Singapore English
Encyclopedia
Singapore English refers to varieties of English spoken in Singapore
.
There are two main forms of English
spoken in Singapore - Standard Singapore English (SSE) and Singapore Colloquial English
, or Singlish.
Singapore is a cosmopolitan city with 42% of its population foreign born. Singaporeans, even those of the same ethnic group, have many different first languages and cultures. For example, within the Singaporean Chinese group, nearly a third speak English as their home language while almost half speak Mandarin as their home language and the rest speak various mutually unintelligible Chinese dialects as their home language Due to these reasons, the English fluency level of residents in Singapore varies vastly from person to person.
Most reasonably educated Singaporeans do speak Singapore Standard English, alternatively known as Educated Singapore English, which, grammatically, is not different from standard British English, with variations being confined to accent and a few borrowed words, posing few challenges to any Anglophone.
Shopping Centre, Mustafa Centre
and Paragon Shopping Centre
).
countries, the accents of most well-educated Singaporeans who speak English as their native language approximates British Received Pronunciation
(RP).
The Standard Singaporean accent has always been equated with RP. However, in recent decades, a Standard Singaporean accent that is quite independent of any external standard, including RP, has emerged. A recent study by the National Institute of Education in Singapore suggests that a standard Singaporean pronunciation is emerging and is on the cusp of being standardised.
Singaporean accents are largely non rhotic
.
, Lee Kuan Yew
, Ho Peng Kee
, Edwin Thumboo
etc. speak with an educated Singaporean accent.
and Received Pronunciation
. After Singapore declared independence in 1965, English in Singapore began to take a life of its own, leading to the development of modern day Singapore Englishes.
English had been the administrative language of the colonial government, and when Singapore gained self-government
in 1959 and independence
in 1965, the local government decided to keep English as the main language in order to maximize economic prosperity. The use of English as the nation's first language serves to bridge the gap between the diverse ethnic groups in Singapore. As the global language for commerce, technology and science, the promotion of English also helps to expedite Singapore's development and integration into the global economy.
The Filipino
accent is also commonly heard, due to the fact that there are many Filipino expatriates and low-cost workers living and working in Singapore in a variety of occupations. The Indian
accent, which is spoken by Indian expatriates, can also be heard daily on the streets of Singapore. In addition, accents originating from Hong Kong
, China
, Indonesia
, Australia
and Malaysia can also be heard amongst the population.
is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore. Unlike Standard Singapore English, Singlish includes many discourse particles and loan words from Malay, Mandarin and Hokkien.
Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige in Singapore, and so is not used in formal communication.
, Mee Pok Man
and Talking Cock the Movie
, among others. Some local sitcoms, particularly the popular Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd
, also feature extensive use of Singlish.
has been controversial. Although many Singlish speakers are also able to speak Standard English, some are not able to do so. Those who are unable to speak Standard English are those uneducated Singaporeans, who are at an older age. But, most youngsters that are educated in Singapore can speak good Standard English when there is a need.
The Singaporean government's official position is that Singaporeans should all be able to speak Standard English
. To promote Standard English, the government launched the Speak Good English Movement
in the year 2000.
The use of Singlish is greatly frowned on by the government, and two former prime ministers, Lee Kuan Yew
and Goh Chok Tong
, have publicly declared that Singlish is a substandard variety that handicaps Singaporeans, presents an obstacle to learning Standard English, and renders the speaker incomprehensible to everyone except another Singlish speaker.
Current prime minister Lee Hsien Loong
has also said that Singlish should not be part of Singapore's identity.
1. Those who know no English (very few people, mostly drawn from those born before the 1950s)
2. Those for whom English is a foreign language they have little ability in and seldom speak (mostly older people, but also some less educated younger people)
3. Those who learnt English at school and can use it but who have a dominant other language (many people, of all ages)
4. Those who learnt English at school and for whom it has become the dominant language (many people, of all ages)
5. Those who learnt English as a native language (sometimes a sole native language, but usually alongside other languages) and for whom English is still the dominant language.
English is the second most commonly spoken language in Singaporean homes, the first being Mandarin Chinese.
There is an increasing trend of Singaporeans speaking English at home. For children who started primary school in 2009, 60% of Chinese along with 60% Indian pupils; and 35% of Malay pupils predominantly speak English at home. This means that 56% of Singaporean families with children in Primary 1 predominantly speak English at home. Because many Singaporeans grew up with English as their first language in school, some Singaporean Chinese may not be able to speak Mandarin.
Generally, the younger/more educated/richer a Singaporean is, the more likely it is for he/she to speak English as his/her first language and the more likely it is for him/her to speak Standard English
instead of Singlish
.
