Why does the government not like Singlish?
Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had, in 1999, pithily described Singlish as “a handicap we must not wish on Singaporeans”. His premise was: “We are learning English so that we can understand the world and the world can understand us.”
What is the difference between Singlish and English?
Singapore English is a dialect of the English language that is used in the Republic of Singapore, a lingua franca influenced by Chinese and Malay. While the former is a variant of English, Singlish is a language on its own with a different grammatical structure.
Is Singlish considered a language?
In recent times, Singlish is considered by linguists to be an independent language with its own systematic grammar. Linguists from universities around the world have referred to local productions to demonstrate to students how Singlish has become a unique language variety.
Does Singlish have a bad reputation among Singaporeans?
The government feels that Singlish, being a form of ‘broken’ English, has the potential of becoming an obstacle for Singaporeans — especially children — to learn proper English. This results in its bad reputation among English teachers, policy makers, and in turn, the government.
Is Singlish a threat to English language proficiency?
This is despite political leaders using Singlish during election campaigning to better connect to a local audience. The government recognises that Singlish cannot be eradicated but it will not take kindly to attempts to promote it. The concern is that any mixed signals on Singlish will undermine efforts to raise English language proficiency.
Is it OK to use Singlish?
Yes, of course, they lean towards the discouraged use of Singlish. But using Singlish as a rhetorical device or as a marketing tool is still generally tolerated and borderline encouraged. See: The recent brouhaha on Singlish signs on buses.
Does Singlish Handicap one’s ability to speak Standard English?
The anti-Singlish camp stresses that Singlish handicaps one’s ability to learn and speak Standard English; an essential ability for citizens of a cosmopolitan city in a globalised world.