Speak Singlish Campaign

MrIllusion SG · 2006-05-17T23:08:05+00:00

If we're going to talk like rappers, we might as well go all the way and also learn how to flash gang symbols, hold a Glock sideways, hold up convenience sto...

MrIllusion SG

I came across these two huge ads hanging outside MICA just now.

One of them has the message 'Speak Good English'. The other one, 'Hua Yu Cool' (literally translates as 'Mandarin Cool').

What the hell? Are we finally being encouraged to embrace our Singlish roots?

laurence82 SG

Huh? These ads dont look like they want us to spiak Singlish

Btw, I dont like this HuaYu Cool

Cool or 'ku' was never used in Mandarin before.

Pitot SG

Laughing

Meia Gisborn SG

Do we really need a "Speak Singlish" campaign more than, say, another "Courtesy" campaign?

av98m SG

I'd argue that "speak good english" is itself an example of "bad english"

Wasn't it the dragon prince who was quoted in the papers as encouraging teachers to use hip-hop to teach "good english" to their pupils? I found thatfucking hilarious, to say the least. Educators in the US are pulling their hair out trying to get their young to stop speaking like rappers. Just look at some of the online forums with teens in them. Laughing

MrIllusion SG

Heh I know the government is less than enthusiastic about promoting Singlish, I was just being hyperbolic.

What gets to me is their fascination with 'good English' (is there even such a thing?). And 'Hua Yu Cool'? Pfft... that's a real winner right there...

I just feel using an ad that is a less than stellar example of the language you are trying to promote is one way not to get people to take you seriously.

av98m SG

Well, we all know how well the "courtesy" campaign turned out eh? more than a decade later we've become even more rude. Laughing

Fatum SG

ditto the "don't litter" campaign ... Laughing

av98m SG

Singaporeans have not been very receptive to the various campaigns and social engineering initiatives by the ruling party over the years. Laughing

Recommended reading:

http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=0312158653

You can actually get this book at the national library. And all the books written by clowns like Chee Soon Juan, actually. For the paranoid amongst us, yes, you're using your IC to borrow this book. Can your reading history be called up from some database? Hmmmmmm.... Twisted Evil

elindra SG

They are asking you to choose either or Twisted Evil

the Bear SG

i would say that the first step to any campaign is for the lea-duhs to lead by example..

the lea-duhs go with the "courtesy campaign" yet they behave like a bunch of disgraceful spoilt brats.. what credibility is there?

speak whatever language.. just speak it well Wink

btw, remember the "mandarin campaign" thing? after many years, everyone except for a few, speak mediocre mandarin, while almost a whole generation is unable to string together 2 sentences without making about a dozen horrific basic grammatical errors...

so, maybe let's go to singlish Laughing

Fatum SG

no books by CSJ for me ... I don't like clowns ... Laughing

RaTtY81 SG

lets speak singlish la. Laughing

Meia Gisborn SG

Anyone here old enough to recall the "Use Your Hands" campaign of the 70s or 80s? That was a hoot! Very Happy

RaTtY81 SG

courtesy, it begins with me Mr. Green

Gazelle SG

i dont see any problem with those ad. I you happen to noticed it, then i believe that ads have already served its purpose.

singlish or english they are both for communication. If you are in hawker centre, use singlish, if you are doing business abroad, use good english.

Are you embarrass about your own root?

stellazio SG

as long as can understand good enough.. Laughing

The man who was death SG

let's learn english from snoop dogg as LHL encouraged

basically u just need to know schizzle my nizzle or fizzle, almost all the words in his english ends with zzle Laughing

Kuali Baba SG

Mmm...breaded pork schnitzel. Twisted Evil

duotiga83 SG

hoe sey bo.... Laughing