Eight teachers receive Inspiring Teacher of English Award for building students’ confidence in communication

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and National Development Syed Harun Alhabsyi (centre), flanked by ST editor Jaime Ho (in white shirt) and Speak Good English Movement chairman Jason Leow, with Inspiring Teacher of English Award recipients (from left) Benson Pang, Zheng Kankan, Wong Sui Lee, Lin Weijia Amanda, Rafidah Ridzuan, Chiu Yee Qian Millie, Sasha Kaur Dhillon and Foo Khim Youn Justina.

ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Published Sep 29, 2026, 08:03 PM

Updated Sep 29, 2026, 08:03 PM

Eight teachers received the Inspiring Teacher of English Award 2026 for fostering student confidence and a love for English communication in Singapore schools.

The award highlights innovative teaching methods, like real-world projects and personal student engagement, to enhance learning beyond exams.

Officials praised the teachers for shaping students' communication skills and empathy, vital for navigating today’s fast-paced information exchange.

SINGAPORE – At St Andrew’s Junior College, General Paper (GP) students identify news clippings to turn into quizzes for peers in their cohort.

This is one of the ways Wong Sui Lee and her team of GP teachers help students find their voice and take charge of their own learning.

“We’re able to get them to glean a better understanding of the world and also get them to be curious about what’s happening in the world,” Wong, 47, said.

The head of department for GP was one of the eight English teachers who were lauded at the Inspiring Teacher of English Award 2026, on Sept 29, for kindling a love for the subject.

It is presented by the Speak Good English Movement and The Straits Times, with support from the Ministry of Education.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and National Development Syed Harun Alhabsyi was the guest of honour. In his speech, he said: “Today, we exchange ideas faster, and in greater volume than ever before. Yet amid this abundance, two essential abilities can quietly become lost: the ability express ourselves clearly, in our own voice, and the ability to listen with empathy.

“Neither develops by accident. Both must be deliberately cultivated in our students -- through the good work of our teachers.”

Chairman of the Speak Good English Movement Jason Leow addressed this year’s recipients and nominees, and the role they play in their students’ lives. “You are not just preparing students for exams. You are shaping how they think, how they speak, and how they connect with the world. That is a heavy responsibility, and you carry it well,” he said.

Since its inauguration in 2008, the Inspiring Teacher of English Award has recognised a total of 159 teachers, including this year’s awardees. The awardees were chosen from 107 nominations.

The award is categorised into two categories – the Teaching Award and the Leadership Award.

The Teaching Award recognises teachers who exemplify good spoken and written English while the Leadership Award recognises subject heads or heads of department who have led the school towards a shared vision.

Another recipient, Sasha Kaur Dhillon, the deputy dean for GP at Temasek Junior College, brings learning outside of the classroom.

Through her project, Singapore A-Z, students pick a topic related to Singapore. The students then go out to interview people and come back to share what they learnt.

“You can really see their eyes light up when they say, this is actually what someone told me,” Sasha, 31, said.

She said the students took interest in the subject as the classroom discussions became more personal to them and they immersed themselves in it.

Over at Tampines North Primary School, English teacher Rafidah Ridzuan believed that it was important to connect with her students from the very beginning of her teaching career.

Even after 28 years of teaching, the best part of her day is to sit with her students and talk to them during recess.

She said that her students love to talk about “everything under the sun”, including personal matters.

“At the end of the day, when my children talk to me about anything and everything… I’ve provided them that safe environment,” Rafidah said.

Zheng Kankan, 39, was surprised when her student wrote her a note.

The subject head of literature at Maris Stella High School had encouraged the student to compete at a poetry recitation competition.

She helped him train and curate poems for the competition. With her guidance, he developed a love for poetry.

Although the student did not reach the finals, he wrote a note to Zheng to express his appreciation.

“‘He wrote me a note and told me, ‘Thank you for showing me the world of poetry recitation. If there’s a next competition, I would like to sign up for it.’ I was quite encouraged by that,” she said.

Jaime Ho, editor of The Straits Times, said: “There is little that is closer to the heart of journalists and The Straits Times newsroom than the beauty and wonder of language.”

“We therefore have the highest regard for teachers of the English language - for it is they who bring joy to their classrooms, and inspire our children to embrace the language through which they will express their ideas, and grow to be well-informed and inspired young adults.”

The award winners received a trophy, a certificate, and a cash award. All recipients and nominees will also receive a one-year membership to the Singapore Association for Applied Linguistics.

Recipients of the Inspiring Teacher of English Award 2026

Teaching Award category

Benson Pang, 33, level head for English language, Jurong West Primary School

Rafidah Ridzuan, 50, English language teacher, Tampines North Primary School

Chiu Yee Qian Millie, 33, English language and literature teacher, Crescent Girls’ School

Foo Khim Youn Justina, 41, English language teacher, St. Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School

Sasha Kaur Dhillon, 31, General Paper teacher, Temasek Junior College

Leadership Award category

Lin Weijia Amanda, 44, head of department for English language, Kranji Primary School

Zheng Kankan, 39, subject head for English literature, Maris Stella High School (Secondary)

Wong Sui Lee, 47, head of department for General Paper, St Andrew’s Junior College

Education and schools

教育及国家发展部高级政务次长赛义德·哈伦·阿尔哈布西（中）与《海峡时报》编辑何嘉敏（白衬衫）和“说好英语运动”主席梁振英合影，照片中还有“鼓舞人心的英语教师奖”获得者（从左至右）：彭本森、郑侃侃、黄瑞莉、林伟佳、拉菲达·里祖安、邱怡倩、莎莎·考尔·迪隆和傅锦云。

