Picture this, having 2 Chinese Internationals engaged in a leisure chit chat… The language spoken is however not mainland chinese or their derivative dialects, but rather english. Wat or how would you feel? I guess it wud dawn onto me tt they are both trying to Show Off the grasp of their english language. It’s not about work or educational purposes, neither issit to one of another culture. How often wud you find this scenario happening? Well at least from my own experiences, it’s NEVER i tell ya !!
I know the importance of having a Good Command of English, for it is wat tt drives our economy. We deal wif people, services, sales and wat not. Even engineering and innovation is done for the sole purpose of sales. But somehow or rather, i find that Singaporeans are too ashamed of it’s own unique culture of Singlish and wat not !!
How ironic to find tt the Singlish being better known than the Malaysian, Muar Chinese, yet more Pride is instilled in the latter (there’s a 麻坡的华语 video clip for crying out loud). Maybe it’s juz me, or maybe it’s not. Too many debates i have had with people in regards to the context of Singlish and its culture. With some being so bemused with it, finding it so hilarious, others deemed it as low class. It’s like the lyrics “不然为什么去KL学人讲广府话 就以为自己真的很大支” in the clip. I dunno too, but there’s something in me tt feels so strong…
To some, we Talk Thrash. We have to practise more and always, others pointed. Do we really have to be so Masculine, to be always competitive, proving our worth and ever so results oriented? Even for leisure, cant we be more Feminine, to take a step back, enjoy the quality of life and look in the light of things. For those who are clueless to wat im ranting abt, this is one of Hofstede’s Taxanomy Dimension in cultural differences.
Think of the British English and then the Yankee English. Now there’s even the American English and the Black English. The fight of wat tt is Uniquely theirs, their own Cultural Language. Where has Singlish gone among us, i wonder… Hmmmz, maybe there’s too much of comm studies tt is infused into me now.
Eh sak kee bo? wahahhaahaha…
Know who and wat you are, be comfy with tt. Cultivate good English nonetheless, for we need them so much. But while we are at it, have we forgotten or begun to despise the language tt so perfectly define us as Singaporeans? Lim peh kar li kong, i IS speak Singlsh one !!
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