Written by: Lemuel Teo (Photo by: Lee Wei Jie)

How Singapore’s bilingual policy is key to regional missions

Singapore is often described as a multi-cultural society — a rojak bowl of Chinese, Malay, Indian and other cultures. All of us grew up interacting with friends from a myriad of cultures. We pledge ourselves to be a united people “regardless of race, language or religion.” And so, we pride ourselves on being a multi-racial, multi-lingual and multi-religious society.

I’ve always admired the older generation’s ability to converse in many languages. My grandmother speaks in Hokkien with the fish monger when she goes to the pasar (or pā-sàt), Cantonese to her mahjong kakis, Mandarin to the taxi uncle, and Malay to the next door pakcik. Once, whilst on the bus home, I overheard a conversation between two elderly men — an Indian and a Chinese — and both were speaking in Hokkien. They seemed like old friends, based on their lively banter. These are but two examples; I am sure it wouldn’t be difficult to find similar examples of the older generation picking up a smattering of languages to navigate through post-independence Singapore.

Our generation is different. We grew up with the bilingual policy as students in MOE schools; we were taught English and our mother tongue. Dr Tony Tan, then Minister for Education, said in a 1986 speech that “each child should learn English and his mother tongue, (this) I regard as a fundamental feature of our education system… Children must learn English so that they will have a window to the knowledge, technology and expertise of the modern world. They must know their mother tongues to enable them to know what makes us what we are.” Singapore’s bilingual policy strives to empower us to compete in the global market with an English education, and to ground us in Asian values like humility, integrity and filial piety from morals and life lessons discussed in our mother tongue classes.

Even though Singaporean students regularly complain about the chore of studying their mother tongues, about 90% of respondents in a NIE survey say they wished they could speak their mother tongues better. In hindsight, I felt I should have treasured my education in the Chinese language more. While I was still in school, I dreaded every comprehension (理解问答) and composition (作文／应用文) I had to complete. Now, I am grateful to be relatively conversant in both English and Chinese.

While Singapore is heavily influenced by Western popular culture and ideals, we retain a distinctively Asian identity at our core. Singapore’s effectiveness in bridging both Eastern and Western cultures is aided by our geographical location — we are an important node in global shipping and air routes in the region.

The ancient city of Antioch has been described as “a melting pot of Western and Eastern cultures, where Greek and Roman traditions mingled with Semitic, Arab, and Persian influences.” Doesn’t that sound just like Singapore — where Chinese, Malay and Indian traditions are mingled with American, Korean and European influences?

The lists in Acts 13:1 suggests that the people in the church of Antioch hailed from at least four different places — Cyprus, Cyrene, Judea, Asia Minor — yet they were united in Christ. Antioch was a significant launching pad for reaching out to the surrounding regions. The Christians in the church of Antioch probably spoke Greek (the lingua franca of their time) as well as their own mother tongues. This would have provided them the ability to connect with people from different backgrounds.

Our country’s bilingual policy sets us up for ministering in regional missions. Taking a look at the countries in Southeast and East Asia, I see the potential impact Singaporean Christians can make in the mission field. I recall a time when I was on a mission trip in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The Christian workers there spoke Thai (obviously), yet they could also converse in Chinese as the Bible school they attended in Thailand instated Chinese as the language of instruction. But they could not speak English, hence all the activities we did — games, dramas, and preaching — had to be translated from Chinese to Thai. I was forced to use my mother tongue to communicate. While it was initially difficult, I eventually eased into speaking in Chinese. I even managed to share a devotion in Chinese! This experience made me realise the incredible value of being bilingual. It dawned on me that this would not have been possible had it not been for my Chinese language education in Singapore.

As a Christian and a Singaporean Chinese, I am deeply appreciative of our unique position in the region. While we are at a confluence in the arenas of trade, industry, and travel, I think we are also at a confluence in the ministry. It has been prophesied that Singapore is poised to be the Antioch of Asia. This means that reaching out to the surrounding region should be a top priority for the Singapore body of Christ. Our exposure to bilingualism and multi-culturalism grants us the ability to connect with our neighbours in a deeper way. Our mother tongues can be a channel through which we share the Father’s love.

Joseph Chean, the National Director of Youth With A Mission Singapore, preached a message on Singapore’s Antioch Call. What struck my heart was not only Singapore’s destiny of bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the surrounding region, but the importance of undertaking humility as we venture forth. He beseeched that playing a part in Singapore’s call to be the Antioch of Asia meant the need “to lay down [our lives] and allow [ourselves] to die to self so that God gets the maximum glory…”. Let us remember that actions do speak louder than words — even if we are able to overcome language barriers through the common tongue we speak, our actions have to embody the Father’s love.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 
(1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV)

A note from the writer:
For a more in-depth exploration of Singapore being the Antioch of Asia, I would like to recommend these resources: Singapore’s Antioch Call by Joseph Chean, National Director of Youth With A Mission Singapore, The Antioch of Asia by Paul Holland, The Gentile Mission at Antioch by InterVarsity Press, and Are we Antioch yet? by Edward K Pousson.