IT WAS an uphill struggle for Mr S.K. Tan, 57, who started learning Mandarin when he was already in his 30s.
In his youth, he could not even write his name in Chinese characters, but he painstakingly learnt the language by watching Mandarin variety shows on television and listening to Mandarin songs.
While he can speak basic Mandarin today, he still struggles with its pronunciation and he sometimes needs his daughter's help to explain some Chinese lyrics.
Nonetheless, he recognises the importance of Mandarin - a point which Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew emphasised at the launch of the Speak Mandarin Campaign's 30th Anniversary celebrations yesterday.
MM Lee highlighted the need to reverse the trend of speaking English within Chinese families.
Speaking in Mandarin, Mr Lee said: "It's understandable that some parents will worry that their children will be disadvantaged in school or at work, if they don't speak English to their children."
However, he encouraged Chinese-Singaporean parents who are conversant in Mandarin to use it while speaking to their children, because it would help them learn the language.
Recounting his personal experiences, MM Lee said his grandchildren would reply to him in English, even when he asked them questions in Mandarin.
This was because their parents spoke English to them at home.
