Press Release
The Pro-Tem Committee
ELLTA(S), 2000
A new association has been formed to draw together all teachers of English in Singapore -- from pre-primary to tertiary levels -- to pool and share expertise. The teaching of grammar and of various literacies will be among areas that the English Language and Literature Association of Singapore, or ELLTA(S), will focus on.
It will be the first association of its kind in the country. Singapore does not have an English language teachers' association at present. Existing associations cater mainly to English language lecturers at tertiary institutions. These include the Singapore Association of Applied Linguistics (SAAL), the Singapore Tertiary English Teachers of Singapore (STETS) and the Society for Reading and Literacy (SRL). For the first time too, teachers of both English language and literature will be brought under one umbrella.
Formed by the English Language and Literature Academic Group at the National Institute of Education, school teachers, and members of the Ministry of Education's Teachers' Network, the association will feed into the nation's efforts at improving the level of spoken and written English to meet the needs of a globalising economy. It will also support the new, more rigorous methods identified by the Ministry of Education for the teaching of grammar and language in the New English Syllabus, which will come on-stream in January next year.
Last year, national standards of English received top-level government attention. Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, in his National Day Rally speech, addressed the problem of the increasing use of Singlish by the young, and situated the pressing need for competence in Standard English within Singapore's efforts to become a First World economy. In April this year, he launched the Speak Good English Movement.
More than 10,000 people are currently involved in the teaching of English language and literature. ELLTA(S) has the potential to provide feedback on the issues faced in English-language teaching in Singapore. It will also connect expatriate, private and public schools, MOE, language and literature pedagogy experts and the general public, including parents, in the task of upgrading the teaching of English. Teachers will be linked to innovations in language-teaching.
In addition to providing networking opportunities, contact time and sharing sessions between teachers, the association will facilitate the professional self-development of English teachers. Teachers will be able to participate in trialing and research work for publication, and attend local and overseas conferences. Members will be kept in touch with existing and new English language and literature teaching practices, teaching resources and research findings.
Teachers will also be able to interact with special interest groups. Examples of these include pre-primary language learning, primary/secondary/post-secondary methods, assessment, grammar and text types, the development of oral and written literacy, literature, drama and information technology.
The formation of the association is also timely in catering to the new roles that have been assigned recently to English literature in the school curriculum. Literature plays an important part in the teaching of language in the New English Syllabus. It has also been identified as a vehicle for the teaching of critical thinking and national education.
Already, the association, currently headed by Assoc. Prof. Oliver Seet (NIE) as President of the pro tem committee, has formed links with the National Library. A joint publication of literary resources for the teaching of English language has been compiled for teachers and parents. The association has also gone on-line with its website, and will soon launch "Write Around Singapore," a Young Writer's Award to encourage writing in various genres among primary, secondary and junior college students.
School teachers, teacher-trainees, tutors, university lecturers, MOE officials and others in the education industry are expected to attend the association's launch on 21 October, 9 am-12.30 pm, at the Overseas Family School in Paterson Road. Dr. Geoffrey Williams, a noted international expert in the teaching of grammar and early childhood literacy, will give the keynote address on the role of grammar in language-teaching. Dr Williams is Vice-President of the International Systemic Functional Linguistics Association, and President of its Australian counterpart. Mrs Rebecca Mok, Deputy Director of Languages and Literature at Ministry of Education will be guest-of-honour.
Annual membership fees are $20 for teachers, $10 for teacher-trainees, and $15 for associate membership (open to parents and those in publishing and related education fields). Corporate membership rates for schools are $150.