Issue 7 : Developing Interest in Tamil Amongst Students
Issue 7 : Developing Interest in Tamil Amongst Students
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Pre-Panel Discussion
1 . How effective is the curriculum in developing interests about Tamil ?
• Current Tamil lessons do not have much information about history of Tamils . The emphasis is mainly on grammar and vocabulary which does not create deeper appreciation for the language amongst students . More can be done to teach students about the history and culture of the local Tamil community – the struggles faced by our forefathers to make Tamil a living language in Singapore .
• Although language is primarily used for communication , it also serves as a form of identity . Current Tamil activities and lessons are tailored to fulfil the communication goal but do not address the identity issue .
• Current syllabus ’ s main focus is on memorization which is not very relevant for outside world . Primary school syllabus is more relevant than JC syllabus . Primary school syllabus encourages critical thinking and analysis while JC syllabus is more about memory work . There is a lack of emphasis on Tamil history and culture .
2 . Who plays the most important role in promoting interest in Tamil ?
• Teachers : Tamil teachers in primary school are able to cultivate interest in Tamil amongst students . Many delegates shared that their primary school Tamil teachers influenced them to take Higher Tamil in Secondary school .
• However , in secondary school , there seems to be a sudden decrease in the interest level . Delegates felt that in secondary school , Tamil classes focus too much on exams and grades . This results in classes being textbook-oriented . Moreover , since the focus is on obtaining grades , when an individual does not score well in exams , he or she gradually loses interest in Tamil . Tamil lessons need to be made more interactive and fun .
• However , there are teachers who see teaching Tamil as just a job and focus on teaching students based on the curriculum . They do not make additional efforts to inculcate passion among students for Tamil .
• But it has to be taken into consideration that in some cases even passionate teachers are tied down by the school ’ s academic structure and curriculum and instead have to find ways to inculcate passion during non-curriculum hours .
• Some teachers value pride and tend to choose students who are more proficient and passionate about Tamil over the other students . Hence , there is no opportunity for students who are less passionate about Tamil to develop their passion for Tamil .
• Friends : They are the biggest influence ; this might be a two-way thing as well .
• Myself : No matter what people say , decisions will be made by the individual and no one changes that .