Following the 2026 PSLE Chinese orla exam, parents are questioning whether some of the vocabulary tested is simply too ‘cheem.’ One example that caught attention was “撬棍” (qiào gùn), which means “crowbar”, with the original poster joking that the only “k-a-n” they know definitely isn’t appropriate for a 12-year-old. 😂 But concerns over difficult Chinese vocabulary aren’t new. A CNA commentary previously explored similar complaints from Singapore parents who felt their children were being taught words that were difficult, overly advanced or rarely used in everyday life. So, is PSLE Chinese actually getting harder, or are Singapore students simply getting less exposure to Mandarin outside the classroom? We take a look at why Chinese can be such a challenge for Singapore kids — and whether we’re teaching them Chinese they actually use. #8dayssg #8dayssgtrending #PSLE #PSLEChinese #MotherTongue
Source link
