‘Right time, right place for Singlish’ By Faris – September 14th, 2010

“Ban Singlish cannot but must learn when to use, lah”.

That’s the “Singlish” view of the majority of over 185 Yahoo! Answers who responded to the question we posed last week, “Should Singapore get rid of Singlish?”

The use of the localized version of the English language is back in the spotlight after the government recently launched a new “Get It Right” campaign as part of its long running “Speak Good English Movement”.

And while many respondents strongly felt ”Singlish” or “Singapore English” is unique to Singaporeans, they also understand the significance and mastery of proper English is critical as the economy shifts from a more manufacturing-based industry to a service-oriented one.

However, instead of banning ”Singlish” totally, many users advocated learning to know how to code-switch between proper English and the slangs Singaporeans are familiar with, depending on the environment and the audience.

Answers user, Joanne, said, “Personally I don’t think there is anything wrong using Singlish to communicate among Singaporeans during non-official meet-ups. However, if it is business-related or if we are communicating with foreigners, I think proper English should be used.”

JL agreed and said the context of the conversation was important.

“Just because Singlish can be used as a form of social interaction does not mean it works the same way for professional interaction,” he said.

Answers user Tuning In said to totally get rid of Singlish would be to destroy a uniquely Singaporean trait.

“If Singapore gets rid of Singlish, it’s like getting rid of our unique culture. Without our unique culture, where is the flavour which would attract tourists?” he said.

Annie Ang agreed: “Singlish is only bad if it is the only form of English you can write in and speak. Insisting on getting rid of Singlish is like telling Americans to stop speaking and writing in American English.”

“Every culture has their respective colloquialisms, which I feel is perfectly fine,” she added.

Still, some users feel that the continued use of Singlish was detrimental to local youth and the country’s image.

No Singlish please said, “I think Singaporeans should stop using Singlish, especially if they are parents. This is because if they communicate with their child using Singlish, it will affect the child’s language development.”

Another user, Ashley, said, “It is true that Singlish does hamper Singapore’s interactions with the outside world due to the difference in communication. Singaporeans here are too used to speaking Singlish that foreigners and potential investors have big problems understanding us.”

Base on the report mention, i am worry for Golfman and PW.....they need help....

Personally I find it's ok to speak Singlish.

We are born in a country of multi languages, we are exposed to Chinese, English, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Malay, Indians...etc, it is naturally we mix with a bit of here and there....sometimes it is only a language that only Singaporean can understand.

I can understand those Ang Mo as well as PW & golfman too, so it is not an issue for me.

We learn English to understand and accommodate them. Why can't foreigners learn Singlish to understand us?

Uncle Lau wrote:

Base on the report mention, i am worry for Golfman and PW.....they need help....

Spoken words are just a tool for oral communication. So long speaker & listener understand, why bother...Don't forget....Adam & Eve only use body language..

swing2sky wrote:

Uncle Lau wrote:

Base on the report mention, i am worry for Golfman and PW.....they need help....

Spoken words are just a tool for oral communication. So long speaker & listener understand, why bother...Don't forget....Adam & Eve only use body language..

You also forget that time...that stupid snake can talk too !!!!

Uncle Lau wrote:

swing2sky wrote:

Uncle Lau wrote:

Base on the report mention, i am worry for Golfman and PW.....they need help....

Spoken words are just a tool for oral communication. So long speaker & listener understand, why bother...Don't forget....Adam & Eve only use body language..

You also forget that time...that stupid snake can talk too !!!!