{"id":35897,"date":"2026-03-06T13:00:32","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T05:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/?p=35897"},"modified":"2026-03-05T17:03:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T09:03:10","slug":"why-language-still-matters-in-a-digital-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/2026\/03\/06\/why-language-still-matters-in-a-digital-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Language Still Matters\u00a0in a Digital World\u00a0 \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

In February 2026, in conjunction with\u00a0International Mother Language Day (21 February), two opinion pieces published in\u00a0<\/span>The Straits Times<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Lianhe\u00a0Zaobao<\/span><\/i>\u00a0by Daniel Chan (NUS Centre for Language Studies) examined a shared concern: how language learning and cultural vitality should evolve in an era shaped by artificial intelligence and digital transformation. International Mother Language Day,\u00a0established\u00a0by UNESCO to promote linguistic diversity and intergenerational transmission, provided\u00a0a timely\u00a0backdrop for reflecting on the purpose of language education in Singapore.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the\u00a0<\/span>Straits Times<\/span><\/i>\u00a0commentary, \u201cWith AI translation tools, what\u2019s the point of learning different languages?\u201d,\u00a0Daniel Chan argues that the rise of increasingly sophisticated AI translation tools should not diminish the importance of language learning. While machine translation systems such as\u00a0DeepL\u00a0and Google Translate can\u00a0render\u00a0grammatically\u00a0accurate\u00a0sentences, they cannot capture the cultural nuance, emotional texture, and contextual sensitivity embedded in human communication. The article highlights that translation is not merely about substituting words, but about understanding tone, historical resonance, and relational meaning.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Drawing on examples across languages, the piece shows how expressions of regret, apology, and empathy vary subtly between linguistic systems, revealing how language shapes thought and social interaction. When learners rely exclusively on AI, they may bypass the cognitive and emotional processes necessary to internalise these distinctions. The op-ed therefore warns against complacency in an AI-mediated world, arguing that language study develops analytical flexibility, intercultural competence, and intellectual autonomy;\u00a0capacities that cannot be\u00a0simply\u00a0outsourced to algorithms.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a complementary vein, the\u00a0<\/span>Lianhe\u00a0Zaobao<\/span><\/i>\u00a0article, \u201cInternational Mother Language Day: Youth’s Voices Keeping Our Mother Tongues Alive,\u201d turns to the vitality of mother tongue education in Singapore. It\u00a0observes\u00a0that whilst\u00a0mother tongue\u00a0remains\u00a0a compulsory subject tied to high-stakes examinations, an overemphasis on grades may discourage experimentation and authentic usage. When students fear making mistakes, classroom participation becomes cautious, and language risks being reduced to examinable competence rather than lived practice.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The article distinguishes between \u201clanguage competence\u201d and \u201clanguage vitality\u201d.\u00a0Competence refers to measurable mastery of grammar and vocabulary, and\u00a0vitality refers to whether a language is actively used in homes, social spaces, and digital environments. UNESCO\u2019s emphasis on intergenerational transmission is cited as a key indicator of sustainability. The piece notes that Singaporean youth\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0creative linguistic adaptability on social media, blending languages and dialects in distinctive \u201c<\/span>rojak<\/span><\/i>\u201d forms, suggesting that language evolution rather than rigid preservation may sustain long-term relevance.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Both op-eds converge on a broader theme: language is not simply a technical skill, but a living system tied to identity, empathy, and social cohesion. Whether confronting the risks of AI overreliance or exam-driven learning cultures, the central argument is that language education must prioritise internalisation, experimentation, and meaningful use.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read the articles here:\u00a0<\/span>Straits Times<\/span><\/a>;\u00a0<\/span>Lianhe Zaobao<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo: iStock\/Sandwish<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In February 2026, in conjunction with\u00a0International Mother Language Day (21 February), two opinion pieces published in\u00a0The Straits Times\u00a0and\u00a0Lianhe\u00a0Zaobao\u00a0by Daniel Chan (NUS Centre for Language Studies) examined a shared concern: how language learning and cultural vitality should evolve in an era shaped by artificial intelligence and digital transformation. International Mother Language Day,\u00a0established\u00a0by UNESCO to promote linguistic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":357,"featured_media":35899,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4546,4529,4609,4604],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-centre-for-language-studies","category-news","category-singapore-research-nexus","category-visible"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/357"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35897"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35900,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35897\/revisions\/35900"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}