Established in 1974, the Prime Minister’s Book Prize (PMBP) is an annual award for bilingualism given to primary, secondary and pre-university students.

This year, three Sec 1 students and 2 ex-students (now at HCI) received the award.

They are Ng Wen Xi (Sec 111), Amy Ong Jin Lu (Sec 112) and Ke Shuwen (Sec 112) from the Lower Secondary and Ng Wan Xuan (411’20) and Chen Xinrui (409’20) from the Upper Secondary.

We congratulate all five of them and we share with you their stories on the road to this achievement.

The first person that comes to mind when I am asked about who motivated me would be my mother. She was the one who gave me my first storybook. She was the one who sat by my side and patiently read storybooks out to me, until I picked up the skill of reading. As I grew older, my mother continued to make her weekly trip to the library, borrowing books for me to immerse myself in the language and the plot in my spare time. My father also gave me and my sister a daily dose of television shows, both in English and Chinese. Gradually, we made it a habit to check the online dictionary when a phrase or word which we didn’t recognise was mentioned. My teachers played a part in developing my interest in bilingualism as well. Their detailed explanations of nuances and differences in the definitions of words and sentence structures helped immensely. I was also given the wonderful opportunity to participate in cultural camps and serve the school as Mother Tongue Captain. I was also grateful for the award vouchers my primary school gave to purchase storybooks. All I wanted to do was pretty much just curl up on the sofa with a stack of books and read to my heart’s content.

As they say, “兴趣是最好的老师”, I was spurred on to give learning languages my all and this achievement is a pleasant acknowledgement of that effort.

Over time, I have built my bilingual capacity. When I discover new words or phrases, I write them down in my notebook. I add the definitions as well as their synonyms and counterparts in the other language. After reading through the vocabulary (and grammar tips) multiple times, I would have some sort of impression of their use, so in an informal situation when I feel like a word really fits the circumstances, I whip my notebook out, find the word(s) and utilise them to better express myself. Gradually, it has come more easily to me. I also find that choosing to use proper English or Chinese as much as possible, instead of using Singlish or abbreviations is good. In this way, I “force” myself to dig through the recesses of my mind or check the dictionary to find a suitable word or phrase to use and over time I have continued to expand my vocabulary.

Amy Ong Jin Lu

Both my parents are from China. I, on the other hand, was born in Singapore, learning English from a young age. As I speak Chinese at home and learn English in school, it is extremely well balanced for me. My mother always encouraged me to understand and love Chinese, providing me with countless fairy tales and stories to entertain me from a very young age. In fact, I still remember the storylines of many books I read when I was 4 years old! My parents also believe in giving me some freedom allowing me to watch television and read books, usually in both languages. Sometimes, we read together and discuss the shows or books. My mother insists on buying books for me which my classmates recommended, such as Percy Jackson, Trials Of Apollo and Warriors. She believes that active reading and self-practice helps to hone bilingual skills. I also have a deep interest in reading. I spend a lot of time browsing through Chinese books. I crave knowledge and find both languages are equally important and useful, and if I put in effort to learn, anything is possible. Though the learning of Chinese can sometimes be a little challenging I’ve always loved chinese. I treat both languages equally and embrace their differences.

I feel that practice is a must if one is to become competently bilingual. It is good to challenge ourselves to read higher level books with high ratings and recommendations. As a visual learner myself, I like to search up unfamiliar phrases. Most of the time, they end up getting drilled into my head, and I can freely use them for communication or writing. Practicing translation can get our minds used to switching between the two languages freely. Listening to the news or radio talk shows and frequent journaling are other ways we can build our capacity for bilingualism.

Ke Shu Wen

I look up to my parents. They are my role models. They have been the main motivators on my journey. They have proven to me what diligence can bring about, and they have been by my side through the ups and downs, demonstrating resilience and what support meant. To live up to their expectations and do them proud is hence a constant goal of mine.

I also believe my habits have contributed tremendously to the whole of my learning experience, and have continued to aid me in achieving more. It takes years to cultivate good habits and for me, being self-disciplined – having the inner drive – is the key. While we all have the days when we feel unmotivated and just want to chill, self-discipline ensures that the break does not last so long that I lose my momentum. On bad days, it also keeps me going, keeps me motivated, reminds me of the reason why and how I had started out. Being goal-oriented is also a very important part of this achievement. Knowing exactly what I want has allowed me to make progress a little at a time, as I could then tell how closer to my goal I was reaching, a little each time. I am also grateful for the opportunities given to me that have allowed me to gain more exposure and experience in bilingualism. This truly matters in the long run and I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to NYGH, as well as my primary school principal and teachers, for the countless opportunities, moulding me into who I am now. The euphoria that this award brings motivates me to continue to strive hard and build the bilingual competency. However, that is not all. The sheer delight of knowing I have done my best, and each time there is a quantum leap in whatever I do, I feel acknowledged. However insignificant these small little things may seem, with time, they do become a strong motivation and pillar of support.

In Chinese language, we always say 听说读写, which essentially means that in order to do well in a language, there are four important skills to practise and master: listening, conversing, reading and writing. Listening and reading help us to build a foundation, which must be strong in order to excel in the other two areas, conversing and writing. As the Chinese proverb goes: “书中自有黄金屋”, reading and listening are the most efficient and important ways to improve our standard. After gaining a strong foundation and knowledge, we can sharpen the saw by practising. Afterall, practice makes perfect. The more frequently we practice, the better it will get. Bilingual capacity and language takes time to develop, and hence, we should put in consistent effort.

Ng Wen Xi

I am now taking China Studies in Chinese, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (CSC PCM) in Hwa Chong Institution. Outside of Curriculum, I like to read about current affairs and well-being related topics.

For me, the greatest motivation is my interest to learn new knowledge which deepens my understanding of the world. Over the years, I have started to appreciate the beauty and significance of the knowledge I learn in the classroom, whether it is the rise of China or the rise of the Sun. Gaining knowledge enables me to understand and explain how things work in the world, how to make better decisions and how to see things from various perspectives. This gives me a sense of joy and drives me to continue working hard.

When I study, some practices and strategies I find really useful include studying consistently instead of cramming nearer to the exam date. I study at least 30 minutes everyday. I believe that no matter how little you study, it will accumulate and will help you for examinations.

In addition, I also believe in asking questions when in doubt. I am not afraid to approach the teacher for clarification. I find this method extremely helpful in strengthening my grasp of the subject and filling in any gaps in my knowledge.

Lastly, I believe in practising smartly! Attempt past year papers, but don’t overwhelm yourself with too many of them as quantity is not the most important here. Review them to identify which areas you still need to improve on. Note down your mistakes and make sure to not make them again.

Chen Xinrui

I am currently studying Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Economics and General Paper in Hwa Chong Institution.

At the end of Secondary 2, I chose subjects that I genuinely found interesting as I felt I would naturally be more motivated to learn about them. For subjects that I didn’t particularly enjoy but were compulsory, my teachers and friends were definitely my greatest source of motivation as a healthy source of both expectations and competition that pushed me to work harder.

My advice for my juniors is to be prompt in clarifying any doubts you have about a topic with your teachers or friends. Although it can be demoralizing to pay more attention to parts of the material which you understand less, filling in the gaps in your knowledge as soon as possible is important for not only your examinations, but also for developing a stronger foundation to learn extensions to your current content in the future.

Ng Wan Xuan