2I1ChoonKiat

Group Members: Lee Choon Kiat 05 (Leader) Loh Zheng Yi 09 Aldric Bek 01 Ryan Oon 15 Keloysius Mak 11

Host : SINGLISH, THE COLLOQUIAL LANGUAGE OF SINGAPOREANS. IS IT ALL THAT BAD, THAT IS THE QUESTION. IS SINGLISH A LOWER FORM OF ENGLISH, OR IS SINGLISH A CULTURE OR SYMBOL OF SINGAPORE? WE WILL EXPLORE THAT TODAY...

Host: Today we have Mr Lee, a Singaporean sociolinguist, on our show. Let us welcome Mr Lee.

Mr Lee: Thank you for having me on the show today. (Pro-English accent)

Host: Mr Lee, how long have you been studying the evolution of language in Singapore?

Mr Lee: I've been studying that for two decades now.

Host: And how long have you been living in Singapore?

Mr Lee: Fifteen years.

Host: So, after one and a half decades in Singapore, what do you think of the standard of English in Singapore?

Mr Lee: I think that in Singapore, most of us are technically not speaking English, but a dialect of it- Singlish. Even though there are Singaporeans who actually speak proper English. Singlish is prevalent in Singapore even if we don't realise it. Sometimes we include fragments of Singlish in our daily speech without even noticing it. So we don't really know we speak Singlish, and are convinced that we speak good English. Coming to the point of good English, I'd better explain it. Some people think that speaking standard English is speaking English with an English accent. So, I sometimes hear people attempting to speak in a Caucasian accent, but still using Singlish words, such as “lah”, and “ah” at the ends of their sentences. This is even more comical than speaking Singlish, so to those out there who think that standard English is speaking with a Caucasian accent, don't try it. (smirks, laugh a bit, host follows)

Host: Yes, I have also heard people speaking with an English accent but use Singlish words, or have a lot of references to Singlish in their speech. So, regarding the English versus Singlish debate, could you tell our listeners what it is all about?

Mr Lee: Yes, the English-Singlish debate has been around for quite awhile. People in Singapore generally use Singlish most of the time. Many are worried that this might affect our language, and even more importantly, our communications with people from other countries who speak English but not Singlish and do not understand what we say. PM Lee has also brought up this problem to the general public. He is worried that because of Singlish, foreigners may not understand what we are saying and even take offence. However, he also argues that Singlish might give us Singaporeans a sense of identity and belonging.

Host: Thank you for you time today, Mr Lee. Now coming to the point of foreigners, we will go to the ground to find out more...

ONSITE: I am now at the Fullerton Hotel interviewing Mr Gilbert, a worker at Fullerton Hotel who will tell us more... Mr Gilbert, could you just begin by telling us what you do for a living?

MR GILBERT: Basically, I'm a hotel receptionist at the Fullerton Hotel, and everyday, we see many foreigners coming in to rent a room for their stay. So I just communicate with them and assign their rooms to them. However, the part where language really comes in is with the porters. After I assign the foreign customers a room, a porter will usually come to help to carry the tourist's luggage, and most of our porters don't really have a very high education, so they do not really speak very good English. The exasperating part is when the porter just says to the tourist, “Which room you stay ah?” When some of our porters say this, the tourist, especially if he is British, or American, will gape at this malformed sentence, and probably not understand what our porter was saying, and I would have to tell the porter myself. This creates a rather embarrassing scene. So, I think that people like us, who work in the service sector would have to speak good English in order to be understood and not make a fool out of ourselves.

Host: Yes, if you had to speak to a foreigner, and he or she does not understand the connotations of some Singlish words or does not comprehend the sentence because of the sentence structure, it would most certainly result in a communication breakdown. Mr Gilbert, do you sometimes use Singlish as well, in front of tourists or otherwise?”

MR GILBERT: Well, yes certainly. I use Singlish when I'm at home with my family or when I'm talking to my friends. We are more comfortable speaking with Singlish when being casual and informal. However, I try to abstain from using Singlish at work, to avoid communication problems with customers.

Host: Okay, thank you Mr Gilbert. We have seen the linguistic and communicative implications of using Singlish. Now let's investigate the educational aspect of this English-Singlish debate. Miss Lim, a secondary school English teacher will tell us more.

Miss Lim: Well, as we all know quite well, many secondary school students, even those from the elite schools, use Singlish. In fact, most of them find it part and parcel of Singaporean lifestyle. In class, my students always use Singlish words and they like to end their sentences with “ah”s and “lah”s. I find that this isn't very good for their education. Even though they don't usually use such language in their essays and work, occasionally one will pop out. Most of the time, children use Singlish because from young, they have been hearing others use such language and have slowly learnt to speak like this also. Of course, this usually has to do with the parents. If the parents speak proper English in front of their children, their children will also follow suit, and vice-versa. Not that I want to put the blame on parents. Some actually make it a point not to use Singlish in front of their children, and to correct their children when they use Singlish. Then again, we teachers also have a big part to play. Children generally take the adults around them as role models, and so, like to do whatever the adults do. For example, if I use Singlish in class, my students might take after me, considering that students also take their teachers as always doing the right thing. This especially concerns English teachers, as students might think our English is perfect.

