Sub-standard English? I beg your pardon?

Excerpt:

Study says many Singaporeans speak non-standard English

Singaporeans generally may say they speak English but a survey shows that 6 in 10 of them actually speak non-standard English in their daily lives.

The study by the Singapore Polytechnic involved some 3,000 English-speaking Singaporeans.

So this year's Speak Good English Movement hopes more Singaporeans make it a habit to speak standard English.

Six new organisations, including the Education Ministry and the Singapore Retailers Association, have also joined in to support the Movement.

Students will be roped in to help highlight the importance of communicating in good English.

Ashraff Abdul Samad, Student, Ang Mo Kio Secondary School, said: "Now I would say "How are you doing? Is everything great?" instead of "What's up la? Relax la" that kind of stuff. It's not difficult. When you speak standard English, you need to watch your grammar, there will be no Singlish 'la'."

And that is exactly what the movement hopes to encourage in all Singaporeans, especially the students.

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Another move by authority to promote the employing of native speaker of English Language to teach us how to speak proper English? Singaporean are too ashamed of the Singlish that they have been using since young? I for once are proud of using Singlish as this special language help me to identify myself as an uniquely Singaporean. I enjoy using the 'la' , 'lor', 'hor' in my conversation. It identified myself away from people of different nationality. I once heard from my friend saying this, "Its easy to spot a Singaporean when you are in a foreign country. They will always be the centre of attractions with their uniquely Singapore phrase like ' dun liddat la' , 'can cheaper anot?' " Especially when you are in a foreign country, its always nice to spot people who come from the same country as you. Yes! I agreed that Singaporean can't speak good English but i feel that we do not need to speak such good English to each other in our daily conversation, it will make us feel retard as we will take a longer time than usual to speak proper English during conversation. It also destroys the meaning of our daily ranting and talking cock session among our peers.

Try replacing all the Ls' with the Rs' in your daily conversation with your friends and not forgetting minus all the 'la', 'leh' , 'lor' if you want to speak like a native speakers of English language. I have a friend who went overseas to study and after 3 months in the States, he came back to Singapore speaking to us with his heavy accent of eng mo and replacing all the Ls' with Rs' in his conversation. We were convinced that Rs are his best friends. Student should be taught the proper way of speaking proper English but they should also be taught on what occasion they should best use proper English ( of course not during daily ranting with your peer la!). Singaporean children nowadays Mandarin let alone asking them to speak their own dialect. They have forgotten their own roots. I know how to speak Hokkien when i was four years old and i find it useful as i need it when at work, it will be even better if i know how to speak Cantonese. Try asking my friend who know me, they are surprised and got no idea that i actually can write such English because i seldom converse with them in English ( well you guys can try to converse with me in English, i don't mind at all). Majority of Singaporean have to agree with me that Singaporean can write English better than they speak. Singlish should be a proud language used in Singapore just like those singer in U.S who are into hip hop, with their 'hey yo, wattsup', 'how about that for ya?', 'hot chicks'. Imagine hip hop/ rap singer in U.S wearing their oversized jeans and T- Shirts singing their so called hip hop/ rap in MTV with perfect English. That scene would be hilarious.

Singlish is a good way of saving entry space especially in sms, 'can you please stop that?' becoming 'dun liddat la can?' , 'can i have a better price for this?' becoming 'can cheaper anot?' Any student who have studied economics will tell you that Singaporean are better in the economics of words.


Last but not least , i do not want to go into bed tonight dreaming of me carrying a dictionary around the house because my children and grandchildren are talking to me with perfect English and using bombastic vocabulary. Neither would i want them to talk to me in those 'yo-yo' hip hop language in our daily conversation. Just Singlish will do. Dun liddat la can?


*PS: Despite government campaign to speak good English, i still enjoy speaking Mandarin and swearing in Hokkein because i am a true Singaporean Chinese, so say we all! So say we all!*