To encourage Singaporeans to come forward to play a leading role in helping others be more confident in the use of proper English so as to be better understood.

Target Audience

1. Parents and Teachers - as good English role models for children and students
2. Those in “Leadership” Positions – “leaders” in organisations (managers and supervisors from the human resource, staff training, and corporate communications departments in corporations) who can set good examples and work practices on good English that can be passed on to their colleagues
3. Frontline Staff – staff who have “face-to-face” dealings with customers. These include frontline staff from the hotel, retail and tourism industries. Such workers must make a conscious effort to speak good English so as to project a positive and professional image of themselves and their organisation
4. Youth - youth respond better to their peers. Thus, peer support from youths who speak good English is a good influence for the young

About the Speak Good English Movement

The Movement was launched in 2000 by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong to:

1. Ensure Singaporeans recognise the importance of speaking Standard English
2. Encourage Singaporeans to speak Standard English

Starting from 2003, the Movement has kicked off annually with a launch followed by year-long programmes and activities, and has succeeded in raising awareness among Singaporeans that speaking good English matters in their work and personal lives.

Speak Up. Speak Out. Speak Well. – the theme for Speak Good English Movement 2005/06 aimed to get Singaporeans to speak standard English all the time, instead of switching to proper English only for formal occasions.

Teachers and parents were encouraged to be good role models by not speaking Singlish, as well as making language lessons fun and lively, or reading aloud to their children more often.

A total of 108 students aged between 13 to 15 years old participated in ‘The Race’ jointly organised by the Speak Good English Movement (SGEM), SDEA and NLB. Teams of 4 from 25 secondary schools, the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) and Boy’s Town raced around Singapore to accomplish various tasks in creative ways at community libraries around Singapore.

Kicking off at the Events Plaza at the new Central Lending Library in Bugis, the teams participated in activities at the libraries that included:

• finding a book using the OPAC system at the library and dramatizing a scene from the book
• locating a book in the library that matched a particular folktale
• searching for a recipe and presenting the recipe in the most creative way

“We are very excited about the competition and will try our best to win. Besides having lots of fun and building our confidence in speaking good English in ‘The Race’, it is a good opportunity for us to interact with students from other schools,” said Catherine Chua, one of the participants representing CDAC, at the start of the race.

At the finishing point, the students engaged in a “live” web chat session via Instant Messaging with student counterparts in Sugar Grove Public Library in Chicago, United States to discuss language, culture and lifestyle topics such as:

• the importance of the English language
• achieving harmony among different ethnic groups
• similarities and differences between youth in the United States and Singapore
• Western influences in Singapore’s food culture
• Asian influences in American food culture

At the end of ‘The Race’, teams were judged by SDEA marshals and NLB officials in various categories – Team Resourcefulness, Team Photogenic, Team Creativity and Team Dramatic. Participants walked away with prizes sponsored by Lexmark, Carlton Hotel, Swissotel and Café Galilee.

‘The Race’ aimed to build up the students’ confidence in speaking good English spontaneously and foster strong team spirit through the use of drama, theatrical games and the digital video conferencing session. It was also a good opportunity for the students to understand the library system and practice speaking English clearly and confidently.

Jubilant winners from PESA 2005 received their Plain English Speaking Awards and book vouchers at the award presentation ceremony on 5 August 2005. The Guest of Honour was Mr Chan Soo Sen, Minister of State, Ministry of Education.

The winners from the Primary, Secondary and Junior College/Centralised Institution categories included Ms Rashvinpal Kaur Dhaliwal (Temasek Primary School), Ms Deanna Tan (Methodist Girls’ School), Ms Gayle Goh (Anglo-Chinese Junior College) and Ms Dell Marie Butler (Catholic Junior College).

PESA 2005, held from 30 May to 29 July 2005, saw some 140 students competing in 2 main sections – Singapore School Section (open to government and government-aided schools) and Open Section (international, privately-funded and autonomous schools).

The Primary category was based on a storytelling format, where 9 to 12-year old students had to choose, draft and create any story, personal account or folk tale for the contest. Students were judged on their physical presentation, voice and manner.

In the Secondary and Open categories, contestants had to pick a topic of interest, plan a speech, and present the ideas and arguments fluently and eloquently through the use of plain English. They also had to handle an impromptu segment to assess their ability to think, plan, develop and deliver their views within 3.5 minutes. Students were judged on the content, delivery and the effective use of plain English.

Currently in its 8th year, PESA aims to develop verbal communication skills and better understanding among youths. The event also provides a dual platform for students and the community in Singapore to gain experiences and lessons in public speaking and the effective use of plain English. Through PESA, students will be able to develop their personal and leadership skills.

WISH is a 6-month basic English course for women beginner learners spearheaded by SRL. The graduation ceremony this year was particularly significant as the graduates were the first to complete all 4 modules of the new WISH curriculum.

Professor Koh Tai Ann, Chairman of the Speak Good English Movement (SGEM), was the Guest-of-Honour for the WISH Graduation Ceremony held in the auditorium of the Woodlands Regional Library. After 2 years of hard work, graduates received their graduation certificates on-stage to loud applause.

The graduates then performed a series of songs, stories and skits such as “Que Sera Sera” and “The Mirror That Causes Trouble”, before enjoying a tea reception at the library.

WISH classes are conducted for free at community libraries and community centres (CCs) by trained voluntary women tutors. Staff members at the libraries and CCs help the volunteer tutors on site with administration. The programme aims to help women learn basic functional English for day-to-day communication.

The number of participants has jumped from 622 in 2003 to 777 in 2005.

In the spirit of playing older brothers and sisters, 142 student volunteers from Singapore Polytechnic’s School of Business stepped forward to share the joys and benefits of reading and speaking good English with children of all ages. Organised by the Speak Good English Movement (SGEM) and NLB, the programme emphasised the importance of reading and speaking good English from a young age for a strong foundation in the language.

The event took place in 5 libraries across the island and was filled with songs, action, drama and puppets. Guided by the student volunteers, 374 children and parents participated in reading cum storytelling sessions and a tour of the children’s section of the libraries.

“We are very pleased with the enthusiasm and support shown by the student volunteers, and we hope to see more tertiary institutions join us in this worthy activity. Reading good books in standard English is an important part of a child’s development and that will be the first step to take in laying the foundation of speaking good English,” said Professor Koh Tai Ann, Chairman of SGEM.

To further promote the importance of speaking good English and to show their commitment to this goal, the students also publicly recited a pledge to speak good English for 2 weeks following the event. They would also encourage their families, classmates and friends to do the same.

Music, poetry, dance and rap were incorporated into stories in the “Magical Moments” Storytelling Competition.

Jointly organised by the National Library Board (NLB), West Mall and the Danish Embassy for the Speak Good English Movement (SGEM), the competition was open to Lower and Upper Primary students.

NLB librarians narrated stories to children and taught them how to make fun objects in an hour-long programme.

In these fun-filled sessions, parents and their toddlers were introduced to books suitable for children aged 1 to 3 years old. NLB librarians also taught the parents rhymes that they could ‘boogie’ to at home with their toddlers.