In Singapore’s mainstream schools, it is natural for kids to learn a second language other than English, known as Mother Tongue, and it typically follows the student’s Mother Tongue.
Furthermore, most Singaporean schools allow pupils to study Higher Mother Tongue Languages (HMTL), including Higher Chinese Language (HCL). What precisely is this, and should your child strive for it?
Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about HCL!
What exactly is HCL?
HCL study is a supplementary topic taught to both Primary and Secondary school pupils that focus on an advanced level of the standard Chinese language.
What are the requirements to learn higher Chinese?
At the elementary level, schools often provide the course at the Primary 4 or 5 standard Chinese level to children with at least a 70-mark grade. However, there are certain outliers, such as St. Hilda’s Primary School, which teaches HCL at the Primary 2 level.
The criteria get a little more complicated at the Secondary level. If your child is in the top 10-30 percentile with a standard Chinese score of A*, they will be eligible for HCL. In addition, they will be eligible if they already have a merit for HCL on their PSLE score from primary school or are in the top 10% of their cohort.
Should you encourage your child to take HCL?
Aside from eligibility, whether your child should take HCL truly relies on the direction you and your child want to pursue, or the academic route they want.
First and foremost, if your child is already interested in the Chinese language, they should consider taking HCL since it will help them by boosting their levels and providing them with a firmer foundation in the Chinese language.
If your child desires to attend a SAP or IP Secondary school after primary school, taking HCL for PSLE gives them an edge. Furthermore, studying HCL at a younger age implies they will be able to flourish in the Chinese language in secondary school since they have already laid a firm foundation.
If your child is considering going to Junior College (JC) after high school, they should take HCL. Students who took and passed HCL during their O Levels will be spared from taking H1 Chinese as an A Level subject, allowing them to decrease their load during their JC years.
On the other side, if your child shows little interest in the Chinese language or is already struggling to keep up with the standard number of topics, then taking HCL may not be the best option right now.
However, if your child is interested yet struggling, consider enlisting the help of a Chinese tutor. This can help raise their chances of improving their grasp of the language.
And that’s all there is to know about HCL!