For example, among Singaporean Chinese, 48.5% of those with university education speak English as their main language at home, while only 5.3% of Singaporean Chinese with below secondary school education speak English as their main language at home. The same applies for the Singaporean Malays. 46% of Singaporean Malays with university education speak English as their main language at home, while only 3.3% of those with below secondary school education speak English as their main language at home.
, Chinese
and Tamil
. The national language of Singapore is Malay for historical reasons, as Singapore was part of the Johor Sultanate
until the 19th century and was in union with Malaysia for a brief period in the 20th century. However, Malay is spoken today by only a minority of Singaporeans. Unlike in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia where Malay is dominant, English is now the dominant language in Singapore. All official signs, legislation and documents in Singapore are required to be in English, although translations in the other official languages of Singapore are sometimes included. English is also the medium of instruction in Singapore's education system
.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
There are two main forms of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
spoken in Singapore - Standard Singapore English (SSE) and Singapore Colloquial English
Singlish
Colloquial Singaporean English, also known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige in Singapore. The Singaporean government and many Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English...
, or Singlish.
Singapore is a cosmopolitan city with 42% of its population foreign born. Singaporeans, even those of the same ethnic group, have many different first languages and cultures. For example, within the Singaporean Chinese group, nearly a third speak English as their home language while almost half speak Mandarin as their home language and the rest speak various mutually unintelligible Chinese dialects as their home language Due to these reasons, the English fluency level of residents in Singapore varies vastly from person to person.
Most reasonably educated Singaporeans do speak Singapore Standard English, alternatively known as Educated Singapore English, which, grammatically, is not different from standard British English, with variations being confined to accent and a few borrowed words, posing few challenges to any Anglophone.
Standard Singapore English (SSE)
Standard Singapore English is the standard form of English used in Singapore. Standard Singapore English follows British spelling and grammar. For example, the word "tyre" is used over "tire". Shopping centres are named "centres" and not "centers". (E.g.: Raffles CityRaffles City
Raffles City is a large complex located in the Civic District within the Downtown Core of the city-state of Singapore. Occupying an entire city block bounded by Stamford Road, Beach Road, Bras Basah Road and North Bridge Road, it houses two hotels and an office tower over a podium which contains a...
Shopping Centre, Mustafa Centre
Mustafa Centre
Mustafa Centre is one of Singapore's 24-hour shopping malls, which is located on Syed Alwi Road in Little India.-Mustafa department store:Mustafa Centre houses the Mustafa department store, which caters mainly to the budget market...
and Paragon Shopping Centre
The Paragon
Paragon is an upmarket shopping centre on Orchard Road, Singapore.The 18-storey shopping centre was designed by Kumpulan Senireka Sendirian Berhad, a Malaysian architectural firm. It was redeveloped in the late 1990s, transforming it into a modern glass-covered building...
).
Standard Singaporean accent
Like in most CommonwealthCommonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
countries, the accents of most well-educated Singaporeans who speak English as their native language approximates British Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
(RP).
The Standard Singaporean accent has always been equated with RP. However, in recent decades, a Standard Singaporean accent that is quite independent of any external standard, including RP, has emerged. A recent study by the National Institute of Education in Singapore suggests that a standard Singaporean pronunciation is emerging and is on the cusp of being standardised.
Singaporean accents are largely non rhotic
Rhotic and non-rhotic accents
English pronunciation can be divided into two main accent groups: a rhotic speaker pronounces a rhotic consonant in words like hard; a non-rhotic speaker does not...
.
Speakers with an educated Singaporean accent
Singaporeans such as Lee Hsien LoongLee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
, Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
, Ho Peng Kee
Ho Peng Kee
Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he was the Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and a Member of Parliament representing the Nee Soon East Single Member Constituency...
, Edwin Thumboo
Edwin Thumboo
Edwin Nadason Thumboo is an award-winning Singaporean poet and academic who is regarded as one of the pioneers of English literature in Singapore....
etc. speak with an educated Singaporean accent.
History of Standard Singapore English
Singapore English derives its roots from the 146 years of British colonial rule over Singapore, from 1819 to 1965. Prior to 1965, the standard form of English in Singapore had always been British EnglishBritish English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
and Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
. After Singapore declared independence in 1965, English in Singapore began to take a life of its own, leading to the development of modern day Singapore Englishes.
