It’s wonderful that I went to Singapore to observe its English teaching on Jan. 10~Jan. 15, 2009. This is my first time to go abroad. I am so excited and nervous. However, when I landed on Singapore, I was attracted by its greeny view. Although Singapore is so small, the places I saw are clean. Its English teaching is a deep impression to me, because English is its first language! All pupils and teachers speak English during many subjects except Chinese subject. The situation is somewhat like our education system in Taiwan. We speak Chinese during many subjects except English subject. Therefore, I think that we can adopt its English teaching to our Chinese teaching. Now, let me introduce its English teaching of Red Swastika School（卍慈學校）.
The school I visited is Red Swastika School（卍慈學校）. Red Swastika School is a government-aided primary school in Bedok, Singapore. It was founded in 1951 by the World Red Swastika Society, the philanthropic branch of the Daoyuan. First located at Somapah Road, Changi, the school moved to its current location at Bedok North Avenue 3 in 1981. The swastika (卍) sign symbolizes prosperity and good luck. When we arrived at the Red Swastika School（卍慈學校）on Jan. 12, the Red Swastika School（卍慈學校） did not allow us to observe its English teaching. It only introduced and shared its English programmes. Therefore, I understood its special programmes just from its PPT representation. The followings are its key programmes.
1. Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading (USSR)
To promote the healthy habit of reading regularly, all pupils report to school at 7.00am (AM Session) and 12.30pm (PM Session) to carry out a 20-minute uninterrupted sustained reading silently in the concourse or school hall. All pupils will bring English reading materials on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; Chinese reading materials on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This is to ensure that they are continuously exposed to a wide and balanced variety of genres in different languages.
2. Supplementary Lessons
Supplementary lessons for Primary pupils 5 & 6 are arranged to ensure that they receive constant support and guidance in their school work which are doubly demanding compared to those of the Lower Primary pupils'. All lessons are conducted by the subject teachers.
3. ENABLE (ENcouraging Achievement and Better LEarning) Programme for Lower Primary Pupils
Currently, selected Primary 2 & 3 pupils who are identified as underachievers are offered remedial lessons beyond their curriculum hours. Reinforcements include specially prepared worksheets, pre-tests and post-tests that are designed to diagnose and remediate learning difficulties that the pupils face in their subjects. This programme is conducted by the subject teachers.
4. Overseas Immersion Programmes
Every year, pupils who have performed well in CCA are offered chances to go on overseas immersion tours to visit various countries. During the tours, the pupils will have a chance to attend lessons in the foreign schools to gain refreshingly different learning experiences in the foreign countries. Interactions between the foreign pupils and our pupils deepen their understanding of their cultures and offer opportunities to widen their perspectives of the world at large. These meaningful tours enable pupils to learn effectively beyond their classrooms in the most enjoyable ways.
Moreover, we also can learn what its education emphasizes on from the followings.
1. SCHOOL VISION：
A holistic education that brings out the best in every child.
2. SCHOOL MISSION：
To develop our pupils to be independent learners, creative thinkers and effective communicators with a strong sense of social responsibility.
3. SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY
In Red Swastika, we believe that each and every child is unique and different. Each child possesses latent talents and has different needs. The school will direct its resources and energy to maximize every child's potential to the fullest and provide equal opportunities for all.
4. SCHOOL MOTTO 恭宽信敏
Respect, Magnanimity, Trustworthiness and Alertness
After I visited Red Swastika School（卍慈學校）, I draw some conclusions.
- The pupils in Singapore learn English easier than the pupils in Taiwan, because English is Singaporean first language.
- The school doesn’t’t abandon any pupil, so it has a resource classroom to provide another opportunity to slow pupils.
- Their many races merge well at the school. No matter what kind of races they are, they get along well with each other.
- Although there are more 40 pupils in a class, the pupils have good manners. That is not like the pupils in Taiwan.
- The school emphasizes ethic education. The pupils can understand what to do from the decorations.
- The pupils are proud of being a Singaporean. They are glad to help others.
Nowadays, a great deal of discord has arisen in Taiwanese political affairs. The pupils in Taiwan must learn many dialects, Chinese and English. They can not concentrate their attention on single language. Their parents want them to spend more time to learn English at cram schools. Therefore, the pupils can’t learn these languages well. I think it is a pity. That is why the pupils in Taiwan don’t have a higher level in English education, but their level in Chinese education has been reduced.
There are some pictures taken by me during the educational trip in Singapore. I hope you will like them. 
Reference:
