Singapore will launch a new initiative, SEED-CL, to phase in new approaches to Chinese Language teaching and learning this year, Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Saturday at the launch of a Chinese literary series.

The Strategies for Effective Engagement and Development of Pupils in Learning Chinese Language (SEED-CL), incorporating teaching strategies for character recognition, reading and oral communication, will focus on experimentation in teaching techniques at the initial stage.

"The next step will be to introduce a new curriculum for Primary 1 and 2, which places less emphasis on script writing and more emphasis on character recognition to help students begin to read early," Tharman noted, adding that trial will begin in 25 schools in 2006.

Professionals found more than 30 approaches to teaching character recognition in Chinese primary schools from a recent study trip to China, some of which may be adapted to the complex language environment in Singapore, according to Tharman.

The minister also announced that the fourth Language Elective Program Center will be established in 2006 at Jurong Junior College to attract more students' interest in classical and modern literature, as well as Chinese culture.