Yes la! I'm from Singapore...
I have been doing a research assignment on the differences between our accent and the Australian accent and my search has led me to researches and reports done on our version of English, affectionately known as Singlish.
As much as this research has increased my fascination with the dialect of English used throughout our sunny island, it also has led me to feel sad and crushed.
I fondly remember the days in secondary school where I would get fined for using a 'lor' or a 'la' in my sentence and friends and teachers never fail to look out for any slight use of Singlish in my sentences.
All that changed when I went to a polytechnic and mixed with friends from varied backgrounds. Singlish was a necessity as it helped to put people at ease and alot of times it made me sound less intimidating during group projects... Heh..
And thus, I learnt the art of switching between Singlish and English depending on the crowd I was in. I won't say it is a bad thing as I'd be sad to know that people are uncomfortable around me just because of the way I spoke. And besides, I cannot imagine how Singapore would be like without Singlish. (Something tells me I wrote an exact post like this before *shrugs*)
So, it is not surprising how sad I felt when I heard people criticizing the English of my beloved country. Yes, I have my issues with Singapore but hey, it is still the place I grew up in and it is still my home. For all its quirks, crazy laws and bizareness, it is where my heart is. Nothing feels like home and nothing ever will I guess...
We may speak Singlish but hey we are capable of speaking standard English when we put effort into it.
So please for goodness sake cut us some slack, our English ain't that bad.
Please bear in mind that we have a mother-tongue and for some of us no situation can be described better than with a word or to from our mother-tongue or dialect.
And to pompus Singaporeans who think they speak proper English, maybe you really should hear yourself as I am most certain you will at least have a 'la' or a 'lor' in your speech. Big bombastic words do not make you superior, it makes you proud and unapproachable. But hey if that is the approach you are going for, well then be my guest.
As much as this research has increased my fascination with the dialect of English used throughout our sunny island, it also has led me to feel sad and crushed.
I fondly remember the days in secondary school where I would get fined for using a 'lor' or a 'la' in my sentence and friends and teachers never fail to look out for any slight use of Singlish in my sentences.
All that changed when I went to a polytechnic and mixed with friends from varied backgrounds. Singlish was a necessity as it helped to put people at ease and alot of times it made me sound less intimidating during group projects... Heh..
And thus, I learnt the art of switching between Singlish and English depending on the crowd I was in. I won't say it is a bad thing as I'd be sad to know that people are uncomfortable around me just because of the way I spoke. And besides, I cannot imagine how Singapore would be like without Singlish. (Something tells me I wrote an exact post like this before *shrugs*)
So, it is not surprising how sad I felt when I heard people criticizing the English of my beloved country. Yes, I have my issues with Singapore but hey, it is still the place I grew up in and it is still my home. For all its quirks, crazy laws and bizareness, it is where my heart is. Nothing feels like home and nothing ever will I guess...
We may speak Singlish but hey we are capable of speaking standard English when we put effort into it.
So please for goodness sake cut us some slack, our English ain't that bad.
Please bear in mind that we have a mother-tongue and for some of us no situation can be described better than with a word or to from our mother-tongue or dialect.
And to pompus Singaporeans who think they speak proper English, maybe you really should hear yourself as I am most certain you will at least have a 'la' or a 'lor' in your speech. Big bombastic words do not make you superior, it makes you proud and unapproachable. But hey if that is the approach you are going for, well then be my guest.
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