Excerpts of speech by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry & Education, at the 8th National Primary Schools On-the-Spot Chinese Composition Competition last Saturday.

　　Bilingualism is an important feature of our education system. It is as important for the future as it has been for the past. Learning the English language, and learning it well, will give all of you a good future. It will allow you to reach out to a world of knowledge and technology, and make the best use of it. It will help you do well in the future, and help ensure that Singapore continues to be successful.

　　We also learn English so that we can communicate and feel at ease with each other in Singapore, and learn from each other’s cultures.

　　To understand the importance of English, just look at China. All their primary school students are now learning English. In the cities, they start learning English at Primary One. In the countryside, they start at Primary Three. And there is huge demand for English language training among those who have already left school - either because they did not have a chance to learn the language earlier or because they are trying to achieve a higher command of the language.

　　In 10-15 years time, Chinese students will be leaving school with a reasonably good standard of English - very likely better than the Japanese and several other Asian countries. They will be able to interact more freely and comfortably with the West, and learn more quickly from the Western countries. It will give them a new competitive advantage.

　　We must continue to be proficient and confident in our command of English. But it is equally important that we place emphasis on our mother tongues. They provide us with anchors in a world of change - change that will be rapid and often confusing. They allow us to tap the deep reservoirs of wisdom that each of our cultures possesses.

　　And knowledge of your own culture allows you to learn about other cultures with confidence. Our mother tongues will allow us to be a global city, reaching out to the world, without losing a sense of confidence and pride in our own identity.

　　Another advantage of being comfortable in our mother tongues is that these languages, too, have economic value. Today, for instance, those having a good grasp of Mandarin find it easier to build relationships within China, and do good business with China. Relating with the Chinese in English will not be the same as relating in Mandarin - even as the Chinese become more comfortable speaking in English.

　　Not everyone can excel in their mother tongue language, and not everyone will put it to economic use. As a nation, however, we have to make sure that we have a large pool of people who are not just competent but highly competent in the mother tongue languages, and deeply immersed in their cultures. It will give us both cultural and economic advantage as a society.

　　I therefore encourage you to take both English and your mother tongue language very seriously. They are both good for your future. Those who are able to should also try and pick up at least a casual knowledge of another Singapore language, besides their mother tongue. It will open for you another window into Singapore’s rich multi-cultural life, and a window to new friendships.

　　本文节录自贸工部兼教育部高级政务部长尚达曼上星期六为全国小学生现场华文作文比赛主持开幕的演讲稿。

　　双语政策是我国教育体系的重要一环，正如过去的举足轻重影响，双语政策在未来也同等重要。学习并精通英文确保我们有美好的未来，让我们接触到广阔的知识和科技，并从中得到好处。英文将对你的前途发挥作用，也确保新加坡维持领先地位。此外，我们学习英文也是为了与其他国人自在交往，了解彼此的文化习俗。

　　此刻，我们只要放眼中国，就知道英文有多重要。所有的中国小学生都在勤学英文。在大城市里，学生从小学一年级开始学英文，乡镇学校则从小三学起。至于那些踏入社会的人，更有迫切掌握英文的需要，也许是因为他们当初没有学习英文的机会，或者此刻他们对英文有更上一层楼的学习动力。再过10年至15年，中国毕业生的英文水平会相当不错，极可能比日本和多个亚洲国家人民的英文能力更高。如此一来，中国人将能更流畅自在地与西方进行接触，加速向西方国家学习的步调；这将提供他们新的竞争优势。

　　我们必须维持精通英文的能力和使用英文的把握，但也须同样重视母语。因为掌握母语，将能让我们在瞬息万变而且通常令人迷惑的新经济中，懂得从本身的文化底殿挖掘出它所蕴育的智慧和资源，增进我们的优势。对自身文化有了透彻了解，我们才能充满自信地接触其他文化。母语让我们在成为环球化城市和面向全球时，不至于失去自我认同的信念和尊严。

　　充分掌握母语的另一优势是因为母语也拥有经济价值。例如，通晓华语的人会觉得无论在中国建立商业关系或经商都会是事半功倍的。即使今天中国人渐渐懂得英文，比起使用英语，同中国人以华语交谈毕竟是不同的。

　　不是每个人都能掌握好自己的母语，也不是每个人都能因母语的使用得到经济上的好处。然而，作为一个国家，我们须要确保有一大批能掌握母语和对母族文化有深刻认识的人。这将使我们的社会同时具备文化和经济的优势。

　　因此，我鼓励你认真对待英语和母语；它们对你的未来都很有帮助。除此之外，那些行有余力的人，更应该尝试对母语以外的至少一种本地语言有基本认识；那将使你对新加坡丰富的多元文化有深一层的认识，也让你结交更多新朋友。

·蔡深江译