This year's Speak Mandarin Campaign (SMC) will target young Chinese Singaporeans through popular lifestyle activities to help them embrace the language in their daily lives.

With a new catchphrase, 'Speak Mandarin - Are You Game?', it will promote Mandarin as an enjoyable, fun and a living language for the post-65yers in new areas such as sports and culture.

Details will be unveiled at the launch of the campaign on Nov 5.

Besides sports, the campaign will seek to convert English-speaking Chinese Singaporeans on two fronts: culture, as well as arts, design and lifestyle.

On the cultural front, there will be talks about traditional Chinese medicine in English, as well as the release of a CD on the Top 100 Misused Chinese Phrases. which will be distributed for free in schools.

There are also plans for a 'cultural zone' where activities to promote Chinese culture, such as tea appreciation or talks, are held through the year.

As for arts, design and lifestyle, the committee has roped in bilingual theatre group Theatre Practice, 77th Street, as well as Night and Day, a bar cum gallery.

At a press conference to announce this year's campaign on Tuesday, Promote Mandarin Council chairman Kenneth Tan said they want to zero in on two groups - those who learnt Chinese in school but are now rusty as they lack the chance to use it; and those who deem the language uncool.

He said a survey of at least 500 people will also be conducted to gauge the effectiveness of the campaign.

Said Mr Tan: 'In recent years, the Speak Mandarin Campaign has tried to be as diverse as possible, to move away from a didactic approach, where people are told that Mandarin is good for you.'

'We are speaking to young adults and they need encouragement rather than admonishment.'