“Singlish is not
English. It is English corrupted by Singaporeans and has become a Singapore
dialect… Singlish is broken, ungrammatical English sprinkled with words and
phrases from local dialects and Malay which English speakers outside Singapore
would have difficulties in understanding… Let me emphasize my message that we
must speak Standard English is targeted primarily at the younger generation… we
should ensure that the next generation does not speak English.” Such was
the stand on Singlish taken by the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1999. I
believe that this stand accurately captures the sentiments of many who believe
that the usage of Singlish, even in daily conversation, should be avoided.
Indeed, the many Singlish phrases that pepper everyday conversation such as, “"Piang
eh, your shirt a bit the short, man!" and “I know you know who did it, so
don’t act blur!” are commonly considered as having deviated from Standard
English in both grammar, sentence construction and wording. Yes, Singlish is, without a doubt, broken
English. But is Singlish and all it
represents really as insignificant as the term “Broken English” implies?
Before we go into that though,
I’d like to discuss the significance of language to a nation in the 21st
century. In our nation, language is seen as a form of linguistic capital with a
very high potential to produce profits such as higher incomes. It is one of the
main means by which our nation is able to further our interconnectedness with
the other nations of the world and by extension, the means by which we may
achieve a plethora of other goals relating to research, finance and public
relations and other such areas. Indeed, English is a powerful vehicle by which
we may obtain further national advancement in the 21st century. But is this really all that language connotes?
On the contrary, a language is so much more than just a vehicle for
economic advancement. Just by listening to a language, one can grasp the
history, understand the beliefs, comprehend the culture and discern the values
of its speakers. By listening to a language, one listens to the linguistic
embodiment of the culture of the place and gets a feel of the communal identity
shared by its speakers.
This holds true even for
Singlish, which is commonly considered to be a language in its own right,
albeit one that incorporates phrases and words from the many different “mother
tongues”. For example, Singlish words such as “kena” and “Agak-Agak” derived
from Malay while other such as, “Aiyah” derives from Chinese. Unlike the other
commonly used “mother tongues” such as Malay, Mandarin or Tamil , which are
associated with the Malays, Chinese or Indians, Singlish is not a language
commonly associated with any racial group. Rather, it is a language that is defined
by its association with Singapore and used by all Singaporeans, regardless of
race or religion, in general. It is a language that draws its roots and
evolution from our nation’s multi-faceted history and its lingo from the various
races that constitute our nation’s racial make-up. Evidently, not only is
Singlish a vital part of Singaporean identity and a part of every Singaporean,
it is also serves as an essential tool for inter-ethnic communication as well as the linguistic manifestation of the intermixing and co-existence
of cultural traditions, which is seen as essential to the survival and stability
of a multi-racial state such as Singapore and which is the key aspect of
Singaporean identity.
Linguistic symbolism aside
though, Singlish is seen by many Singaporeans as an essential means of
expressing oneself amongst fellow Singaporeans. For example, one of the most
common Singlish terms peppering everyday conversation, “Leh” is used to soften
a command, request, claim, or complaint that may be brusque otherwise. On the
other hand, the Singlish term, “Hor” or “Horh”, is used to ask for the
listener's attention and consent or support while the Singlish term, “Ar” or
“Arh” is often used to indicate disapproval and carries a negative connotation.
Other such Singlish expressions are often used to adequately express emotions,
indicate empathy or even to place emphasis on certain key ideas in a
conversation. Such expressions and by extension, the Singlish language
cultivates rapport amongst Singaporeans, that is, it allows those participating
in the conversation to be in sync, or on the same wavelength because they feel
similar and are able to relate to each other, regardless of age, socioeconomic
status or any other dividing factor.
Furthermore, the regular usage of
clearly Singaporean phrases also allows for the development of an intangible
emotional bond between fellow Singaporeans. In fact, one of the respondents
interviewed as part of my investigation said specifically when discussing the importance
of Singlish, “Just through these short phrases of Singlish, you can actually
feel a kind of closeness.” Such sentiments were echoed by a large number of the
participants in my online survey who indicated that they felt that, “By
speaking Singlish, I can better identify with and relate to my fellow
Singaporeans” in response to a question questioning them about their reasons
for speaking Singlish. Clearly, Singlish as a language allows Singaporeans to
better understand and relate with their counterparts and cultivates rapport
between the fellow speakers of Singlish. Such features of Singlish and the
emotions the language invokes further cement Singlish’s role as one of THE markers and element of “Singaporeaness”
or in other words, Singaporean identity, that is, one’s sense of self as a
member of Singapore.
Impact of Globalization
However, the capitalist nature of
many nations which has driven and is still driving the accelerated pace of globalization
has detrimentally impacted several aspects of national identity and culture. Singlish is no exception to this.
Prior to discussing that though,
I would like to further elaborate on the economic capital of language in the
globalized world of the 21st century. The competitive nature present
in the globalized market of the 21st century means that often, the
most successful firms are those which are able to simultaneously cut operating
costs and substantially increase profitability. In a world where one works with counterparts from foreign nations just
as much as one does with locals, proficiency in Standard English, the lingua
franca of the world is seen as being of absolute importance. Firms which
possess individuals who are highly competent in English would be able to cut
costs as they would not have to provide linguistic training or translators.