Host: So what do you think can remedy this?

Miss Lim: Correcting this is possible, but it would require the students to want to do so as well, as speaking Singlish is really a habit, but more importantly would be for parents, teachers and other adults around the children to speak proper English, so as to influence the children to speak proper English as well.

Host: Thank you for the advice Miss Lim. Now we shall move on to our final interview for today. She is a parent of a primary school student. Mrs Chan, are you aware of the English-Singlish debate here in Singapore?

Mrs Chan: Yes, I am.

Host: Well, what is your opinion on Singlish? Do you have any objections to it or are you fine with it?

Mrs Chan: Actually, I find that speaking proper English is very important and we Singaporeans should really improve our standards of English. Even though Singlish does give Singaporeans a sense of uniqueness, it is still crucial that we don't use Singlish too much. Sometimes, my neighbour likes to speak to me in Singlish. He uses Chinese and Hokkien words peppered with English in his sentences, making it very difficult to understand. So I always have to pretend to understand him and then ask my husband what my neighbour meant later on. When my daughter is around my neighbour, I always tell her to practise discretion, and not follow what my neighbour is saying, for it would greatly affect her standard of English. Anyway, who would want their children growing up to become what they call “ah lian”s? I don't mind Singlish in casual speech with friends or family, but first you must have English as your “first language”, and speak proper English frequently, not speaking in Singlish. I feel that we should speak in proper English as a habit, and switch to Singlish when speaking with friends if we want, not vice-versa.

Host: So do you speak proper English at home and Singlish to your friends?

Mrs Chan: Certainly. I want to influence my daughter to speak proper English, but I also use Singlish with my friends because sometimes some connotations can only be expressed through Singlish, or at least expressed more easily through Singlish, you see. Other than that, I try to speak proper English most of the time.

Host : I see, I see. Thank you for spending time with us today. We will now see what the members of the public have to say. Let us descend into orchard road...

(ORCHARD ROAD)

HOST : HI MISTER, CAN I ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR VIEWS ON SINGLISH?

GUY 1 : SURE WHY NOT?

HOST : UMMM, WHAT DO YOU FIND OF THE EMERGING SINGLISH TREND IN SINGAPORE YOUTH TODAY?

GUY 1 : UHHHHH, I DON'T THINK ITS A PROBLEM, COS YOU SEE AR, WE KNOW WHEN TO USE SINGLISH AND WHEN TO USE ENGLISH, SO MOST IMPORTANTLY WE JUST DONT USE SINGLISH AT IMPORTANT EVENTS CAN ALREADY.

HOST : BUT WHAT IF OUR PROLONG USAGE INFLUENCES OUR ENGLISH ABILITY? WILL THIS BECOME A PROBLEM?

GUY 1 : WON'T ONE LAH. SINGAPORE ENGLISH STANDARD TOO HIGH, CANNOT BECOME LIDDAT DE.

HOST : THANK YOU.

HOST : HI MISTER, CAN I ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS REGARDING SINGLISH IN SINGAPORE?

GUY 2 : HAR, OKAY LOR.

HOST : DO YOU THINK SINGLISH IS OKAY?

GUY 2 : HAR? OF COURSE LA, SINGLISH IS SINGAPORE IDENTITY, CANNOT LOSE ONE.

HOST : SO YOU MEAN THAT SINGLISH REPRESENTS SINGAPORE?

GUY 2 : YAH.

HOST : DO YOU THINK SINGLISH IS IN ANY WAY NOT BENEFICIAL TO SINGAPORE'S IMAGE?

GUY 2 : YOU SAY WHAT?

HOST : IS SINGLISH GOOD FOR SINGAPORE?

GUY 2 : AIYA THE ANGMOR ALSO CAN UNDERSTAND, WONT DIE ONE LAH.

HOST : IF YOU SAY SO, THANK YOU.

HOST : HI MISTER, CAN I ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS?

GUY 3 : OH SURE, HOW MAY I HELP YOU?

HOST : ARE YOU A TOURIST?

GUY 3 : YES I AM.

HOST : AH PERFECT, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SINGLISH IN SINGAPORE?

GUY 3 : THE SINGLISH PROBLEM ISN'T THAT BAD, IT'S QUITE UNIQUE ACTUALLY, IT REFLECTS VERY WELL ON SINGAPORE'S CULTURE, WE LOVE IT.

HOST : OH, GLAD YOU LIKE IT. ENJOY YOUR STAY IN SINGAPORE!

HOST : IS SINGLISH A NATIONAL ASSET OR A LIABILITY? THAT IS THE HANGING QUESTION. WE'LL END OFF TODAY'S RADIO DOCUMENTARY WITH THIS QUESTION. THANK YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY.