This study on three-generation bilingual, trilingual Chinese, Malay and Tamil families set out to observe language use patterns during interaction within familial bilingual, trilingual networks. A shift in language use patterns from community language to English has been observed in school based surveys. This study surveyed three community language groups of Chinese, Malay and Tamil families, their use of community languages or mother tongue and their proficiency in the skills of speaking, reading and writing. The analysis shows that when parents' community language proficiency in speaking is lower they tend to choose English as their preferred language. But if their proficiency is higher, they tend to choose either English or community as their preferred languages. But there are parents who tend to choose their community language in order to maintain their cultural identity. The study also provides some observations on what determines children's language choice codes. Children's confidence in their command of their community language and opportunities to use their community language has an effect on their language choice pattern. While their proficiency in English could be one of the factors, it is not the main determinant of their choice of language codes.

Thinking schools' will be sites of learning for everyone declared the Singapore Prime Minister, Goh Chok and Minister of Education Teo Chee Hean's in 1997 also spoke on the model of' 'thinking schools, learning nation'. Gardner's model was used for the thinking school model in Singapore, in order to develop critical and creative thinking in students. This was to be done with the use of instructional technology as an enabling tool using a diversity of approaches including integrated project work. This paper reports on how one school went about changing approaches to teaching and learning by implementing integrated project work as a way of integrating the content areas of the curriculum, mathematics and science through English language, supported by the tools of instructional technology.

This is the first empirical study that focused on attitudes towards two varieties of Tamil, Literary Tamil (LT) and Standard Spoken Tamil (SST), with the multilingual state of Singapore as the backdrop. The attitudes of 46 Singapore Tamil teachers towards speakers of LT and SST were investigated using the matched-guise approach along with four-point semantic differential attitude scales. The scales formed three dimensions Á status, solidarity and social attractiveness ; and three additional distinct traits Á love for language, suitability for Tamil teaching and suitability for media presentation . The teachers' perceptions of LT and SST guises of two out of three speakers were found predominantly comparable for all attitude dimensions (status, solidarity, and social attractiveness ) and two discrete attitude items (love for language and suitability for Tamil teaching ). Two speakers were rated lower when using SST than when using LT in terms of perceived suitability for media presentation . Tamil teachers' attitudes were influenced by the pitch and pitch variation of the speakers' voice. Differences in teachers' perceptions of SST and LT guises were detected primarily only for the speaker whose voice has the highest pitch and highest pitch variation. The same speaker was rated highest in all measures given above.

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