On the afternoon of 2 January 2026, Assoc Prof Leung Wai-Mun from the Department of Language Science and Technology at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University visited the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language and delivered an academic lecture titled "Discovery and Research on Early Chinese Textbooks in Singapore: The Three-Phase Transformation from Overseas Chinese Textbooks to National Textbooks". SCCL staff and peers from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, attended the lecture.

        Employing document analysis and historical text analysis, Assoc Prof Leung examined the localisation evolution of Chinese textbooks in Singapore from 1926 to 1969. She first detailed her collection and organisation process of 358 early Chinese textbooks in Singapore, presenting the sources, preservation status, and sampling methodology of the materials. Subsequently, she divided the localisation of Chinese textbooks in Singapore from 1926 to 1969 into three phases: the "Overseas Chinese Education Period" (1920-1935), the "Localisation Germination Period" (1936-1950), and the "Malayanisation Period" (1951-1969). Assoc Prof Leung's preliminary findings indicate that the localisation transformation of Chinese textbooks in Singapore exhibited distinct stage-specific characteristics: early stages involved the passive grafting of Nanyang symbols, the middle period saw active integration into local multiculturalism, and the later phase achieved systematic localisation under state leadership.

        During the lecture, Assoc Prof Leung presented a wealth of materials from early Singaporean textbooks, providing the audience with a deeper understanding and insight into the development of early textbooks.

Assoc Prof Leung Wai-Mun delivering the presentation

Participants listening attentively