Mother Tongue Department
- To develop Northstars into confident learners and competent speakers in their own Mother Tongue languages.
- To provide interesting experiences for Northstars to appreciate culture associated with their own Mother Tongue languages, as well as that of others.
The Chinese Language unit focuses on improving Northstars’ language proficiency and increasing their exposure to traditional Chinese culture. Through the creative use of ICT in classrooms and a diverse range of out-of-classroom activities, we seek to create a more interactive and engaging learning environment. In Northland, we encourage students to participate in a wide range of school activities, such as festive drum performances, Chinese calligraphy, tea appreciation and theatre performances. In motivating students to be more creative in language use, we also got students to pen down new meaningful lyrics based on a popular Chinese song “When we are together” and showcase their good work to their peers. To maximise student potential, we also provided opportunities for students to participate in external competitions, such as speech contest and translation competition.
The Malay Language unit has always placed emphasis on the need for understanding the rich cultural heritage and values of the Malay community in line with Arif Budiman. One of the key approaches is to infuse aesthetic and authentic learning through the different platforms such as Mother Tongue Language Fortnight, Hari Raya Concert and external events such as competitions and Malay Language Ambassadors (Rakan Bahasa 2018) for our Northstars. Through the exposure given, we hope to stress the importance of developing a strong appreciation of the Malay Language and being deeply rooted to one’s culture.
The Tamil Language unit believes in promoting the Tamil language and Indian culture through immersion and experience. The Pongal Festival concert helped to deepen the students’ appreciation of the South Indian culture. During Mother Tongue Language Fortnight, activities such as Kolam and Rangoli drawing and the making of garland and Indian traditional instruments were carried out. The unit also organised a talk for parents of the upper secondary Tamil students, entitled ‘Journeying with My Children during their Teenage Years’. The talk was given by SINDA Speaker Ms Sarojini Venkatasamy. A motivational talk for lower secondary Tamil students was also conducted. Given by SINDA Speaker Mr Balakumaran Krishnaswamy, it created greater awareness for students on how to leverage their strengths and weaknesses to maximise their potential. Our students took part in the Science of Tamils competition and National ICT Sharing for Tamil language students. Our teachers and students also participated in the Teaching and Learning of Tamil Language Exhibition at the 12th World Tamil Teachers’ Conference.
Northland Celebrates Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Northland Sec celebrates Pongal Festival (2018 TL Unit)
Northland Secondary School celebrated Pongal on Friday, 19 January 2018. Organised by the Tamil Unit, the event sought to educate the students on the significance of Pongal. Pongal is a festival celebrated in South India over four days, by farmers who give thanks to the Sun God for the blessings of a rich harvest. The event was marked by a concert as well as a display on how to make pongal.
Northland celebrates Lunar New Year (2018 - CL Unit)
Northland celebrated Lunar New Year on 15 February 2018, which was the eve of the Lunar New Year. The celebrations started off with a Chinese calligraphy and class decoration competition. This was then followed by a class party, where students got to toss Yusheng with their classmates. After the party, the students gathered at the hall for an entertaining Lunar New Year Concert.