《海峡时报》摄影：JASON QUAH

发布于 2026 年 9 月 29 日晚上 8:03

更新于2026年9月29日晚上8:03

八位教师因在新加坡学校培养学生的自信心和对英语交流的热爱而荣获 2026 年“鼓舞人心的英语教师奖”。

该奖项旨在表彰创新的教学方法，例如真实世界项目和学生个人参与，以促进考试以外的学习。

官员们称赞教师们培养了学生的沟通技巧和同理心，这对于应对当今快节奏的信息交流至关重要。

新加坡——在圣安德烈初级学院，普通试卷（GP）的学生们挑选新闻剪报，制作成测验，供同届同学进行测试。

这是黄瑞莉和她的全科教师团队帮助学生找到自己的声音并掌控自己学习的方法之一。

“我们能够让他们更好地了解世界，也能让他们对世界上正在发生的事情产生好奇心，”47岁的黄说。

GP系主任是2026年9月29日举行的“鼓舞人心的英语教师奖”颁奖典礼上受到表彰的八位英语教师之一，他因激发学生对英语的热爱而受到嘉奖。

本次活动由“讲好英语运动”和《海峡时报》联合举办，并得到教育部支持。

教育和国家发展部高级政务次长赛义德·哈伦·阿尔哈布西是本次活动的特邀嘉宾。他在致辞中表示：“如今，我们交流思想的速度和数量都比以往任何时候都要快。然而，在这种信息爆炸的时代，两种至关重要的能力却可能悄然消失：清晰地用自己的声音表达自我的能力，以及感同身受地倾听的能力。”

“这两者都不是偶然形成的。它们都需要我们用心培养——通过我们老师的辛勤工作。”

“讲好英语运动”主席Jason Leow向今年的获奖者和提名者致辞，并赞扬了他们在学生生活中扮演的角色。他说：“你们不仅仅是在帮助学生备考，你们还在塑造他们的思维方式、表达方式以及他们与世界沟通的方式。这是一份沉甸甸的责任，而你们出色地完成了这项任务。”

自2008年设立以来，“杰出英语教师奖”已表彰了159位教师，其中包括今年的获奖者。获奖者是从107份提名中选出的。

该奖项分为两类——教学奖和领导力奖。

教学奖旨在表彰英语口语和写作能力优秀的教师，而领导力奖则旨在表彰带领学校朝着共同愿景前进的学科负责人或部门负责人。

另一位获奖者，淡马锡初级学院全科副院长 Sasha Kaur Dhillon，将学习带到了课堂之外。

通过她的“新加坡AZ”项目，学生们选择一个与新加坡相关的主题。然后，学生们外出采访当地居民，并回来分享他们的所见所闻。

“当他们说‘这真的是别人告诉我的’时，你真的可以看到他们的眼睛亮了起来，”31岁的萨沙说。

她说，随着课堂讨论越来越贴近学生的个人生活，学生们对这个主题产生了兴趣，并全身心地投入其中。

在淡滨尼北小学，英语老师拉菲达·里兹万认为，从教学生涯一开始就与学生建立联系非常重要。

即使教书已有 28 年，她一天中最美好的时光仍然是在课间休息时和学生们坐在一起聊天。

她说她的学生们喜欢谈论“世间万事”，包括个人事务。

“说到底，当我的孩子们跟我谈论任何事情的时候……我为他们提供了一个安全的环境，”拉菲达说。

39岁的郑侃侃收到学生的纸条时感到很惊讶。

玛丽斯·斯特拉高中的文学学科负责人鼓励这名学生参加诗歌朗诵比赛。

她帮助他训练并挑选参赛诗歌。在她的指导下，他爱上了诗歌。

虽然这名学生没有进入决赛，但他还是写了一张便条给郑，表达了他的感激之情。

“他给我写了张便条，说：‘谢谢你带我走进诗歌朗诵的世界。如果还有下一届比赛，我想报名参加。’我深受鼓舞，”她说。

《海峡时报》编辑 Jaime Ho 表示：“对于记者和《海峡时报》新闻编辑室来说，没有什么比语言的美丽和奇妙更能触动人心了。”

“因此，我们对英语教师给予最高的敬意——因为正是他们给课堂带来了欢乐，激励我们的孩子拥抱这门语言，用以表达他们的想法，并成长为博学多才、充满灵感的年轻人。”

获奖者获得了奖杯、证书和奖金。所有获奖者和提名者还将获得新加坡应用语言学协会一年的会员资格。

2026年“鼓舞人心的英语教师奖”获得者

教学奖类别

庞本森，33岁，裕廊西小学英语语言主管

拉菲达·里兹万，50岁，英语教师，淡滨尼北小学

邱怡倩（音译），33岁，新月女子学校英语语言文学教师

傅锦妍（音译），41岁，圣安东尼嘉诺撒中学英语教师

萨沙·考尔·迪隆，31岁，淡马锡初级学院综合试卷教师

领导力奖项类别

林伟佳（Amanda Lin Weijia），44岁，克兰芝小学英语系主任

郑侃侃，39岁，玛丽斯·斯特拉中学（中学部）英语文学学科主任

黄瑞莉，47岁，圣安德烈初级学院普通文科系主任

教育和学校