Mother Tongue Department Achievements

2004	Humanities W2 Cluster International Friendship Day Coordinator) - Brunei	Enterpreneurship Award - 1st Food Display Award - 1st Traditional Costume Award - 2nd Overall Booth Award (Brunei) - 1st
	W2 Cluster Inter-School Poetry Recitation Competition (ML)	Upper Sec Category - 1st Normal Technical Category - 1st
	National Cross Talk Competition (Organised by CPDD)	Finalist - Consolation
	National Short Story Writing Competition organised by NUS	Consolation
	W1 Inter-School Malay Language Quiz	Consolation
	W1 Inter-School Debate organised by Al-Raudah Mosque	Consolation

Inter-School Competitions

2005	Berita Harian National Inter-School Debate	Consolation
	W2 Cluster Inter-School Poetry Artistic Competition	2nd Placing

Inter-School Competitions

2006	Berita Harian National Inter-School Debate	Consolation
	EDN Media National Essay Writing Competition	2 Gold. 8 Silver
	W2 Cluster Inter-School Poetry Artistic Competition	2nd Placing
	W6 Cluster Inter-School Poetry Artistic Competition	1st Placing

Inter-School Competitions

2007	Berita Harian National Inter-School Debate	Consolation
	EDN Media National Essay Writing Competition	12 Gold. 7 Silver & 1 Bronze
	W2 Inter-School Melodrama Competition	Consolation
	Teen Star Award Competition	Consolation

Inter-School Competitions

2008	Berita Harian National Inter-School Debate	Best Speaker – Hadiwiputra (4 Opal)
	EDN Media National Essay Writing Competition	1st Placing (15 Gold, 13 Silver)
	SPH Creative National Essay Writing Competition	1st Placing
	W2 Cluster Inter-School Poetry Artistic Competition

Chinese Instructional Programme

Our teachers adopt a wide variety of teaching methodologies in the classroom. With the emphasis of IT now in education, our Chinese Language Unit is also adopting many IT based lessons (Blogging, on line forums, songs, role play, debates tale telling, drama, language quizzes and other tools) in the classroom and computer laboratories.

Lessons formulated provide an opportunity for pupils to be a master of their own learning, but of course with the close supervision of the teachers. They are encouraged to be innovative and creative through the lessons created by the teachers. The department also actively infuses MOE’s initiatives in lessons whenever appropriate (i.e. Thinking Skills, Innovation and Technology, National Education).

Chinese Language Unit

Our Chinese Language teachers are constantly working hard to equipped our pupils with the necessary skills to become proficient in Mother Tongue and have a deep interest and pride in their traditional cultural heritage. These two goals serve to bond all the teachers in the unit, who have been using a variety of instructional methods to achieve them.

Teacher’s Profile

Miss Tai Li Jen, Sharon (Subject Head)
Mr Koh Geok Soon

Mdm Chao Yunn Jin

Mdm Goh Hue Seng

Mdm Toh Li Yuh
Mdm Tan Meifan

Miss Ng Yen Lin

Miss Si Li

Mdm Yang Xia

Yang Xia

Malay Language Instructional Programme

Our teachers uses a wide repertoire of teaching methods and strategies to develop pupils’ interest in learning, creativities and thinking skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Graphic organizers, structured mapping, songs, role-play, debates, drama, IT programmes, language quizzes, poetry and problem-based learning are some of the teaching methods used to engage pupils meaningfully and motivate pupils to enjoy the subject. Creativity is another area which we constantly emphasize on, especially where the teaching of writing skills is concerned. Our teachers strongly believe that creative lessons will produce creative pupils and hence quality work. The department also actively infuses MOE’s initiatives in lessons whenever appropriate (i.e. Thinking Skills, Innovation and Technology, National Education).

Malay Language Unit

The Malay Language Unit aims to provide a strong foundation for pupils to develop and maintain a life-long learning for the Malay Language. Alongside this mission, it also hopes to reawaken the colourful and rich cultural heritage amongst the Malay pupils through its instructional programmes and varied enrichment activities.

Teacher's Profile

a) Mr Supandi Bin Djoeraemi HOD / MTL
b) Mr Suhaini Bin Sarikon

c) Mr Muhammad Farid Bin Mohd

Instructional Programmes (Malay Language)

Our teachers uses a wide repertoire of teaching methods and strategies to develop pupils’ interest in learning, creativities and thinking skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Graphic organizers, structured mapping, songs, role-play, debates, drama, IT programmes, language quizzes, poetry and problem-based learning are some of the teaching methods used to engage pupils meaningfully and motivate pupils to enjoy the subject. Creativity is another area which we constantly emphasize on, especially where the teaching of writing skills is concerned. Our teachers strongly believe that creative lessons will produce creative pupils and hence quality work. The department also actively infuses MOE’s initiatives in lessons whenever appropriate (i.e. Thinking Skills, Innovation and Technology, National Education).

High lights (Activities & Competitions)

In line with our Malay Language Unit's goal, our teachers have also organised many activities and competitions for our pupils. The following points highlight a series of activities and competitions held in school :-

• Gong Xi Raya Celebration - Power Point Presentation (Friday weekly NE update)
• Debate ( Sec 4 & 5 ).
• Poetry Appreciation Workshop ( Sec 2 )
• Mother Tongue Cross Cultural Camp ( Sec 1 )
• Creative Writing Workshop ( Sec 3E )
• Essay Writing Competition ( Sec 1 – 5)
• Learning Festival

We also participated in external activities and competitions. The following points highlight a series of activities and competitions held outside school :-

National Inter-School Debate Organised by Berita Harian

Poetry Workshop by NUS Malay Language Society

W2 Cluster Inter-school Artistic Poetry Competition

‘O’ Level Preparatory Talk for Malay Language

Publication of Cluster Bulletin

Teaching Staff

The Unit is blessed with 9 Chinese and 2 Malay Language teachers. The department worked cohesively as a team and carry out their duties conscientiously. We meet on a regular basis to give feedback and exchange views on how to better improve our enrichment programmes. A comprehensive duty list was also work out to ensure that everyone knows their respective roles and reponsibilities. We also exchange views on classroom management and lesson plans during our professional sharing sessions. This help us to improve and varies our teaching styles. Most importantly, it helps us to be a leader in our own area where every teacher has his / her area of expertise and willingly share it with others.

The department also made conscious efforts to promote ethnic awareness and a greater understanding for the different cultures, such as organizing the Gong Xi Raya Celebrations, Dunearn Nite, Cross-Cultural Camps and tours to historical sites such as Learning Journeys to Sun Yat Sen Memorial, the Chinese Heritage Centre and the Chinese News Centre as a post exam activities as well as organise cultural exposure during our weekly assembly to promote ethnic awareness.

Dunearn Secondary School Mother Tongue Department

The Mother Tongue Languages Department oversees the two main Mother Tongue languages offered in the school, Malay and Chinese but also pupils who do Tamil as a second language. Pupils who do non-Tamil Languages such as Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu also comes under the department purview together with the other foreign languages such as German and French. Currently, we also serve as a Chinese Language Syllabus B Centre for neighbouring schools.

The department moulds Dunearnites to be proficient in their Mother Tongue and provides opportunities for pupils to gain cultural experiences and understanding through sharing of knowledge and interacting with others. Pupils explore learning possibilities by immersing themselves in ventures that harness their potential towards becoming lifelong learners.

Mission

To establish a conducive environment where pupils can develop their potential in Mother Tongue to the maximum and to prepare pupils to meet the demands of future challenges.

Vision

To equipped our pupils with the necessary skills to become proficient in Mother Tongue and have a deep interest and pride in their traditional cultural heritage.

Values

We envision our pupils to be DISIPLINE :
- D eep interest in Mother Tongue

- I independent learners

- S hows pride in their work

- C creative

- I nnovative

- P assionate towards life-long learning

- L inguistically proficient

- I maginative

- N atural

- E xpressive

Directions

Structured Reading Programmes

Comprehensive Enrichment Programmes
Focus on intensive oral and writing skills
Enhance quality passes and distinction rates
Infuse IT, NE and Thinking skills in the Programmes
Uphold cultural heritage and moral values

Promoting ethnic awareness