KEEPING MY MANDARIN ALIVE

“In addition to his historic role as the founding father of Singapore and his accomplishments as one of the world's most renowned statesmen, Minister Mentor Lee is also a leader in addressing the significance of understanding a culture through its language. Language is the key to culture and knowledge. Minister Lee shares his journey through the process of learning Mandarin as an adult and thereby gaining a deeper appreciation of Chinese culture. Through these thoughtful reflections, he provides important lessons for language scholars and for all students of culture.”

“By telling a remarkable and fascinating story of a best known and most respected political leader in Asia in his effort to learn and use Chinese and how it has affected his life, this book will inspire many readers for years to come.”

“Excellently engaging, the book based on the author's unique position and personal experiences is most informative. One of his key points is on learning a ‘precise’ Mandarin, not the Singaporean Mandarin, the dialectic Mandarin or even pedestrian Mandarin or Peking Mandarin (which is more dialectic than many others based on my own experiences), in which the origin or the proficiency of the teachers are of utmost importance.”

“I am indeed impressed with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's ‘Language Learning Experience’ and his mastery of several different languages. Above all, his wisdom in deciding on the bilingual policy of English and Mandarin, to the exclusion of other dialects. This is because there are few people who can master another dialect besides the two languages necessary for the long-term future of the Chinese community.”