The two main objectives of the RJC Languages Department are to improve the linguistic ability of the students, and raise awareness of the cultural aspects of their language of study.  At the end of the course, students will be better able to interact with native speakers of their language of study and enhance their ability to use the language in their everyday life. 

Academic Programme
The RJC Languages Department offers four main languages of study.  They are the Mother Tongue Languages – Chinese, Malay and Tamil, as well as Japanese which is conducted under the MOE-initiated Language Elective Progamme.  All the four languages are offered at the H1 and H2 levels, and they will be offered at the H3 level if there is sufficient demand.  The different levels offered will ensure that the students, with their different language abilities, will benefit fully from the course. 

Enrichment Programme
To promote a deeper interest in the languages and allow students to further enhance their language ability outside the classroom, the department also carries out a number of special events and programmes throughout the year.  These events and programmes serve to complement the academic programme.

Special Events
The special events conducted in-house include the Creative Writing Competition, Chinese Song Writing Competition, Drama Performance, and Chinese Cultural Knowledge Quiz.  In addition, the department also highlights and encourages students to take part in competitions and cultural events organised by external agencies so as to benchmark the students locally.  These external events include the Bilingual Translation Competitions, Malay General Knowledge Quiz, National Tamil Lit Competitions and the Japanese Speech Contest.

Special Programmes

Raffles Bicultural Programme (China)
The Raffles Bicultural Programme (China) is a brainchild of the department.  The programme aims to raise the students’ understanding of Chinese history and culture, as well as the socio-economic development of modern China.  Open to all interested RJC students who would like to further their knowledge in both Chinese language and Chinese culture, this programme will enable students to have greater access to the cultural heritage of their forebears, and develop a worldview that complements their perspective of the English-speaking world. 

Educational Trips/Immersion Trips
Educational/immersion trips are also organised annually to China, Taiwan and Japan.  Educational trips to Malaysia are in the pipeline.  Depending on the country, short courses at educational institutes and/or industry visits may be arranged for students to allow them to gain a more practical understanding of the country, culture and people.

Links
Chinese Language
Malay Language
Tamil Language
Japanese Language