Back in the colonial days, the government school I studied in was full of native-English-speaking teachers, and students would involuntarily pick up British-accented English in class. Many of us, even if we did not go on to seek higher studies, could find a job in government offices, big corporations, or in the hotel industry, because of the distinct and excellent spoken English displayed during the interview.

The demands of sharpening one’s English writing and speaking skills may not have changed that much over the years, but the addition of Mandarin as a third language is indirectly increasing the hardship of students with regard to learning English.