I refer to Ms Lee Yim May's letter, "Have more reasonable expectations for level of Chinese proficiency here" (Dec 9).

I am a Primary 5 pupil at Nanyang Primary School. My school makes me understand the importance of studying Chinese.

It is not just a school subject for me to pass my exams. It is a necessity, a skill that gives us an advantage over others.

My Chinese tuition teachers think that I am from China, although my parents are Singaporeans who were born here and benefited from learning Chinese as their second language.

Many parents speak English most of the time. I think they should instead converse in Mandarin more frequently. My parents speak to me in both English and Mandarin.

My co-curricular activity is the Chinese Society. It lets me enhance my Chinese learning skills, and exposes me to different aspects of Chinese culture that pique my interest and cause me to want to learn more.

I strongly disagree with the idea of allowing students to choose their own second language. If we are born Chinese, we must be able to master our own mother tongue. We might not be able to juggle two language subjects well in school, but isn't that the point of "lifelong learning"?

Adults always tell us to strive for As. Shouldn't we apply that same concept to learning Chinese? I think that we should not settle for just being satisfied. Being Singaporean, we have to be proud that we can learn Chinese, and strive to do our best.

Alina Lew Lin Rong, 10
Primary 5 pupil

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/voices-of-youth-when-learning-chinese-dont-settle-for-just-being-satisfied