2I4+Wai+Lun

Leader: Suen Wai Lun (21)

Members: Gan Jun Hong (5) Matthew Neo (17) Edward Chow (4) Andika Wijaya (1)

__**__**Singapore Colloquial English (Singlish) Radio Documentary**__**__
[]
 * Digital Recording:**


 * Characters:**
 * Narrator || Wai Lun ||
 * English Professor || Jun Hong ||
 * Typical Youth || Jun Hong ||
 * Foreign student from Indonesia || Andika ||
 * Tour Guide (on the Duke tours) || Edward ||
 * Hawker || Edward ||
 * Journalist || Mathew ||

__**Script:**__

(typing, printing, clicking) ||
 * First scene (intro):**
 * < Narrator ||< Singapore Colloquial English, or singlish, is the product of the evolution of English in Singapore. There are some who support the usage of it, some do not. Should Singlish be abolished? Or should it continue to be spoken as part of Singaporean culture? Today, we shall travel around Singapore to find out about the views of our fellow Singaporeans regarding this issue. ||< Office sounds
 * || Fade out || engine starting sound, drive off ||


 * Second scene (university):**
 * ||  || sounds of car slowing down, brakes ||
 * Narrator || We are now at the National University of Singapore. We are going to interview a student on his views on the topic, and possibly interview a professor too. ||  ||
 * || Fade out ||  ||
 * || Fade in ||  ||
 * Narrator || There is a student over there! Lets go over to interview him. || walking sound ||
 * Narrator || Good day, I am a interviewer for a radio documentary on the English-Singlish debate. Would you like to tell us your views on this? ||  ||
 * Student || Certainly. I feel that we should speak Standard English in Singapore. As I am a foreign student, I have only been learning and speaking English for about three years, and while I do understand the professor who taught me how to speak English, sometimes I simply do not understand some of my fellow classmates because they speak this skewed standard of English. They are almost totally changing the structure of the English language. ||  ||
 * Narrator || It seems like Singlish has affected your life in Singapore greatly. Care to tell us more? ||  ||
 * Student || Well, during the first few months that I lived here, I was totally blown off by how the locals spoke. I was even worried that I might get influenced by the locals and thus do poorly in my studies. Coming over here to study was extremely difficult and expensive; I really would not want to ruin this chance that my parents and my efforts gave me to study. Therefore, I would like to stress that there should be a Standard English which everyone has to follow in Singapore. ||  ||
 * Narrator || Thank you. Wish you good luck in your studies. We should get going. ||  ||
 * Student || Alright. ||  ||
 * || Fade out ||  ||


 * Third scene(university library)****:**
 * || Fade in || Library noises (page flipping) ||
 * Narrator || Here we are at the library of the National University of Singapore. We are going to try find a professor who can provide us with his views on Singlish. ||  ||
 * Narrator || So what is your stand on speaking Singlish? ||  ||
 * Professor || To be correct, it is actually Singapore Colloquial English.

=
Anyway, I seriously feel that the standard of English in Singapore is dropping. Having been teaching and tutoring students for so many years, I have noticed that students are rapidly getting influenced by the Singapore Colloquial English spoken here. This can even be seen on foreign students who are learning English. In one of the classes I am teaching, there are even students from English speaking families who are adding pragmatic particles behind virtually everything they say.====== || Closes book ||
 * Narrator || What effect do you think long term usage of Singapore Colloquial English might cause? ||  ||
 * Professor || ======I feel that if Singaporeans continue to speak Singapore Colloquial English, this may turn into a sort of habit. Even if they try to speak Standard English at a particular time, the habit developed from speaking Singapore Colloquial English may hinder the switch to Standard English. Lets say if they try to converse in Standard English, they might unintentionally adding in some words from other languages as they speak.====== ||
 * Narrator || Thank you for your time. ||
 * || Fade out ||
 * || Fade in ||
 * Narrator || We have seen opinions of people from the higher end of society. Let us now go back to the more daily side of life and find out the opinions of the general public. ||
 * || Fade out ||  ||
 * Fourth scene (Food Center):**
 * Narrator || We are now in Newton Food Center. Let us find a hawker to find out what language he uses to handle daily conversations. ||  ||
 * Narrator || Hi uncle, sorry to interrupt your business. Would you like to tell us how you speak to customers and your stand on Singlish? ||  ||
 * Hawker || Aiya, now is not peak hour, so not much business lah. Ask all you want.

=
I feel that *aahh* the singlish is okay to use in Singapore. Because you know *aahh* although the English is advised to be used, but singlish and English to me, has no difference one. Singlish is like rojak, some words from malay some words from English some words from Chinese and other dialects, once we mix it and fry it, then become like rojak. Nice one!======

