"Language is the soul of a race" - Umich essay on issue of local concern

This is my response to UMich's long essay prompt. Any help on content and grammar is greatly appreciated. Not too sure about my opening as it seems kinda weak.

Discuss an issue of local concern. Why is this issue important to you? How do you think it should be addressed?(500 words)

"Huayu Cool!" (Mandarin Cool!) is the tagline used by the Speak Mandarin Campaign which aims to encourage Singapore's Chinese population to speak Mandarin. This is ironic in itself as the "coolness" of Mandarin had to be expressed in English. Problems like this is becoming increasingly common as the younger generation of Singaporean-Chinese cast away their mother tongue, preferring to adopt a "stepmother tongue" that is English. A recent survey has shown that the percentage of Chinese speaking English at home as increased from 13.3% to 60%. This seismic shift in the language environment from Mandarin to English has lead to a decline in proficiency in Mandarin.

This is an issue of great importance as it concerns the ethic identity of Singaporean Chinese. The Malays have a saying; "Bahasa jiwa bangsa" which translate to "Language is the soul of a race". Mandarin is not merely a mean of communication or a vehicle for the expression of thoughts, perceptions and sentiments; it also represents a fundamental expression of social identity for the Chinese. This is especially so in a multiracial society like Singapore. Just like how a tree will wither without its roots, the Chinese community cannot continue to flourish if we were to severe the vital connections to our pasts by losing our proficiency of Mandarin.

This decline in proficiency of Mandarin stems from the lack of exposure to the language. In recent years, English has become the lingua franca of Singapore. It is not only the working language of Singapore, but also the language of government bureaucracy and legislation as well as the language of occupational, social and economic advancement. As a result, majority of the Chinese have taken up English as the language of choice leading to a decrease in daily usage of Mandarin. This leads to further lack of exposure resulting in a viscous cycle.

Despite steps taken by the government to reverse this trend, I believe more can be done. In schools, the focus of the Chinese language curriculum should shift from memorizing phrases from textbooks to teaching conversational Mandarin for everyday use. The measure of proficiency should not be how well a student can regurgitate phrases from memory but how well he can express his thoughts and opinions in Mandarin. By developing the skills that will allow them to use the language often and spontaneously, schools can enthuse students in the mother tongue and provide them with the maximum opportunity to use Mandarin in their daily conversations. Parents can also play a part by proactively engaging their children in conversations using Mandarin. This will increase the younger generation's exposure to Mandarin and hopefully encourage them to use the language more frequently.

By encouraging the use of Mandarin, we are working towards cultivating a natural linguistic environment where effective bilingualism is the norm. Being able to switch between languages depending the situation will enable Singaporeans to better meet the demands of an increasingly globalised world while allowing us to retain our distinctiveness as a people and helping us remain cohesive and confident as a society.