English had been the administrative language of the colonial government, and when Singapore gained self-government
Self-governance of Singapore
The self-governance of Singapore was carried out in several stages. After the British joined Singapore once more and started, without much success, dealing with post war problems, Singapore already was not happy with the British as their leaders. Since Singapore's founding in 1819, Singapore had...
in 1959 and independence
History of the Republic of Singapore
The history of the Republic of Singapore began when Singapore gained its independence and became a republic following an ejection from Malaysia on 9 August 1965. After the separation, the fledgling nation had to become self-sufficient, and faced problems including mass unemployment, housing...
in 1965, the local government decided to keep English as the main language in order to maximize economic prosperity. The use of English as the nation's first language serves to bridge the gap between the diverse ethnic groups in Singapore. As the global language for commerce, technology and science, the promotion of English also helps to expedite Singapore's development and integration into the global economy.
Foreign accents in Singapore
A wide range of foreign English accents can be heard in Singapore. American and British accents are often heard on local television and radio due to the frequent airing of foreign television programmes.The Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
accent is also commonly heard, due to the fact that there are many Filipino expatriates and low-cost workers living and working in Singapore in a variety of occupations. The Indian
Indian English
Indian English is an umbrella term used to describe dialects of the English language spoken primarily in the Republic of India.As a result of British colonial rule until Indian independence in 1947 English is an official language of India and is widely used in both spoken and literary contexts...
accent, which is spoken by Indian expatriates, can also be heard daily on the streets of Singapore. In addition, accents originating from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Malaysia can also be heard amongst the population.
Singapore Colloquial English / Singlish
SinglishSinglish
Colloquial Singaporean English, also known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige in Singapore. The Singaporean government and many Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English...
is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore. Unlike Standard Singapore English, Singlish includes many discourse particles and loan words from Malay, Mandarin and Hokkien.
Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige in Singapore, and so is not used in formal communication.
Singlish in media
Singlish has been used in several locally-produced movies, including such titles as Army DazeArmy Daze
Army Daze is a 1996 Singaporean comedy movie based on the 1987 theater play of the same name by Singaporean writer Michael Chiang...
, Mee Pok Man
Mee Pok Man
Mee Pok Man is a 1995 film by Eric Khoo. The film is Eric Khoo's debut feature, after making award-winning short films for years.The film is a black comedy starring Joe Ng as the male protagonist Johnny, a Chinese seller of noodles , and Michelle Goh as the prostitute Bunny...
and Talking Cock the Movie
Talking Cock the Movie
Talking Cock the Movie is a Singapore film released in May 2002. It is the brainchild of Colin Goh, founder of Singaporean website, TalkingCock.com, which satirises local current affairs and politics, highlighting the importance of supporting free speech in Singapore.-About:The movie includes the...
, among others. Some local sitcoms, particularly the popular Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd
Phua Chu Kang
Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd, also known as PCK Pte Ltd or Phua Chu Kang for short , was a Singaporean sitcom on MediaCorp TV Channel 5. The show debuted in Singapore in 1997. A sequel, Phua Chu Kang Sdn...
, also feature extensive use of Singlish.
Criticisms about Singlish
The proliferation of SinglishSinglish
Colloquial Singaporean English, also known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige in Singapore. The Singaporean government and many Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English...
has been controversial. Although many Singlish speakers are also able to speak Standard English, some are not able to do so. Those who are unable to speak Standard English are those uneducated Singaporeans, who are at an older age. But, most youngsters that are educated in Singapore can speak good Standard English when there is a need.
The Singaporean government's official position is that Singaporeans should all be able to speak Standard English
Standard English
Standard English refers to whatever form of the English language is accepted as a national norm in an Anglophone country...
. To promote Standard English, the government launched the Speak Good English Movement
Speak Good English Movement
The Speak Good English Movement is a Singapore Government campaign to "encourage Singaporeans to speak grammatically correct English that is universally understood".It was launched by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 29 April 2000...
in the year 2000.
The use of Singlish is greatly frowned on by the government, and two former prime ministers, Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
and Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
, have publicly declared that Singlish is a substandard variety that handicaps Singaporeans, presents an obstacle to learning Standard English, and renders the speaker incomprehensible to everyone except another Singlish speaker.
Current prime minister Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
has also said that Singlish should not be part of Singapore's identity.
Proponents of Singlish
Linguist David Yoong has put forward the argument that "Singaporeans who subscribe to Singlish and have a positive attitude towards the code see Singlish as a language that transcends social barriers" and that the language can be used to "forge rapport and, perhaps more importantly, the Singaporean identity". Sociolinguist Dr. Anthea Fraser Gupta argues that Singlish and standard English can and do co-exist. According to Dr. Gupta, "there is no evidence that the presence of Singlish causes damage to standard English".English language trends in Singapore
In 2010, there are these following groups of people in Singapore:1. Those who know no English (very few people, mostly drawn from those born before the 1950s)
2. Those for whom English is a foreign language they have little ability in and seldom speak (mostly older people, but also some less educated younger people)
3. Those who learnt English at school and can use it but who have a dominant other language (many people, of all ages)
4. Those who learnt English at school and for whom it has become the dominant language (many people, of all ages)
5. Those who learnt English as a native language (sometimes a sole native language, but usually alongside other languages) and for whom English is still the dominant language.
