Significant events, such as the grant of the right to Beijing to host the 2008 Olympic Games and the impending entry into the WTO, clearly signify the tremendous growth potential of China.
With China taking up 70 per cent of all foreign direct investments in the region, the other Asian countries are now facing the direct threat of the rise of China as a formidable competitor.
Over the last few decades Singapore has heavily depended on Western trade and investments. How to cope with the emergence of the Chinese economy as a growth engine is now really a most pressing task.
To benefit from China‘s progress, the Singapore government is planning to send its young civil service officials to China for attachment annually. This will not only allow them to observe the rapid development of China, but also provide a good opportunity for them to upgrade their proficiency of the Chinese language （CL）。
CL is a pre-requisite communicative tool for these young civil service officials to understand China. Yet generally speaking, their command of English is far better than CL. English is, in particular, the sole medium of instruction in the disciplines of arts, humanities, science, technology, and commerce in local universities.
Besides the local degree holders in CL and culture, the majority of local degree holders, majoring in other professional disciplines, have at most only attained the GCE 'A' level of Chinese as a second language. Hence it is questionable whether they will benefit greatly from their attachment in China.
Such young civil service officials may possess the daily oral CL communicative ability. However, most of them are incapable of articulating verbally in CL with respect to business and legal issues, not to mention their ability to read or vet CL written texts.
At the end of their attachment, they can only be outsiders without gaining any true understanding of China and all its unique business practises.
To equip them with the necessary language skills, Civil Service College should design intensive courses on CL for specific purposes, such as Chinese for science and technology, Chinese for business, Chinese for legal practice, and so on. Such courses should be specially customised for selected civil service officials.
The proposed intensive CL course focuses on the mastery of English-Chinese translating skills through a bilingual approach to the teaching of CL. It will not only make full use of learners‘ fundamental professional concepts but also actively activate their metacognition and background knowledge in English, thereby enabling them to be a bilingual in their own professional area within a short period.
Apart from absorbing the relevant professional terminology in CL, civil service officials must be able to interpret the connotation of discourse in CL if they intend to further upgrade their proficiency of CL. In order for them to do so, they must further immerse themselves within the complex political, social and cultural contexts of China.
This abridged English version is also written by the author who is Assistant Professor and Co-ordinator, Asian Languages and Cultures Academic Group （Chinese）, National Institute of Education, NTU.
要攻城略地,先掌握雙語● 吳英成
北京成功地取得2008年奧運(yùn)主辦權(quán)、中國(guó)即將加入世貿(mào)等一波由北方?jīng)_擊而來的巨浪,正迅速?gòu)谋緟^(qū)域卷走近七成的外來投資,對(duì)亞洲各國(guó)的經(jīng)貿(mào)發(fā)展造成極大的沖擊。
民事服務(wù)學(xué)院應(yīng)該著重英華語對(duì)譯能力的提升。
經(jīng)過半世紀(jì)“潛龍勿用”潛伏狀態(tài)的中國(guó),而今展現(xiàn)出“飛龍?jiān)谔臁钡娜職庀?風(fēng)頭不再的亞洲四小龍不禁開始人心惶惶。
亞洲四小龍之一的新加坡由于長(zhǎng)期以西方經(jīng)貿(mào)為主軸,如何有效地回應(yīng)中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)崛起的狂潮已成為政府的當(dāng)前急務(wù)。政府近便計(jì)劃從貿(mào)工部及其屬下的法定機(jī)構(gòu)開始,每年派出一些年輕官員到中國(guó)的機(jī)構(gòu)實(shí)習(xí),讓他們有機(jī)會(huì)見識(shí)中國(guó)的發(fā)展,同時(shí)也借這樣的機(jī)會(huì)學(xué)好華語。
由這個(gè)措施可看出政府正試圖善用新中兩國(guó)的文化淵源和長(zhǎng)期建立的友好貿(mào)易伙伴關(guān)系,順勢(shì)搭上中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)成長(zhǎng)的順風(fēng)車。
工欲善其事必先利其器,華語是新加坡年輕官員打通中國(guó)大門必備的交際工具,但當(dāng)我們檢視在現(xiàn)行國(guó)民型教育體系下造就的華族年輕官員的華語文能力,是否能在實(shí)習(xí)交流過程中滿載而歸？情況卻不容樂觀。
