A KEY player in the lively debate over changes to how Chinese is taught here is quick to see the funny side when asked about his own adult daughters.

'My elder daughter is studying English literature and the younger girl is in England studying law,' says Dr Chin Chee Kuen with a smile, of his children aged 21 and 18.

However, on a more serious note, he adds: 'But they are definitely fluent in Mandarin because it is the main mode of communication at home. They were both Higher Chinese students in the language elective programme.

'I wasn't worried about speaking to them in Mandarin because I was sure they would pick up English in school, and they did.'

This question - the language spoken in the home - is a key element of a debate ignited by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew late last year when he acknowledged that mistakes had been made by setting the bar too high in teaching Chinese.

Dr Chin, 53, is executive director of the newly established Singapore Centre for Chinese Language (SCCL), set up last June to fine-tune the way Chinese is taught in school.

He believes Chinese teaching is at a critical juncture but is confident the language will not wither on the vine here. The 21st century is, after all, what many regard as the Chinese century.

Dr Chin sees the biggest challenge facing Chinese language learning in Singapore as the fact that teaching methods here have not fully caught up with the rapidly changing profile of Chinese learners.

Speaking in Mandarin peppered with some English, he says the SCCL, officially opened last November, would develop innovative teaching strategies in the years ahead to train Chinese teachers.

'The mindset of teachers must change. They can no longer only teach Chinese using a first-language approach because many students are from English-speaking families now,' he stresses.

The differing backgrounds are crucial, rendering a one-size-fits-all approach to teach Chinese ineffective, he explains. 'For the first language approach, teachers typically begin with what the passage is trying to say and what the child thinks about it.'

'But for the second language approach, they should teach the small stuff first - difficult words, complex sentence structures, before moving on to the big picture,' he says.

Dr Chin, an assistant professor with the National Institute of Education, is an experienced educator who has taught for more than 10 years in secondary schools here.

The Chinese language, he says, could either lose its relevance, or become a facet of learning that students feel is essential.

His zeal to avoid a decline is clear.

'I do not think we want to see the Chinese lose their ability to speak and understand their language. Culture and values aside, bilingualism is a trait that has given Singapore a competitive edge, and we don't want to become a monolingual society and lose that edge,' he says.

How about students who argue that they have no intention of working in Chinese-related fields?

He responds: 'The key is to let them see how they can use the language in their daily lives. We have to show them that Chinese can enrich their world, expose them to a different way of thinking and provide access to another way of life. There is so much literature to be enjoyed as well.'

Teaching methods, he explains, must therefore change with the times to engage students with a fixed mindset that Chinese is just an examination subject.

He sees clear practical alternatives: Get students to do projects based on interviews conducted in Mandarin. They should also become familiar with Chinese news articles on issues of interest.

Teaching methodology aside, Dr Chin also expresses concern about the depth of knowledge possessed by the teachers.

'In the past, there was no issue because Chinese teachers came from Chinese language schools. Now, most young teachers here are also English-educated.

'Their grasp of the language may be good among peers, but they need to enhance their language ability and seek greater understanding of Chinese culture and history,' he says.

In the end, though, he sees their bilingual skills as an asset: They will be better able to communicate with students.

Training teachers - whether senior educators or newbies - will not be difficult as they have always been dedicated to improving themselves, he said.

Already, 1,500 Chinese teachers - more than one-third of the total number of 4,000 teachers here - have gone through training at the SCCL since it started operations.

'The teaching of Chinese has gone through the most changes, compared to other subjects. The teachers have proven time and again that they are keen to learn and adapt,' Dr Chin says.

While training is voluntary now, he says he will look at perhaps making certain core modules compulsory.

So far, SCCL has held 71 classes in more than 50 areas such as using drama to teach Chinese and developing reading and thinking skills through specially created reading material. This year, it hopes to hold more than 100 classes in 73 areas.

Chinese teachers can also look forward to a slew of other opportunities.

The centre, in collaboration with SIM University, plans to launch a joint degree in Chinese education for teachers who do not have a basic degree.

If all goes well, the centre will also offer a masters programme with the Hong Kong University by next year.

The Ministry of Education, says Dr Chin, has also approved two proposals which were submitted earlier. The first recommends the development of an oracy diagnostic tool to gauge pupils when they enter Primary 1. Oracy is a person's capacity to express himself in, and understand, a spoken language.

The second would look into the production of a series of story books in Chinese graded according to difficulty so there is something to read for every child.

He understands very well that learning Chinese is a challenge for many students - and the parents.

'Let's be realistic. I am not expecting everyone to excel in Chinese but there should be a minimum standard at which they can at least communicate comfortably,' he says.

Dr Chin, who relieves stress by listening to classical music, reckons that better teaching methods will come quickly after teachers are trained but that it would take at least a generation to see Chinese standards here raised significantly.

Meanwhile, he just wants to do his best. 'I barely have time to rest, there is definitely pressure and of course, there are those who think our efforts are futile. But I am very clear about what I want to do and as long as I have the correct attitude, I am not afraid of failure.'

His commitment to the job stems from genuine passion for the language.

'I feel this need to contribute to society,' he says. 'At my age, I could have chosen early retirement, but I didn't because I really want to do something for the Chinese language learning scene here.'

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