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by Kenny Chee
RENEWED efforts will be made to make English-language courses more accessible and relevant to new immigrants here, to bridge the language barrier between them and Singaporeans.
This effort to boost English proficiency is part of the National Integration Council's plans to help build stronger bonds between Singaporeans and new immigrants, which were announced yesterday.
Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan, who chairs the council, said that Singapore will face a problem if its citizens and newcomers could not communicate with one another.
"English is our common working language in Singapore, and we need to make sure that all of us have enough command of the language to, at least, be able to (communicate) socially and for business," he said.
For a start, the council, which was formed in April, will review existing English-language courses available to new immigrants.
The courses include those by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency. Costs can range from $0.50 to $5 an hour. Singaporeans can also apply for these courses.
The council will then find ways to better publicise these courses to new immigrants, and improve their sign-up rates.
As part of this plan to foster better communication, the council will also create more platforms, like symposiums, where citizens and immigrants can share ideas on how to forge ties between both groups.
These announcements came a day after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, at a forum with Nanyang Technological University students, reiterated the need for Singapore to bring in talented immigrants, and said that more would be done to help them integrate into society here.
kennyc@sph.com.sg
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