English is the second most commonly spoken language in Singaporean homes, the first being Mandarin Chinese.
| Language most frequently spoken at home (%) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| English | 18.8 | 23.0 | 29.4 | 32.3 |
| Mandarin Chinese | 23.7 | 35.0 | 36.0 | 35.6 |
| Other Chinese Languages | 39.6 | 23.8 | 18.2 | 14.3 |
| Malay | 14.3 | 14.1 | 13.2 | 12.2 |
| Tamil | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
There is an increasing trend of Singaporeans speaking English at home. For children who started primary school in 2009, 60% of Chinese along with 60% Indian pupils; and 35% of Malay pupils predominantly speak English at home. This means that 56% of Singaporean families with children in Primary 1 predominantly speak English at home. Because many Singaporeans grew up with English as their first language in school, some Singaporean Chinese may not be able to speak Mandarin.
English usage amongst different groups of Singaporeans
40% of Indian Singaporeans speak English as their main language at home. 30% of Chinese Singaporeans and 15% of Malay Singaporeans speak English as their main language at home. In addition, most Caucasian and Eurasian Singaporeans speak English as their main language at home.Generally, the younger/more educated/richer a Singaporean is, the more likely it is for he/she to speak English as his/her first language and the more likely it is for him/her to speak Standard English
Standard English
Standard English refers to whatever form of the English language is accepted as a national norm in an Anglophone country...
instead of Singlish
Singlish
Colloquial Singaporean English, also known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige in Singapore. The Singaporean government and many Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English...
.
For example, among Singaporean Chinese, 48.5% of those with university education speak English as their main language at home, while only 5.3% of Singaporean Chinese with below secondary school education speak English as their main language at home. The same applies for the Singaporean Malays. 46% of Singaporean Malays with university education speak English as their main language at home, while only 3.3% of those with below secondary school education speak English as their main language at home.
Other official languages in Singapore
English is one of Singapore's four official languages, along with MalayMalay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. The national language of Singapore is Malay for historical reasons, as Singapore was part of the Johor Sultanate
Johor Sultanate
The Sultanate of Johor was founded by Malaccan Sultan Mahmud Shah's son, Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah II in 1528. Johor was part of the Malaccan Sultanate before the Portuguese conquered Malacca's capital in 1511...
until the 19th century and was in union with Malaysia for a brief period in the 20th century. However, Malay is spoken today by only a minority of Singaporeans. Unlike in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia where Malay is dominant, English is now the dominant language in Singapore. All official signs, legislation and documents in Singapore are required to be in English, although translations in the other official languages of Singapore are sometimes included. English is also the medium of instruction in Singapore's education system
Education in Singapore
Education in Singapore is managed by the Ministry of Education , which controls the development and administration of state schools receiving government funding, but also has an advisory and supervisory role in respect of private schools...
.
See also
- IPA chart for English dialects
- English LanguageEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
- Mandarin Chinese
- Papia Kristang
- PeranakanPeranakanPeranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
s - SinglishSinglishColloquial Singaporean English, also known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige in Singapore. The Singaporean government and many Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English...
- Singaporean MandarinSingaporean MandarinSingaporean Mandarin is a variety of Mandarin Chinese widely spoken in Singapore. It is one of the four official languages of Singapore along with English, Malay and Tamil....
- SingdarinSingdarinColloquial Singaporean Mandarin, also known as Singdarin is an interlanguage native to Singapore. In Taiwan, this language variety is known as Singnese . It is based on Mandarin but has a large amount of English in its vocabulary. For this reason, Singdarin is sometimes known as "Anglo-Chinese"...
- Singaporean HokkienSingaporean HokkienSingaporean Hokkien is a local variant of the Hokkien dialect spoken in Singapore. It is closely related to the Southern Malaysian Hokkien spoken in Southern Malaysia as well as Riau Hokkien spoken in the Indonesian province of Riau...
- Tamil languageTamil languageTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
- Indian languages in SingaporeIndian languages in SingaporeIndian languages in Singapore are mainly used by the country's 332,300 ethnic South Asian residents, who form about 9% of Singaporean citizens and permanent residents. As a result of historical migration and settlement patterns, Singapore Indians came to the island from various parts of South Asia...
- Speak Good English MovementSpeak Good English MovementThe Speak Good English Movement is a Singapore Government campaign to "encourage Singaporeans to speak grammatically correct English that is universally understood".It was launched by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 29 April 2000...