{"id":5517,"date":"2009-05-18T08:29:31","date_gmt":"2009-05-18T00:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/danwei.webfactional.com\/?p=5517"},"modified":"2009-05-18T08:29:31","modified_gmt":"2009-05-18T00:29:31","slug":"singapore_promotes_chinese_lan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laodanwei.org\/wp\/featured-video\/singapore_promotes_chinese_lan.php","title":{"rendered":"Singapore promotes Mandarin"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n

“Be Heard in Chinese”: a TV spot from Singapore’s Promote Mandarin Council, which is conducting a three-month campaign to educate the public about Chinese language and culture. A series of quizzes accompanies the ad; see below<\/a> for more.<\/p>\n


\nCross-cultural blogger Zhai Hua, who’s been covering the subject in a series of posts, introduced the motivation behind the campaign:<\/p>\n

\n

According to a survey conducted on incoming primary students by the Singapore Department of Education, the number of Chinese-language households in Singapore has been declining since the 1990s. Today, only 40% of households use Chinese as a primary language, while English-language households have climbed from 26% in 1990 to 60% today. To reverse this trend, the Singapore Promote Mandarin Council launched The Chinese Challenge on March 30, fun quizzes that let Singapore citizens and permanent residents personally experience the breadth and depth of Chinese culture, deepen their understanding of Mandarin, and improve their grasp on the language. This campaign will last three months; each month, the six highest-scoring Singaporeans will be given face-to-face interviews for the chance of being one of six final contestants at a televised final competition to be held in July.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Zhai reproduces six weeks’ worth of “The Chinese Challenge” (\u534e\u6587?\u8c01\u6015\u8c01! or “Who’s afraid of a little Chinese?”), quizzes on Chinese language and culture that cover a surprising range from ancient to modern, pop to literary. Here’s week five (bilingual at the source):<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u82cf\u6253\u7eff\u6f14\u5531\u7684\u300a\u5c0f\u60c5\u6b4c\u300b\u6b4c\u8bcd\u4e2d\u6240\u51fa\u73b0\u7684\u4e2d\u56fd\u53e4\u5178\u6587\u5b66\u4f5c\u54c1\u662f\uff1f
    What is the Chinese literary classics mentioned in \u201cLittle Love Song\u201d by Taiwanese band Sodagreen?<\/li>\n
  2. \u65b0\u52a0\u5761\u6b66\u88c5\u90e8\u961f\u7684\u519b\u5b98\u804c\u8854\u4e2d\u6700\u9ad8\u7684\u662f\u54ea\u4e00\u4e2a\u519b\u9636\uff1f
    What is the highest army rank in the Singapore Armed Forces?<\/li>\n
  3. \u66fe\u7ecf\u8bf4\u8fc7\u201c\u4e0d\u7ba1\u9ed1\u732b\u767d\u732b\uff08\u4e5f\u6709\u9ed1\u732b\u9ec4\u732b\u4e4b\u8bf4\uff09\uff0c\u6293\u4f4f\u8001\u9f20\u5c31\u662f\u597d\u732b\u201d\u662f\u54ea\u4e00\u4f4d\u4e2d\u56fd\u653f\u6cbb\u9886\u5bfc\u4eba\uff1f
    Which Chinese political leader said, “Regardless if a cat is black or white (and in other sayings, black or yellow), it has merit as long as it catches mice”?<\/li>\n
  4. \u767d\u5c45\u6613\u300a\u957f\u6068\u6b4c\u300b\u4e2d,\u201c\u5929\u751f\u4e3d\u8d28\u96be\u81ea\u5f03\uff0c\u4e00\u671d\u9009\u5728\u541b\u738b\u4fa7\u201d\u4e00\u53e5\u6307\u7684\u662f\u8c01\uff1f
    In “Song of Eternal Sorrow” by poet Bai Juyi, he writes: “Yet with such beauty bestowed by fate, how could she remain unknown! Eventually, she was chosen to attend to the emperor”. Who was he refering to?<\/li>\n
  5. \u201c\u6881\u4e0a\u541b\u5b50\u201d\u6307\u7684\u662f\u4ec0\u4e48\uff1f
    What does the Chinese expression “gentleman on top of a beam” refers to?<\/li>\n
  6. \"JDM090518glyph.jpg\"\u8bf7\u731c\u8fd9\u662f\u4ec0\u4e48\u6c49\u5b57\uff1f
    Which word does this hieroglyph stand for?<\/li>\n
  7. \u54ea\u4e00\u4f4d\u65b0\u52a0\u5761\u4eba\u5728\u53a6\u95e8\u5927\u5b66\u5f53\u8fc7\u6821\u957f\uff1f
    Which Singaporean was once the president of Xiamen University (University of Amoy)?<\/li>\n
  8. \u5546\u4e1a\u672f\u8bed\u4e2d\u7684\u201c\u7ea2\u6d77\u201d\u662f\u4ec0\u4e48\u610f\u601d\uff1f
    What does the Chinese business term “red ocean” refers to?<\/li>\n
  9. \u201c\u4e0b\u5c97\u201d\u7684\u610f\u601d\u662f\u4ec0\u4e48\uff1f
    What does the Chinese expression “to step off a post” refers to?<\/li>\n
  10. \u4ee5\u4e0b\u54ea\u4e00\u90e8\u7535\u5f71\u5e76\u975e\u6539\u7f16\u81ea\u6f2b\u753b\u4f5c\u54c1\uff1f
    Which one of the following movies is not an adaptation of a comic book? [choices unavailable]<\/li>\n
  11. \u6b4c\u624b\u738b\u529b\u5b8f\u7684\u6b4c\u66f2\u300a\u5728\u6885\u8fb9\u300b\u662f\u6839\u636e\u54ea\u4e00\u4e2a\u53e4\u5178\u6587\u5b66\u4f5c\u54c1\u800c\u521b\u4f5c\u7684\uff1f
    Which Chinese literary classics is Leehom Wang’s song “Beside the Plum Blossom” based on?<\/li>\n
  12. \u6b66\u5937\u5c71\u4f4d\u4e8e\u4e2d\u56fd\u7684\u54ea\u4e00\u7701\u4efd\uff1f
    The Wuyi Mountains are located in which one of the following provinces of China?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Answers can be found at the bottom of Zhai Hua’s third post<\/a> on the challenge.<\/p>\n

    Here’s a second promotional TV spot:<\/p>\n

    <\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n

    There are a total of fourteen TV spots available on the Chinese Challenge<\/a> website.<\/p>\n

    Links and Sources<\/div>\n
    \n