{"id":15528,"date":"2025-11-21T18:32:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T10:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/?p=15528"},"modified":"2025-11-26T10:33:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T02:33:10","slug":"does-mother-tongue-still-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Mother Tongue Still Matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Header” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_color=”#FFFFFF” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_type=”circular” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”top left” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(255,255,255,0.89) 30%|rgba(255,255,255,0) 80%” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(255,255,255,0.89)” background_color_gradient_start_position=”30%” background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” background_color_gradient_end_position=”80%” background_image=”http:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-21-at-6.07.39\u202fPM.png” background_size=”custom” background_image_width=”75%” background_image_height=”0%” width=”100%” min_height=”100px” custom_margin=”-12px||194px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-50px||194px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”8vw|1px|0|0px|false|false” link_option_url_new_window=”on” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″ title_text=”Screenshot 2025-11-21 at 6.07.39\u202fPM”][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ background_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.49)” transform_translate_linked=”off” min_height=”192px” custom_margin=”160px|auto|150px|auto|false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”61px|48px|61px|48px|true|true” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ admin_label=”Column” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Ogg|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”44px” text_line_height=”1.2em” header_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_font_size=”80px” header_2_font_size=”28px” header_5_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_5_text_color=”#000000″ header_5_font_size=”20px” header_5_letter_spacing=”0.5em” header_5_line_height=”1.8em” custom_margin=”-30px||-2px|0px|false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-25px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”|90px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”|0px|||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” animation_style=”zoom” animation_intensity_zoom=”5%” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”27px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” text_line_height_tablet=”” text_line_height_phone=”1.2em” text_line_height_last_edited=”on|phone” header_font_size_tablet=”48px” header_font_size_phone=”28px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_5_font_size_tablet=”14px” header_5_font_size_phone=”12px” header_5_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” text_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ inline_fonts=”Montserrat” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Does Mother Tongue Still Matter?<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ custom_margin=”-194px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ min_height=”84px” custom_margin=”-80px|auto||auto|false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-145px|auto|-100px|auto|false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.4″ text_font=”Montserrat|300|||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ transform_scale_tablet=”” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate=”0px|-22px” transform_translate_tablet=”” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate_linked=”off” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|desktop” min_height=”112.8px” custom_margin=”5px||-48px||false|false” custom_padding=”31px||0px||false|false” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”About Us” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ min_height=”1396px” custom_margin=”-136px||-433px|||” custom_padding=”107px||44px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,3_5,1_5″ custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ custom_margin=”-55px||||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-35px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”2px|0|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”|0px||0px||true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_line_height=”1.5em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”50px” header_2_line_height=”1.4em” header_5_font=”Montserrat||||||||” header_5_text_color=”#b3b3b3″ header_5_font_size=”14px” header_5_line_height=”0.5em” header_6_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_6_font_size=”16px” header_6_letter_spacing=”5px” header_6_line_height=”1.8em” max_width=”659px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|79px|104px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-40px|79px|0px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”|0px||||” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”15px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_2_font_size_tablet=”35px” header_2_font_size_phone=”25px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

 <\/p>\n

BY
Joel Chang<\/b><\/p>\n

Lead Editor<\/b><\/p>\n

Hype Issue #76<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Published on<\/h5>\n
Nov 21<\/h5>\n
2025<\/h5>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_line_height=”1.5em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”50px” header_2_line_height=”1.4em” header_5_font=”Montserrat||||||||” header_5_text_color=”#b3b3b3″ header_5_font_size=”14px” header_5_line_height=”0.5em” header_6_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_6_font_size=”16px” header_6_letter_spacing=”5px” header_6_line_height=”1.8em” max_width=”659px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|79px|104px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-40px|79px|0px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”|0px||||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”15px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_2_font_size_tablet=”35px” header_2_font_size_phone=”25px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]

 <\/p>\n

<\/h5>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” hover_enabled=”0″ inline_fonts=”Montreal Medium” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ transform_scale_tablet=”” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate=”0px|-22px” transform_translate_tablet=”” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate_linked=”off” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin=”31px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Joel Chang investigates the increase in youths losing touch with their Mother Tongues, and whether it matters in today\u2019s day and age.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ transform_scale_tablet=”” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate=”0px|-22px” transform_translate_tablet=”” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate_linked=”off” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin=”31px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

