"It is much easier to speak proper English all the time, than to speak sloppily most of the time, and then switch to proper English for formal occasions. Because to do the latter is almost like learning two languages."
Since I'm pretty good at switching from English to Singlish, and discounting my other language inabilities, I guess I am effectively bilingual.
My own experience is that even Singaporeans like myself who choose to speak perfect Queen's English can still be unintelligible to foreigners. It really boils down to two things: accent and speed. I read somewhere that Singaporeans are the 4th fastest speakers of English in the world, so we need to slow down. And with regards to accent, I used to think it unpatriotic to bastardise my speech pattern just to be understood, but after a while convenience won over nationalism.
Singaporeans can also write very well. In my freshmen writing class, one of the students who did a peer review on my paper told me she thought I was the best writer in the class. That came from a person that had me flipping the dictionary several times to grade her own piece. This experience is not unique and I think we do owe a gratitude of thanks to the MOE system teaching us how to properly structure and present ideas in writing.
But perhaps the biggest issue to address is that while Singaporeans are conversant and even fluent, few of us are articulate. Anyone taking classes with high components of class participation knows we get creamed by Americans all the time. Even the dumb ones. Because they are willing to go out on a limb and express even half formed ideas - and they somehow manage to fluff their way through and sound ok. While we are trying to put together an oratorical masterpiece, someone else comes along and steals the glory.
It's great that the government recognises that our English is not always useable on a world stage. But to develop the next generation of successful global citizens, we really need to work on presentation skills and public speaking as well. Lah.
4 comments:
You know, I was thinking about Singaporeans' so-called mastery of English, and it took me a while but I realised this:
Very few Singaporeans actually have a good mastery of English. Listen to the so-called heartlanders (auntie-uncle types).
The ones who speak good English are usually either overseas-educated or come from well-to-do backgrounds.
Do you think so?
Actually, I wanted to add a caveat that I was comparing top Singapore students against top American students. But I was too lazy to re-edit the post.
Then again, go into the 'heartlands' of America and you'll find plenty of minority groups that don't speak good english either. I daresay our aunties and uncles speak better than in some of the Chinatowns or Little Italies there.
Must compare apples to apples mah. (Note the appropriate interjection of Singlish for added effect.)
"minority groups"? Actually, there are plenty of non-minority American heartlanders who don't speak or write proper English--but they are still considered 'native English speakers'.
Actually, I find that the local standards of English to be poor, both spoken and written. Sorry.
You are one of the rare ones who write well.
I know of so-called overseas graduates who can't string a proper sentence.
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