Despite English being the primary language of instruction, many students in Singapore face challenges with writing and speaking in standard English. At the same time, Mother Tongue (MT) teachers are playing an increasingly vital role in nurturing students’ proficiency in their MTs, as these languages are being spoken less at home. To better understand children’s growth in English and MT languages, the GiBBer project, short for Growth in Bilingual & Biliteracy Proficiency: Environmental, Individual & Experiential Factors, was launched in 2021. Two teachers from Admiralty Primary School – one of the participating schools in the project – each share their experiences and insights.

From left to right: Mdm Christine Lee and Mdm Charlotte Sng

Informing Practice through Evidence 

One of the key aims of the large-scale longitudinal GiBBer project is to establish a set of benchmarks for Singaporean children’s EL and MTL proficiency from Kindergarten 1 to Primary 4, along with the development of a range of measurement tools useful for tracking children’s progress in literacy learning.

Mdm Christine Lee, Head of Department of Mother Tongue Languages at Admiralty Primary School, shares that the initial report from the GiBBer project gave her and her colleagues a broader overview of students’ language proficiencies across the three MT languages.

“We could actually see where the students differ in language domains, such as phonological awareness or vocabulary skills,” she says. “The findings spotlighted areas where students were lagging behind and helped us prioritize addressing them.”

Participating in the project has provided the school with clearer insights into the interventions and strategies needed to scaffold student learning in MTLs. “With this evidence in hand, it becomes easier to motivate teachers to adopt evidence-informed approaches that more precisely address the specific learning gaps that students face,” she adds.

Bridging Gaps in Language Learning through Targeted Interventions 

The GiBBer report highlights two language domains that require urgent attention – students’ level of phonological awareness and vocabulary skills.

“Findings from the project confirm our observations that some students are facing challenges with the complexity of the Chinese logographic writing system, where characters are represented by symbols rather than letters,” she explains.

In Tamil and Malay languages, the spoken and written varieties of the languages differ from one another, thus adding a layer of complexity in early language learning. “Malay language speech sounds can differ from the way it is spelled. This means that some students studying the Malay language do face phonological confusion due to the differing pronunciations, thus affecting their spelling,” she remarks.

She also adds: “The GiBBer findings show that foundational Tamil Language learners struggle with phonological awareness, impacting their decoding and reading fluency. This highlights the need for early intervention and explicit oral language support to deepen their engagement with the language.”

A helpful strategy is the use of multimedia and multimodal activities on the Student Learning Space (SLS), which allow students to engage with content through a variety of formats such as photos, videos and audio recordings. “These multimodal resources can help bridge the gap between spoken and written forms of the language, and reinforce the correct pronunciation and spelling of words,” she shares.

Code-switching, or the practice of switching between two languages or more, has also become an important intervention strategy in the classroom and plays a valuable role in supporting vocabulary development. “By allowing students to draw on their prior knowledge of both English and their MT, it helps students make meaning across languages so that new words are grounded in familiar contexts,” she says.

Cultivating a Positive Learning Environment 

One strategy the school has adopted – reinforced by insights from GiBBer’s research data – is to better understand students’ interests and motivations for learning, and to use that understanding to spark the “joy of learning”. This deeper understanding has shaped the way teachers design learning experiences.

“Teachers are creating more opportunities for students to engage in purposeful conversations, storytelling and collaborative discussions,” she shares. “Such activities help students process and express their ideas more clearly, while also sharpening their ability to listen actively and respond thoughtfully.”

These approaches have been especially beneficial for low-progress students, as they are now more confident to speak up in class.

“It is important to foster an encouraging and inclusive environment where every student can grow in confidence, curiosity and linguistic competence,” she affirms.

An Evidence-Informed Approach to Language Learning

Collaborating with NIE researchers on the GiBBer project has provided Admiralty Primary School with valuable insights into strengthening English Language teaching and learning in the school.

According to Mdm Charlotte Sng, Head of Department of English Language, the project has helped establish a clearer picture of students’ baseline abilities, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement.

“Two key findings stood out: the need to build students’ vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension skills,” she shares. She says that these findings align with the school’s PSLE reports and Quality Classroom Survey, which tracks Primary 2 to 6 students’ attitudes and motivation in learning.

“Sharing these insights has sparked meaningful dialogue among teachers and prompted the exploration of more effective classroom strategies,” she adds.

Building Language Skills through Intentional Teaching 

A limited vocabulary can hinder comprehension and clear expression. In Singapore, language interference – especially from Singlish and direct MT translations – can further complicate language acquisition.

“The challenges that primary school English teachers face include improving students’ vocabulary, while at the same time, teaching students the use of English language in both formal and informal situations – how to perform code switching from informal settings to standard English during formal settings,” Charlotte notes.

Recognizing that early literacy is critical, the school has introduced targeted interventions at the lower primary levels.

“In lower primary, English teachers often start their lessons with shared reading activities,” she shares. To support comprehension, especially when story contexts are unfamiliar, teachers take time to explain the setting and background of the text. They also use the strategy of “word splash” – a visual display of key vocabulary words related to the story.

“By pre-teaching vocabulary words before students engage with the text, we help them connect new words to the story, making the reading experience more accessible and aids in memory retention,” she explains.

To aid learners who need more reading support, the school partners with external organizations to run targeted interventions, one of which is a once-a-week buddy reading programme for Primary 1 and 2 students.

“Students who struggle with segmenting sounds and syllables often carry those difficulties into upper primary, where they make common spelling mistakes. The volunteers are tasked to explain words that are unfamiliar to the students and help them pronounce words phonetically,” Charlotte explains.

The “word splash” activities also serve as stepping stones to more structured conversations, helping students strengthen their oral communication skills. In early 2025, sentence starters were introduced to help students initiate and sustain classroom discussions, as well as structure their responses according to the PEEL (Point, Evidence, Elaboration, Link) approach.

Meanwhile, e-platforms such the Student Learning Space (SLS) allow teachers to capture student responses in real time and facilitate peer critique. “It ensures that every student’s voice is heard – not just those who are usually more vocal,” Charlotte shares.

A Culture of Intentional Questioning

Reflecting on what more can be done to support students’ language learning, Charlotte urges teachers to strengthen their questioning techniques, emphasizing that effective questioning is key to enhancing classroom discourse and promoting deeper student thinking.

“Teachers can be more intentional in their questioning by reflecting on the types of questions they ask,” she advises. “It’s also important that they know how to purposefully design and pose questions that align with specific learning goals.”

She adds that inference is not a skill that the students are generally strong in but perhaps that may not be due to gaps in the students themselves. “Teachers should be asking the right questions that can elicit inferential responses from students,” Charlotte suggests.

Keeping a growth mindset is equally important too, especially when working with low-progress students. “Teachers should embrace the belief that every child can learn and wants to learn,” she remarks.

“How we layer support at each level matters, and with thoughtful implementation, it can go a long way in helping our students become more confident and competent learners,” she concludes.