When Corey Yuen, 19, a full-time National Serviceman, goes to order food at local hawker centres, he often finds himself struggling to understand the stallholder\u2019s rapid-fire Mandarin. \u201c<\/span>I [speak] Chinese every time I order food, maybe, but that’s about it,\u201d he admitted. Raised in a predominantly English-speaking household, he scored an E8 in his mother tongue for his A-Levels and feels little connection to the language.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn school, my experience was<\/span> generally more negative because I wasn’t very good,\u201d Corey lamented. \u201cI didn’t really do much of the homework, and I got scolded a lot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Corey\u2019s story is indicative of a wider trend \u2013 mother tongue proficiency is declining among younger Singaporeans, especially as English becomes ever more dominant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Singapore\u2019s former Minister for Education, Mr Chan Chun Sing, noted at the <\/span>Mother Tongue Languages Symposium 2023<\/span><\/a> that proficiencies in mother tongue languages (MTLs) have slipped over the years, particularly amongst Gen Z. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has since refreshed the primary school MTL curriculum to include more games and technology across all MTLs, in a bid to make learning more engaging and relevant.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”||0px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ inline_fonts=”Montreal Medium” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

English Rising, Bilingualism Fading<\/b><\/p>\n

Singapore’s emphasis on bilingualism has long been a cornerstone of our national identity and economic competitiveness. However, recent data shows a shift in our daily language use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the <\/span>Department of Statistics<\/span><\/a>, the number of Singaporeans speaking predominantly English at home has risen from 32.3% in 2010 to 48.3% in 2020. Among those who use English at home, many still speak a MTL or dialect as their second language. However, deep and consistent exposure to their MTL tends to be noticeably diminished when compared to the generation of yesteryear.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Corey, while this shortfall has seldom mattered at home, it was rather evident at his workplace. While working banquet shifts at a hotel, his colleagues often conversed in Mandarin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes it made working harder than it should have been,\u201d he recalled.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lim Yee Ferng Russell, 20, also a full-time National Serviceman, has had a somewhat different experience with his MTL. A self-described \u201cstrong bilingualist,” Russell explains that his family made conscientious efforts to expose him to Mandarin, English and Hokkien from a young age. Today, he uses Mandarin almost daily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt genuinely comes in really handy,\u201d he said. \u201cIn a lot of situations, I find myself speaking more Chinese than English\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Russell\u2019s bilingualism gives him range. From being able to chat with hawker stall owners, handling service interactions, and even translating for friends abroad, he can do it all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to understand and communicate with more people is definitely an advantage,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt broadens my perspective, because I naturally think and process most things in both languages. I can see things and understand problems in different ways.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”0px||2px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ inline_fonts=”Montreal Medium” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

What Policymakers and Educators Are Seeing<\/b><\/p>\n

Mr Zhou Decheng, a former MOE official who helped shape the Chinese literature curriculum at the Junior College and Secondary School levels, has long been watching the trendline.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been an age\u2011old problem, probably since [Singapore\u2019s] independence,\u201d he stated. \u201cBecause Singapore uses English as the official working language, students get less use of their mother tongue, even though we brand ourselves as a bilingual nation\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite this, Mr Zhou argues that Singapore has managed to slow the language shift better than many immigrant societies. \u201cIn America, after one or two generations, you see a sharp drop in mother tongue use,\u201d he noted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Singapore,<\/span> we see that the decline is slightly slower, about three generations.\u201d \u201cWe still see mother tongues in local media, hawker centres, and supermarkets. <\/span>We still embrace bilingualism, so the decline is slightly lower.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Abandoning bilingualism entirely would be \u201cunhealthy,\u201d warns Mr Zhou. \u201cSingapore might lose the advantage of being bilingual. I\u2019m looking forward to a more postmodern world where multilingualism should be the norm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

His recommended solution? A mix of real-world exposure and culture-first pedagogy. \u201cLearning through culture, through art, and through soft power is more effective in the long term than memorising vocabulary.\u201d<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-21-at-6.18.44\u202fPM.png” title_text=”Screenshot 2025-11-21 at 6.18.44\u202fPM” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ transform_scale_tablet=”” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate=”0px|-22px” transform_translate_tablet=”” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate_linked=”off” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin=”31px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

The Mother Tongue Languages Symposium 2023, wherein a new Mother Tongue Languages (MTL) curriculum was announced. (Photo Credit: @Chan Chun Sing \/ Facebook)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n


