Students learn Bahasa Indonesia or Malay in Regional Studies Programme

Singapore - Some secondary one students are about to enjoy a new cultural experience when they learn Malay or Bahasa Indonesia as a third language.

They are under a pilot Regional Studies Programme, which started in 2008 and was introduced in four schools.

Evelyn Gan is one of 90 secondary one students from Raffles Girls` School, who applied to be in the Regional Studies Programme.

The new programme includes the study of contemporary Southeast Asia, as well as Malay or Bahasa Indonesia, as a third language.

But the Regional Studies Programme for Raffles Girls` will only begin in the second half of 2008.

Evelyn Gan Liling, who is all set for the challenge, said: "If you learn English it might help you in learning another language like Malay, because they also use the same alphabets. And since we have already learnt two languages, I don`t see why it`s difficult to learn a third language."

Meanwhile, another student Kanageswan believes that learning a new language would help her achieve her dream of becoming a reporter.

She said: "As a journalist, we all would have to not stay in Singapore itself, we all have to move overseas. So in some villages, they don`t know how to speak English. And they basically only speak Malay. So if they only speak Malay and if I don`t know Malay, it would be difficult for me to converse with them. So if I learn Malay, it would easier for me to interview them."

According to Victoria School, learning a new language is key to understanding a region.

Mark Minjoot, Vice-Principal of Victoria School, said: "The Regional Studies Programme offers a very good accompaniment to Bahasa Indonesia, because it really provides a very good context and a backdrop to the study of the language. And as we know, language really comes alive when it is seen in the context of the history, the culture of its people."

That`s what students in Raffles Institution and ACS Independent will also enjoy as they are the other two schools chosen by the Education Ministry for the Regional Studies Programme.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com (15 Januari 2008)
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