新加坡年輕一代的華人由于接觸英語的頻率遠(yuǎn)勝于華語,大部分的英語能力都比華語略勝一籌。而且在我國(guó)的高等學(xué)府教育體系中,文理、工商等專業(yè)領(lǐng)域近乎皆以英語授課,形同英美大專學(xué)府學(xué)制。
具有本地大專學(xué)歷的華語人才僅限于中國(guó)語言文化專業(yè),而其他專業(yè)領(lǐng)域的年輕華族大學(xué)畢業(yè)生,華文程度只達(dá)到高中華文作為第二語言的水平。
綜觀以上所述,新加坡年輕官員或許已具備日?？谡Z的溝通能力,然而,當(dāng)他們?cè)趯?shí)習(xí)過程中,碰到經(jīng)貿(mào)、法律等專業(yè)范圍的議題,絕大多數(shù)會(huì)因欠缺足夠的華語專業(yè)詞匯,變得結(jié)結(jié)巴巴,落入詞不達(dá)意的窘境。
如果連起碼的口語溝通都有問題,更遑論書面文件的閱讀或?qū)徍?。興致勃勃的中國(guó)考察團(tuán)后很可能淪為走馬看花的觀光團(tuán),大伙只能當(dāng)看熱鬧的門外漢,根本無法深入地挖掘任何寶藏。
想攻城略地一定要先準(zhǔn)備好充分的彈藥,如果希望這些年輕官員不要入寶山空手而回,民事服務(wù)學(xué)院可針對(duì)這些要派到中國(guó)各機(jī)構(gòu)實(shí)習(xí)的官員,設(shè)計(jì)專業(yè)華語密集課程,例如：科技華語、商業(yè)華語、法律華語等。
這種過渡性的華語加強(qiáng)課程,并不要求全面提升華語的一般語言技能,只需著重在英華語對(duì)譯能力的提升,利用這些年輕官員原已具備的基本英語專業(yè)概念,通過華英語并用的雙語教學(xué)法,訓(xùn)練成人學(xué)習(xí)者積極調(diào)動(dòng)元認(rèn)知與英語的潛存知識(shí),讓他們?cè)诙虝r(shí)間成為在專業(yè)領(lǐng)域內(nèi)英華兼通的雙語人。
其實(shí),除了熟悉專業(yè)領(lǐng)域的華文術(shù)語,更重要的還在考察者能解讀華語話語意在言外的內(nèi)涵意義,而這就必須等到他們親身浸濡在中國(guó)復(fù)雜深層的政治、社會(huì)、文化環(huán)境中,才能入境隨俗,實(shí)際體會(huì)其中的奧妙。
With China taking up 70 per cent of all foreign direct investments in the region, the other Asian countries are now facing the direct threat of the rise of China as a formidable competitor.
Over the last few decades Singapore has heavily depended on Western trade and investments. How to cope with the emergence of the Chinese economy as a growth engine is now really a most pressing task.
To benefit from China‘s progress, the Singapore government is planning to send its young civil service officials to China for attachment annually. This will not only allow them to observe the rapid development of China, but also provide a good opportunity for them to upgrade their proficiency of the Chinese language （CL）。
CL is a pre-requisite communicative tool for these young civil service officials to understand China. Yet generally speaking, their command of English is far better than CL. English is, in particular, the sole medium of instruction in the disciplines of arts, humanities, science, technology, and commerce in local universities.
Besides the local degree holders in CL and culture, the majority of local degree holders, majoring in other professional disciplines, have at most only attained the GCE 'A' level of Chinese as a second language. Hence it is questionable whether they will benefit greatly from their attachment in China.
Such young civil service officials may possess the daily oral CL communicative ability. However, most of them are incapable of articulating verbally in CL with respect to business and legal issues, not to mention their ability to read or vet CL written texts.
At the end of their attachment, they can only be outsiders without gaining any true understanding of China and all its unique business practises.
To equip them with the necessary language skills, Civil Service College should design intensive courses on CL for specific purposes, such as Chinese for science and technology, Chinese for business, Chinese for legal practice, and so on. Such courses should be specially customised for selected civil service officials.
The proposed intensive CL course focuses on the mastery of English-Chinese translating skills through a bilingual approach to the teaching of CL. It will not only make full use of learners‘ fundamental professional concepts but also actively activate their metacognition and background knowledge in English, thereby enabling them to be a bilingual in their own professional area within a short period.
Apart from absorbing the relevant professional terminology in CL, civil service officials must be able to interpret the connotation of discourse in CL if they intend to further upgrade their proficiency of CL. In order for them to do so, they must further immerse themselves within the complex political, social and cultural contexts of China.
This abridged English version is also written by the author who is Assistant Professor and Co-ordinator, Asian Languages and Cultures Academic Group （Chinese）, National Institute of Education, NTU.