.<\/span><\/i><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”0px||2px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ inline_fonts=”Montreal Medium” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Policy is certainly also moving in that direction. Beyond refreshing the curriculum, <\/span>MOE also announced its efforts to broaden pathways<\/span><\/a> in 2023, such as by allowing more students to take Higher Mother Tongue from Secondary 1. This comes alongside efforts to better incorporate MTLs into everyday life.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/h3>\n

Culture, Identity, and Belonging<\/b><\/h3>\n

For Russell, languages are more than a tool. \u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s still your roots\u2026<\/span>You can’t expect someone to pull up Google Translate when you’re trying to order food at a hawker centre. It’s just really awkward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Corey, on the other hand, feels that it does not hold as much weight, but he does agree that he may be missing out on that connection to his heritage. \u201c<\/span>For some Chinese characters, you have to really understand what the words mean for you to get that sense of connection.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, he also feels like there are other ways to make up for this gap, besides bilingualism. \u201c<\/span>For stuff like Chinese New Year, I think those kinds of events will really help with the connection to your culture.\u201d The same can be applied to other ethnic holidays, such as Hari Raya or Deepavali.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sociologists worry about the rippling effects. Fading MTL proficiency can dilute traditions, humour and intergenerational bonds, from your grandparents\u2019 anecdotes to the untranslatable idioms and proverbs that carry local wisdom.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/h3>\n

Is Technology Good Enough?<\/b><\/h3>\n

With AI translation advancing at a rapid pace, some might question whether MTL proficiency is still important in daily life. Corey is certainly part of this demographic. \u201cGoogle Translate has been around for a while, and it helps you communicate with people who only speak [your mother tongue].\u201d<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-21-at-6.27.37\u202fPM.png” title_text=”Screenshot 2025-11-21 at 6.27.37\u202fPM” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ transform_scale_tablet=”” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate=”0px|-22px” transform_translate_tablet=”” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate_linked=”off” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin=”31px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

The advent of translation technology raises the question of the need to be bilingual. (Photo Credit: SlashGear)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n


.<\/span><\/i><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”||0px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ inline_fonts=”Montreal Medium” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

However, Mr Zhou is more cautious. While machine translation excels at literal and formal text, it may struggle with more nuanced literature that deals with context and social cues, which is a lot more present in instances where these tools may be used in daily life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, there is still the issue of code-switching in daily conversations. Things like blending Singlish and Mandarin in conversation, using region-specific slang, or mixing multiple dialects in speech will confuse machine translation tools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Russell takes an even firmer stance. \u201c<\/span>I<\/span>t\u2019s never too late to try and re-learn your mother tongue\u2026 If you surround yourself with the right resources or the right people, I genuinely think it’s doable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What \u201cProficiency\u201d Should Mean Now<\/b><\/h3>\n

If there is one thing all three interviewees agree on, it\u2019s that we should stop equating MTL proficiency with test scores alone. Mr Zhou argues for a more pragmatic approach. He encourages us to instead consider if we can handle daily transactions smoothly, read a menu, follow a TV drama or have a fluid conversation with a relative.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new and improved curriculum taps into that. More conversational practice, story-rich materials, and the use of technology are meant to help breed confidence instead of fear.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Corey, the path back starts small. \u201cIt\u2019s scary when you feel very far behind,\u201d he admitted. However, the aforementioned low-stakes practices can help to build momentum and fluency.<\/span><\/p>\n

Russell agrees. \u201cIf you put yourself around the language; music, shows, friends, it starts to click.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Does It Still Matter?<\/b><\/h3>\n

