National language has four official languages: English (Singapore English), Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Although English is the primary language of business, government, and education, Malay is designated as the national language. This is due to the geographical and historical ties to Malaysia as well as the recognition of ethnic Malays (about 14% of the population) as the indigenous people of Singapore. Traditionally, the lingua franca among the different ethnic groups in Singapore was Bazaar Malay, a Malay-based creole. Since independence, the government has been promoting English as the main language of Singapore. The bilingual education policy requires students to study two languages:
AP Italian Language and Culture reinstated in the fall of 2011, with the first AP Italian Exam scheduled for May 2012. The AP Italian Language and Culture course focuses on developing students' reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, all framed in order to reflect the richness of Italian language and culture. Teachers of the course will interweave the language structure with cultural content. The examination tests students' abilities to successfully use three modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. The five ultimate goals of the exam are communication, culture, connections, comparisons, and community. In the 2012 administration, 1,806 students took the exam, with a mean