Mother Tongue

Discover how Waterway Primary's Mother Tongue department builds language skills and cultural pride through programmes like Cultural Camp, CPES, and reading initiatives.

Last updated 13 August 2026

Introduction
At Waterway Primary School, our Mother Tongue Language (MTL) Department aims to cultivate a vibrant and inclusive environment where every student embraces and excels in their mother tongue.

A large group of young students in school uniforms stretch their arms out in an auditorium with red seats.

MTL Department Key Goals
1.     To provide a nurturing and engaging platform for students to develop proficiency in their mother tongue, empowering them with the language skills necessary for confident expression and collaboration.
2.     To cultivate a positive attitude towards learning, fostering qualities of diligence curiosity and joy in acquiring knowledge.
3.     To instill a sense of pride and connection to the cultural roots in all students.

Two young boys wearing glasses color drawings with pencils at a yellow table covered with colored pencils.

Through age-appropriate pedagogical approaches, collaborative partnership with stakeholders, and continuous professional development for our teachers, we strive to create an atmosphere where students not only learn their mother tongue but also understand its cultural context. We believe that the mastery of one's mother tongue forms the basis for effective communication and collaboration, promoting an attitude of openness and respect for linguistic diversity, ready to thrive in a globalized society.

A teacher stands before young students in a classroom, pointing at a projected Tamil-language slide on a whiteboard.

MTL Department Vision

Empowering linguistic mastery and fostering cultural respect for students to thrive as effective communicators and collaborators in our interconnected world.

MTL Department Mission

Our department mission is to nurture every student through the mastery of their mother tongue language, excel in communication and collaboration, while fostering a deep respect for the cultural diversity of our interconnected world.

A performer in a red costume poses with arms wide on stage, surrounded by school children with raised arms.

MTL Department Programmes

1. Mother Tongue Language Fortnight and Cultural Camp/ Experience

In Waterway Primary, we create an immersive environment for the learning of MTL and to provide platforms for students to actively learn MTL and the associated culture to experience MTL as ‘a living language’. A wide range of class-based, level-based and recess activities related to Chinese, Malay, Tamil languages and culture will be conducted. The Cultural Camp/ Experience provides an immersive environment for students to learn and use their mother tongue in a more in-depth manner, and to appreciate their respective cultures through hands-on tasks such as craft work, learning journey and/ or performances.

2. Cultural Performance Exposure Scheme (CPES)

An initiative by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), the Cultural Performance Exposure Scheme (CPES) is an MOE initiative that aims to aims to expose students to Chinese language-related cultural performances by local and foreign performing arts groups. Primary 3 students can look forward to a theatrical experience on Chinese language related performances.

3. Mother Tongue Language Reading Programme

The MTL Reading Programme aims to instil the passion for reading mother tongue language books that paves the way in the learning of the Language. We hope that our students will be motivated over the years in reading MTL books, starting with igniting the interest in them at the lower primary level. This new initiative started with the engagement of Parent volunteers to conduct story telling for our Primary 2 student in Chinese language during curriculum time last year. We will be extending the programme to all Primary 1 student this year.

4. Malay Language - Rakan Bahasa (Friends of the language)

Rakan Bahasa is an initiative by the Malay Language Council, Singapore (MLCS) to encourage students who excel in the Malay language to spread the love of the language to their peers, friends and families. As Rakan Bahasa, the students will be given the opportunity to attend various workshops and training sessions conducted by the Duta Bahasa (Language Ambassador), fulfilling roles as reporters, guides or greeters. Students may also assist in facilitating Duta Bahasa talks or in organising Malay-based events for their peers, with support from the teachers.

Two students in uniforms hold Sijil Pelantikan Rakan Bahasa certificates, standing with a smiling woman in a hijab.

MTL Department Teaching Staff

Mother Tongue department teaching staff and designations

Name	Designation
Mrs Gina Ow	HOD MTL/ CL Teacher
Mdm Neo Chai Lee	HOD CCE/ CL Teacher
Mr Lim Tick Kit	HOD ICT/ CL Teacher
Mdm Tan Meo Cher	CL Teacher
Mdm Chan Peiling	CL Teacher
Mrs Yuen Ka Yan	CL Teacher
Ms Geraldine Ng Soh Huey	CL Teacher
Ms Su Wen Hui	CL Teacher
Mdm Martini Bte Mahmood	ML Teacher
Mr Muhammad Aidil Bin Ishak	ML Teacher
Mr Muhammad Mukhlis Dzulfitri Bin Dzulkifli	ML Teacher
Mr Muhammad Dinie Shaifullah Bin Y	ML Teacher
Mdm Asiyah Binte Sheik Mohamed Ismail	ML Teacher
Mdm Noor Hidayah Binte Noordin	ML Teacher
Mdm Rajeswary D/O Ramakrishna	TL Teacher
Mdm Shamini D/O Subramaniam	TL Teacher

Two masked teachers sit before a group of uniformed children on a floor, with a Chinese storybook slideshow on a screen.

Parent Involvement
The MTL Reading Programme – Story Telling for the lower primary, was anchored by our parent volunteers. This was piloted in 2023 with a small group of parent volunteers for the Chinese language Story Telling sessions. Moving forward, we would like to extend the Story Telling sessions to include the Malay and Tamil languages. We would like to seek partnership and collaboration with parents who are able to render their service to the school for this programme, to tell stories in the respective Mother Tongue languages to the lower primary students.