Shouting out: Leh long! Rojak three dollar a plate ah! Thank you! || Frying sound || "Uncle! rojak, small one!" ||
 * Narrator || You seem to find that Singlish is very useful in daily conversation. Won't you find that it is rather hard to understand, especially for tourists? ||  ||
 * Hawker || Those ang mor ah? If they want to speak to me the so called proper English, can lah, but then hor, cannot expect me to reply them so standard English. If they want to understand and be understanded hor, they need to learn the English of Singapore, Johor, and Batam! || Metal sounds from wok ||
 * Narrator || So you speak Singlish to your friends and family too? ||  ||
 * Hawker || ======We from young grow up all learn English and singlish from our friends and family, everyone uses singlish so it’s okay one. As long as we are able to understand what each other speaks then whether u speak the the(got double “the” on purpose) English of the singlish oso no difference. So even if my Singapore customers speak singlish English Chinese Hokkien Cantonese all okay because what is most important? We understand each other wad.====== || Background:
 * Narrator || I see you have a customer. Thank you for your views. Good bye! ||  ||
 * Hawker || Bye bye. ||  ||
 * Narrator || That was the view of a Hawker at the Rojak stall. Honestly, I found him rather hard to understand. Anyway, there is a Singaporean youth queuing up over there. Let us go over to ask him about his stand on Singlish. ||  ||
 * Youth || ======I feel that is ok to talk a bit of singlish. There is nothing wrong with speaking it as it is something unique about Singlish that makes us Singaporeans. It is a culture of us Singaporean. People say that Singlish is hard to understand, but I disagree. Actually, I find singlish easier to understand as it gets straight to the point. Singlish ah, is unique to Singapore. Taking it away would be like, like taking away the Merlion, taking away something so special to the Singaporeans.====== ||  ||
 * Narrator || So should we be using Singlish all the time? ||  ||
 * Youth || ======There may be times we have to not talk in Singlish. When we need to talk in Standard English, I am confident that we can control ourselves from speaking in Singlish. However, in place like Hawker Center, we can just spam Singlish also ok.====== ||  ||
 * Narrator || These Singaporeans think that speaking Singlish is perfectly fine. The youth even thinks that they can switch to standard English when needed. ||  ||
 * || Fade out ||  ||
 * Fifth scene (Aboard Duck tours):**
 * Narrator || We are aboard the duck tours with a tour guide. We shall interview him while his tourists are enjoying the surroundings of the Singapore River. ||  ||
 * Tour Guide || ======As a tour guide, I feel that English should be used at all times. Whether it is when speaking with friends, family or strangers. When we speak English, people would be able to understand what we are saying much better. I was once somebody who spoke Singapore colloquial English, when I spoke to people, they would not understand what I am saying, especially to the foreigners. However, fortunately for me, when I became a tourist guide, the company required me to speak English properly. When I used English instead of Singapore colloquial English, I realized that not only do many people understand me better, it helped me in my job.====== || Engine sound of boat,sounds of waves ||
 * Narrator || That is good to hear. However, there are definitely people who still speak Singlish in Singapore. How have this affected you? ||  ||
 * Tour guide || ======When I introduce places to the tourists, many of them question what some Singaporeans are saying. I had to translate the Singapore colloquial English for them. I find that we should always speak English properly instead of Singapore colloquial English as Singapore is just a small dot on the world map, it is important for us to understand them and for them to understand us. English is the 2nd most used language in the world so we should learn how to speak it properly to be well-understood. However as a Singaporean, we can always learn to code switch and use Singapore colloquial English as appropriate times like conversations between family and friends while using Standard English druing work and formal occasions. Although i do agree that Standard English should always be used, i am not totally opposed to Singapore colloquial English. We must always know the appropraite situations to use the appropriate language.Thank You for letting me voice my opinion.====== || sounds of waves ||
 * Narrator || It seems like some professions require Singlish to be spoken, while some require proper English. Perhaps the language spoken is influenced by one's surroundings, and not solely based on one's choice. Its mainly adaptation to one's surroundings. Let us proceed to our final destination today, a publishing center to find out the opinion of a journalist. ||  ||
 * || Fade out ||  ||

(typing, printing, clicking) || (typing, printing, clicking) ||
 * Sixth Scene (Publishing center):**
 * Narrator || We are now at a publishing center. We shall look for a journalist to find out his opinion on Singlish. ||  ||
 * Journalist || ======I think that Singaporeans should stop speaking Singapore colloquial English. nothing good comes out of speaking Singapore colloquial English. it only makes Singaporeans seem uncivilized and gives tourists a bad impression of Singapore. i have many friends who are foreigners and when they leave Singapore, they never fail to ask me why Singaporeans speak such a strange kind of English. i myself find it hard to understand Singapore colloquial English. in my opinion i think that the usage of Singapore colloquial English should be abolished. Singaporeans should use standard English, which is easier to understand, and gives a better impression of us.====== || Office sounds
 * Narrator || So how has Singlish affected your life? ||  ||
 * Journalist || The usage of Singapore colloquial English has greatly affected my life. i often find myself confused, not understanding what my friends are saying, and having to ask them to repeat themselves in standard English. I notice that children these days use a lot of Singapore colloquial English. i find it irritating that they have made such a turn for the worse. Singapore colloquial English has been such a bad influence on their lives. i used to hear children having a conversation in standard English, but that is a thing of the past. Now, i hear children talking in Singapore colloquial English, and feel angry knowing that there is nothing I can do about it. || Office sounds
 * Narrator || Thank you. ||  ||


 * Seventh Scene(conclusion):**
 * Narrator || Today, we have seen the opinions of people from different walks of life on the usage of Singapore Colloquial English. The general pattern shows that formal situations still require standard English, while use of Singlish is confined to more relaxed, laid back places like hawker centers. The fact that this documentary has been done in standard English shows that it is still a major and important language in daily life. It may be important for these two different languages to coexist peacefully. While English is a language used worldwide, Singlish is still important for those who strongly believe in Singaporean culture. Thank you for listening to this documentary. Good bye. ||
 * || Fade out ||