Following that logic, it is
imperative for a nation to possess a language that would attract foreign
investment and give society the leading edge in various spheres such as academic
achievement and international trade and business. Indeed, this mentality is perhaps best exemplified in nowhere else but
Singapore.
Such a mentality has led many
Singaporeans, especially those who are seen as being in the upper or middle
strata of Singaporean society or those who have achieve higher education, to
see Singlish, an essential part of their own identity, as having little value
or even being detrimental in nature when it comes to surviving in the
globalized world of the 21st century. When surveyed on their use of
Singlish and their reasons for their frequent/infrequent use of Singlish, approximately
50% of the respondents who mentioned that they used Singlish infrequently cited
as an explanation, the following option, “I feel that speaking Standard English
will eventually prove beneficial, especially if I make a habit out of it. As it
is a language that is completely understood by many other countries, it will
result in me becoming more economically and globally competitive in the
future.” Such sentiments echo those in an earlier study conducted in 2004 which
illustrated the fact that approximately a quarter of undergraduates agreed with
the statement that, “Singlish is a handicap we must not wish on Singaporeans”,
which was made by Singapore’s then Senior Minister Lee Kwan Yew. Clearly, there
is a relatively large percentage of individuals associated with the upper or
middle strata of society, who feel that Singlish is an unneccessay handicap to
national and individual progress and believe that the need to establish a set
of skills that would best equip them with the ability to survive in the 21st
century trumps the need to engage in linguistic behavior which holds emotional
capital.
However, it has become glaringly
apparent that just because Singlish is seen as being detrimental by perceptible
numbers of those associated with the upper and middle strata of society does
not mean that it is welcomed by the rest of Singaporean society at large.
Despite being used by large percentages of the local population, it is still
seen as a language with low prestige and associated with those who possess a
low proficiency in English. One interviewee even mentioned, “But I think in the
service industries, if you’re going to a restaurant, a fine dining restaurant,
I think, I have never experienced this, I think that it is expected for you to
ask in proper English, maybe the service people may not be too keen at having
to have a conversation in Singlish.” Similar sentiments were echoed by other
interviewees, as can be seen in the following quotes. Indeed, one stated that,
“If you speak Singlish consistently, it’s kind of assumed that you’re from a
lower social class. And if you speak proper English, then they associate you
with being more educated. So I do think that the service staff will treat you
accordingly.” Another mentioned that, “Generally, there is a perception that
when a person speaks Singlish, he or she is being perceived as a poorly
educated person in the society and will inevitable be treated differently or
being discriminated.” The high capital value placed on “proper” or Standard
English as a result of globalization means that often, those who use primarily
Singlish in daily conversation are often negatively stereotyped and by
extension discriminated against , as being in the lower social strata or being
uneducated especially when compared to those who use Standard English who are
in turn seen as being superior. It has
become devastatingly evident from such research and examples that the
perception of Singlish that has arisen as a result of globalization and
incredibly competitive nature that has arisen in many Singaporeans, especially
those amongst the upper or middle strata of society, has caused them to reject
a key aspect of their own identity and culture as being near irrelevant to
their existence.
Clearly, something must be done.
Proposed Solution
However, despite Singlish’s
importance as a marker of our national identity, it is an undeniable fact that
proficiency in English is still necessary in the globalized world of the 21st
century. Evidently, a solution which
addresses Singapore’s need to cultivate a national identity as well as the
nation’s need to maintain a perceptible rate of progress is necessary.
My proposed solution comes in two
parts:
Government agencies could
consistently encourage the use of “proper” or Standard English in all cases
where written work is required as well as when interacting in the workplace,
whether foreign or local. However, they should stop actively portraying the use
of Singlish in everyday or informal conversation as something that is
detrimental and undesired, even in informal speech.
Furthermore, the belief that
Singlish has absolutely no economic capital is erroneous in nature. In fact, it
can become one of many cultural icons seen as being uniquely Singaporean. An
example of how Singlish can be marketed as a national icon in and out of Singapore
would be locally produced films such as the ones by local film maker Jack Neo
which not only cleverly utilize liberal amounts of Singlish to induce humor but
also manage to earn remarkable amounts of revenue. The marketing of the usage
of Singlish phrases and words in informal conversation as a marker of national
identity could indeed prove economically profitable both locally and
internationally.
In conclusion, I would like to say that while it is of utmost
importance to ensure that Singapore remains economically viable and competitive
in the globalized and ever changing world of the 21st century, it is
equally important to ensure that we have a solid national identity. To quote
one of my interviewees, “It(Singlish) bonds us together as a people. Nations
cannot forge ahead if social cohesion is not strong”. If we are to progress, we
must do so first and foremost as a bonded nation and Singlish plays a vital
role in achieving this. It cannot and must not be eradicated just because it
veers away from formal English.
Thank you! :)
