Why does the Govt always want to clean-up Singalish???

blueheeler SG

A study in S'pore says that 6 out of 10 S'poreans don't speak 'standard English'? As usual, the S'pore govt wants to correct this with a 'Speak good English' campaign (like this will work).........

What in the world is 'standard English'? If you say that people from England speak 'standard English', then what do you call David Beckam's language? He speaks like a butcher with a short tongue and with lots of choclates stuck in his mouth... George Bush speaks like a cowboy whose jeans is too tight.

If Aussies are proud of their 'Aussie English', if the Americans are proud of their many versions of English, if the people of England are proud of their many versions of English...etc, then why are the S'porean authorities so ashamed of our English? A language is a means of communication and also a sign of our identity. In this case, Singlish is fully understood by S'poreans and it's a distinctive part of being S'porean.

So, speak Singlish cannot meh? Si-eh-sian-Man...! I suka spiak Singlish leh. You please don't come play-play with my Engrish lah...or else I hantam you one time good-good then you si-kiow-kiow......

dragg SG

they should improve their chinese first.

ShutterBug SG

Speak Mandarin Campagne, sure is effective.

Now, almost everyone is speaking Mandarin. Be it at work, at play, during studies, whatever.

People have become so comfortable with Mandarin and now they are saying Singaporeans can't speak proper English. Don't be confused, Singlish is a mixture of Malay expressions and slangs, and the form is a direct translation of Mandarin to English.

So, who started Speak Mandarin Campagne? Isn't this another one of their U-turns?

They are even saying that since Singaporeans can't speak standard English, hence the preference for foreighners who can.

And even when locals are so called fluent in Mandarin, when you listen to a PRC speak, you can hear obvious differences.

ndmmxiaomayi SG

Because it sounds crude. Laughing

But then again, we can't even prounounce properly, much less speak.

missqi SG

because u people who speak singlish cannot make the effective switch from english to singlish anytime. that is where the problem lies.
foreigners etc all cannot understand what the hell we are trying to say.

ShutterBug SG

This Singlish to English switching problem, I believe starts at home.

I can speak a smatter of fluent Singlish daily as can and does everyone in here, and switching to proper English was never an issue.

Oftentimes in elevators, I hear residents in my block speak to their child like this: "Ay, you got bring your water bottle or not?" and the child goes; "Got... neh!" and shows the water bottle.

This, is what's stopping people from speaking Proper English.

But today's lifestyles coupled with mobile phone technology and the Internet, has further bastardized English with SMS English, & IM (Instant Messaging) English. English gets short-formed & abbreviated to oblivion!

I always tell my wife (who speaks Mandarin with all her friends) to brush up, watch less of Ch8 on TV, and improve general knowledge with Nat Geo & Discovery channels. Cause, all I ever saw in Ch8 are all those variety shows, cry-stories, love stories, and nothing informative.

missqi SG

yeah. i can also make the switch effectively, but problem is, most people cannot even speak standard english; they cannot make the switch. Neutral

ShutterBug SG

Well, we are a multi-racial society. So there are bound to be those who CANNOT communicate in proper English for lifestyle, family, or personal reasons - but nonetheless they do get their message across on a daily basis using whatever form of English or language prefered.

Now my curiosity is; WHY couldn't or didn't our gov foresee this shortcoming decades ago (when Mandarin was made a compulsory subject to pass in primary school all the way up to Uni) since they are comprised of Top Brains????

ShutterBug SG

Funny I think, as I recall back when I was in Primary school, I was rather sternly corrected by the teacher when I pronounced the letter 'Z' as "zee".

Now, it's widely acknowledged as "zee" - not "zat".

I feel like a guinea pig in the education system's experimentations ...

dragg SG

no dialect problems on tv - now most youth cannot speak they own dialects well.
speak mandarin campaign - most people cant speak english well
courtesy campaign - people are so rude nowadays
save water campaign - our daily consumption just keep going up

Mr. Green

missqi SG

language trends are very hard to predict; amidst other problems. lol. u think the govt cares about how we sgreans mutilate and desecrate the english language when they have other problems to settle?

ShutterBug SG

Oh.... WE are becoming their biggest problem as the years go by, judging from all the topics so far posted!

elindra SG

I think alot of Singaporeans speak English/Singlish/Whatever, based on the setting/situation/circumstances they are in, and the person or people they are speaking to.

ShutterBug SG

The worst kinds, are those who can just speak English, but the moment a European or American speaks to them, the suddenly break into an accent to try and match the European or American!

Everytime I come across a situation like that, especially at work, I will excuse myself and go away till the conversation is over. Because it makes my skin crawl!

I mean, what the hey, speak normally! Speak proper English normally as you would to your fellow Singaporean colleagues! Don't have to sound like them!

Respect yourself, stick to your own accent.

ShutterBug SG

So here we have Singlish, and everyone is so hyped up about it.

What about in the USA?? They have the blacks, who speaks their own brand of black american English - lingo.

I mean, if a black guy steps up to you and greets you and say something nice about the weather, you'd probably not understand a single word except perhaps "dude" or "waz-up!".

We don't hear them harping about proper English? Instead, people all over the wolrd, are trying to sound "cool" like them! Waz-up bro! Waz happenin' man! Yo cool bro! Chill man!"

KNN...

Ito_^ SG

best thing is.. when i was young, i spoke dialect, they don't like, speak english. when i grew to speak english, they want to speak mandarin, then when i now speak mandarin often, they want dialect.

so how? i end up with a rojak of singlish lor! Mad the very last thing i want to do now is some stupid mindless authority to dictate what language i speak!

Ito_^ SG

actually hor.. u cannot blame them one. dunnoe why its abit natural for me to try and adjust to their accent.. machiam auto one. try to adjust back but dunnoe why find myself speaking a few words oddly. dats y i dun like to speak to foreigners. becuz no confidence in our style of english, everything we speak oso not good nuff.

zer0kool SG

those people are pathetic, it sometimes can be a torture listening to them talk

ndmmxiaomayi SG

To speak standard English isn't an issue. I believe most of us here can do it. The problem is pronouncing. Some people pronounciation are so bad that foreigners can't understand, and they thought we are speaking Singlish, when in fact, it's not.

ndmmxiaomayi SG

Zee is American pronouciation for Z if I'm not wrong. Zat is the British prounounciation for Z. I've been taught to prounonce Z as "zat", since we are using British English, not American English. Nowadays, because of our closer ties with US, things are changed, I guess.