要攻城略地,先掌握雙語● 吳英成
北京成功地取得2008年奧運(yùn)主辦權(quán)、中國(guó)即將加入世貿(mào)等一波由北方?jīng)_擊而來的巨浪,正迅速?gòu)谋緟^(qū)域卷走近七成的外來投資,對(duì)亞洲各國(guó)的經(jīng)貿(mào)發(fā)展造成極大的沖擊。
民事服務(wù)學(xué)院應(yīng)該著重英華語對(duì)譯能力的提升。
經(jīng)過半世紀(jì)“潛龍勿用”潛伏狀態(tài)的中國(guó),而今展現(xiàn)出“飛龍?jiān)谔臁钡娜職庀?風(fēng)頭不再的亞洲四小龍不禁開始人心惶惶。
亞洲四小龍之一的新加坡由于長(zhǎng)期以西方經(jīng)貿(mào)為主軸,如何有效地回應(yīng)中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)崛起的狂潮已成為政府的當(dāng)前急務(wù)。政府近便計(jì)劃從貿(mào)工部及其屬下的法定機(jī)構(gòu)開始,每年派出一些年輕官員到中國(guó)的機(jī)構(gòu)實(shí)習(xí),讓他們有機(jī)會(huì)見識(shí)中國(guó)的發(fā)展,同時(shí)也借這樣的機(jī)會(huì)學(xué)好華語。
由這個(gè)措施可看出政府正試圖善用新中兩國(guó)的文化淵源和長(zhǎng)期建立的友好貿(mào)易伙伴關(guān)系,順勢(shì)搭上中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)成長(zhǎng)的順風(fēng)車。
工欲善其事必先利其器,華語是新加坡年輕官員打通中國(guó)大門必備的交際工具,但當(dāng)我們檢視在現(xiàn)行國(guó)民型教育體系下造就的華族年輕官員的華語文能力,是否能在實(shí)習(xí)交流過程中滿載而歸？情況卻不容樂觀。
新加坡年輕一代的華人由于接觸英語的頻率遠(yuǎn)勝于華語,大部分的英語能力都比華語略勝一籌。而且在我國(guó)的高等學(xué)府教育體系中,文理、工商等專業(yè)領(lǐng)域近乎皆以英語授課,形同英美大專學(xué)府學(xué)制。
具有本地大專學(xué)歷的華語人才僅限于中國(guó)語言文化專業(yè),而其他專業(yè)領(lǐng)域的年輕華族大學(xué)畢業(yè)生,華文程度只達(dá)到高中華文作為第二語言的水平。
綜觀以上所述,新加坡年輕官員或許已具備日?？谡Z的溝通能力,然而,當(dāng)他們?cè)趯?shí)習(xí)過程中,碰到經(jīng)貿(mào)、法律等專業(yè)范圍的議題,絕大多數(shù)會(huì)因欠缺足夠的華語專業(yè)詞匯,變得結(jié)結(jié)巴巴,落入詞不達(dá)意的窘境。
如果連起碼的口語溝通都有問題,更遑論書面文件的閱讀或?qū)徍?。興致勃勃的中國(guó)考察團(tuán)后很可能淪為走馬看花的觀光團(tuán),大伙只能當(dāng)看熱鬧的門外漢,根本無法深入地挖掘任何寶藏。
想攻城略地一定要先準(zhǔn)備好充分的彈藥,如果希望這些年輕官員不要入寶山空手而回,民事服務(wù)學(xué)院可針對(duì)這些要派到中國(guó)各機(jī)構(gòu)實(shí)習(xí)的官員,設(shè)計(jì)專業(yè)華語密集課程,例如：科技華語、商業(yè)華語、法律華語等。
這種過渡性的華語加強(qiáng)課程,并不要求全面提升華語的一般語言技能,只需著重在英華語對(duì)譯能力的提升,利用這些年輕官員原已具備的基本英語專業(yè)概念,通過華英語并用的雙語教學(xué)法,訓(xùn)練成人學(xué)習(xí)者積極調(diào)動(dòng)元認(rèn)知與英語的潛存知識(shí),讓他們?cè)诙虝r(shí)間成為在專業(yè)領(lǐng)域內(nèi)英華兼通的雙語人。
其實(shí),除了熟悉專業(yè)領(lǐng)域的華文術(shù)語,更重要的還在考察者能解讀華語話語意在言外的內(nèi)涵意義,而這就必須等到他們親身浸濡在中國(guó)復(fù)雜深層的政治、社會(huì)、文化環(huán)境中,才能入境隨俗,實(shí)際體會(huì)其中的奧妙。