Mother Tongue Language

Explore how Queensway Secondary School helps students learn and appreciate their Mother Tongue language through reading, project work, and cultural programmes.

Last updated 3 July 2026

Department Mission

To nurture Queenswayans to learn, understand and appreciate Mother Tongue languages and be immersed in their own heritage and culture.

Signature Pedagogy

Collaborative Learning through use of ICT

Our Queenswayans undergo Project Work as one of their Weighted Assessments every year from Secondary 1 to 3. Through these Project Work, students research on real-life issues, and learn to communicate in their MTL to a designated audience, to achieve a specific purpose. Students will also hone their ICT skills as they produce digital artefacts through the process. Click to view students' works.

Intensive and Extensive Reading

Sustained reading is key in developing language skills. Therefore, our department focuses on Intensive Reading to optimise learning from the MOE-designated texts. Teachers design blended lessons throughout the year, integrating ICT-enabled lessons (with the use of Quizizz & SLS) with traditional pen-and-paper practices (like penmanship & dictation). This ensures that our Queenswayans get a robust practice of reading, listening, speaking and writing in their MTL throughout their secondary education.

To help Queenswayans explore the world beyond the texbooks, Extensive Reading materials are selected for each level, each stream to cater to students’ learning needs. Students will go through reading activities to help them connect with these books, and to help them realise the joy of reading. As part of our Morning Reading Programme, time is also allocated for students to delve into such MTL materials every Wednesday. Click for the list of Extensive Reading materials.

Special Programmes:

Students in white uniforms and face masks stand around a table with a tall floral arrangement and craft supplies.

Students interacting during a classroom activity.

MTL Talent Development Programme (Bilingualism and New Media)

Bilingual education is a cornerstone of our education system. QSS MTL Talent Development Programme strives to stretch our students and equip them with skills for the future world. We provide various platforms for our TDP students to experience being a news reporter, while honing basic translation skills. TDP students also get opportunities to have closer experiences with Mediacorp.
Click for QSS bilingual e-newsletter, Connections 2022, a collaboration between Mother Tongue Language and English Language talent development programme students.

Mother Tongue Fortnight

A masked teacher guides masked students at teal desks with geometry worksheets in a classroom.

Students working through classroom activities during Mother Tongue Fortnight.

QSS Mother Tongue Fortnight provides an immersive environment for our students to appreciate their own traditions and those of their peers. For each cohort, students of the 3 different MTL learn about a specific tradition (e.g. weddings or traditional games) of their own heritage, before they have a cross-cultural sharing among the different MTL. Those who are attentive throughout the programme stand to win prizes, as each cohort completes the programme with a quiz. Click to view snippets of our MT fortnight experience.

DIY Resources

In QSS, we believe that students can be self-directed learners. Therefore, teachers search and recommend media resources on our MTL webpage so that students have ample resources to help them learn their MTL at their own pace. Click for the list of recommended DIY resources.