Mother Tongue Language
Live with Tradition, Progress with Time
The Mother Tongue Language department strives to make learning fun and enriching for our students. Other than instilling in our students a love for the language and an appreciation of their culture, we are also focusing on inculcating the right values and better understanding of other cultures.
Mother Tongue Language Fortnight (MTL Fortnight)
The Mother Tongue Language (MTL) Fortnight is an annual two-week programme that gives Outramians the opportunity to learn and appreciate their Mother Tongue Languages and Cultures through a myriad of activities.
Chinese Language (CL) Unit
In 2022, MTL Fortnight was held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year Celebration.
Keeping to the tradition, the school was decorated with red cloth, couplets, lanterns and other auspicious items to bring out the festive atmosphere.
We ushered in the Year of the Tiger with a series of class activities. Traditions and customs were discussed and taught in class, with quizzes and “red packets” (sweet treats) given to the students. Card Design Competition (for Secondary One) and Digital Stickers Design Challenge (for Secondary Two to Five) were held and our Tiger mascot and God of Fortune made rounds in the classrooms to bring well wishes to the Outram family. The CNY concert was presented in the form of a pre-recorded video with performances and CNY greetings from students, alumni, teachers and staff.
A cultural workshop was also conducted for students to learn more about Chinese idioms and Chinese culture related to the tiger.
Malay Language (ML) Unit
This year, the ML Unit planned activities based on the theme, Wedding Ceremonies. Students immersed themselves and broadened their knowledge about how the Malay society celebrates the unity of couples culturally. In the span of two weeks during and after curriculum, students experience the preparation for the wedding celebration, such as planning, making bunga rampai and bunga manggar and designing wedding invitation cards.
Tamil Language (TL) Unit
The TL Unit planned the activities based on the Four themes shown below for the different levels. The students took part in activities like Bommalaattam, pallanguli, Aadu puli aatam, Lullaby songs, kollaattam, Kolam, Kalari(martial arts) Flower tying, Thaayam which gave them a thematic experience of Tamil culture.
| Sec 1 | Sec 2 | Sec 3 | Sec 4&5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Dance Forms | √ | |||
| Traditional Art Forms | √ | |||
| Traditional Games | √ | |||
| Traditional Folklore | √ |
Mother Tongue Language Cultural Camp
The Mother Tongue Language (MTL) Cultural Camp is organised by the MTL Department annually for the Secondary 2 students. During the camp, cultural workshops and learning journeys are organised to learn their respective Mother Tongue Languages and Culture through fun and enriching activities.
In 2022, the following activities were conducted:
| Chinese Language | Bubble Tea Making Workshop |
|---|---|
| Drama Appreciation | |
| Malay Language | Learning Journey to Kampung Buangkok |
| Language Games | |
| Tamil Language | Learning Journey to Ananda Bhavan |
| Cultural Activities |
Mother Tongue Language Cultural Rooms - Escape Room Game
To enhance the Secondary 2 students’ learning experience in our cultural rooms, the department gamified the learning of cultures and traditions by converting the rooms into Escape Rooms.
The activity required students to respond to various questions on SLS as well as looking for clues in the room.
Students were engaged and enjoyed the gamification part on the SLS. The hands-on activities planned by each culture group also provide opportunities for students to collaborate and communicate with one another. They enjoyed themselves and learnt more about other cultures.