If the importance of MTL proficiency lies in acing standardised tests, perhaps the answer may be shifting as translation technology improves. However, if it means regular use and being able to understand your elders\u2019 stories, converse with your local hawkers, and being able to consume the traditional media, the answer remains a resounding yes. Technology doesn\u2019t capture the warmth of direct conversation, or even the human element of being able to think, speak and feel in more than one tongue.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a growing portion of Gen Z, English will unfortunately remain the default. Mr Zhou\u2019s advice is to simply make an effort in using our MTL in our day-to-day lives. For Russell and Corey, their stories are perhaps a reminder that losing fluency happens by accident, but rebuilding it is a choice.<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_sidebar _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_sidebar][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Joel Chang investigates the increase in youths losing touch with their Mother Tongues, and whether it matters in today\u2019s day and age.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"2880","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[211,1159,47],"class_list":["post-15528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nptribune","tag-hype","tag-hype-singapore","tag-singapore"],"yoast_head":"\nDoes Mother Tongue Still Matter? - Hype Singapore<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Joel Chang investigates the increase in youths losing touch with their Mother Tongues, and whether it matters in today\u2019s day and age.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Does Mother Tongue Still Matter? - Hype Singapore\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Joel Chang investigates the increase in youths losing touch with their Mother Tongues, and whether it matters in today\u2019s day and age.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hype Singapore\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HYPEsg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-21T10:32:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-26T02:33:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joel Chang\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@hypesg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@hypesg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joel Chang\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/21\\\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/21\\\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Joel Chang\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2a87a6a302fc253d880a2ea0729ba93d\"},\"headline\":\"Does Mother Tongue Still Matter?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-21T10:32:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-26T02:33:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/21\\\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3263,\"commentCount\":223,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Hype\",\"hype singapore\",\"Singapore\"],\"articleSection\":[\"NPTRIBUNE\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/21\\\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/21\\\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/21\\\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\\\/\",\"name\":\"Does Mother Tongue Still Matter? - Hype Singapore\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-21T10:32:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-26T02:33:10+00:00\",\"description\":\"Joel Chang investigates the increase in youths losing touch with their Mother Tongues, and whether it matters in today\u2019s day and age.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/21\\\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/21\\\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/21\\\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Does Mother Tongue Still Matter?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hype Singapore\",\"description\":\"An Expression of Youth\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"HYPE Singapore\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/06\\\/HYPELOGO_ORIGINAL-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/06\\\/HYPELOGO_ORIGINAL-1.png\",\"width\":928,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"HYPE Singapore\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/HYPEsg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/hypesg\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/hypesg\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2a87a6a302fc253d880a2ea0729ba93d\",\"name\":\"Joel Chang\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c30c593eaf03366b2a57d24ce4768221d493320a749a0a473e46c1789caa23e1?s=96&d=retro&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c30c593eaf03366b2a57d24ce4768221d493320a749a0a473e46c1789caa23e1?s=96&d=retro&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c30c593eaf03366b2a57d24ce4768221d493320a749a0a473e46c1789caa23e1?s=96&d=retro&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Joel Chang\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hypesingapore.com\\\/index.php\\\/author\\\/joel-chang\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Does Mother Tongue Still Matter? - Hype Singapore","description":"Joel Chang investigates the increase in youths losing touch with their Mother Tongues, and whether it matters in today\u2019s day and age.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Does Mother Tongue Still Matter? - Hype Singapore","og_description":"Joel Chang investigates the increase in youths losing touch with their Mother Tongues, and whether it matters in today\u2019s day and age.","og_url":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/","og_site_name":"Hype Singapore","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HYPEsg\/","article_published_time":"2025-11-21T10:32:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-26T02:33:10+00:00","author":"Joel Chang","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@hypesg","twitter_site":"@hypesg","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Joel Chang","Estimated reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/"},"author":{"name":"Joel Chang","@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2a87a6a302fc253d880a2ea0729ba93d"},"headline":"Does Mother Tongue Still Matter?","datePublished":"2025-11-21T10:32:04+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-26T02:33:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/"},"wordCount":3263,"commentCount":223,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/#organization"},"keywords":["Hype","hype singapore","Singapore"],"articleSection":["NPTRIBUNE"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/","url":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/","name":"Does Mother Tongue Still Matter? - Hype Singapore","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-11-21T10:32:04+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-26T02:33:10+00:00","description":"Joel Chang investigates the increase in youths losing touch with their Mother Tongues, and whether it matters in today\u2019s day and age.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/does-mother-tongue-still-matter\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Does Mother Tongue Still Matter?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/","name":"Hype Singapore","description":"An Expression of Youth","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/#organization","name":"HYPE Singapore","url":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/HYPELOGO_ORIGINAL-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/HYPELOGO_ORIGINAL-1.png","width":928,"height":500,"caption":"HYPE Singapore"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HYPEsg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/hypesg","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hypesg\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2a87a6a302fc253d880a2ea0729ba93d","name":"Joel Chang","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c30c593eaf03366b2a57d24ce4768221d493320a749a0a473e46c1789caa23e1?s=96&d=retro&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c30c593eaf03366b2a57d24ce4768221d493320a749a0a473e46c1789caa23e1?s=96&d=retro&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c30c593eaf03366b2a57d24ce4768221d493320a749a0a473e46c1789caa23e1?s=96&d=retro&r=g","caption":"Joel Chang"},"url":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/author\/joel-chang\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15528"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15528\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}