tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post6949333544687218065..comments2024-02-14T04:53:18.295-08:00Comments on Singapore Dissident: Believe it or not, this is how they speak English in SingaporeGopalan Nairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15399145588654603667noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-80541087577689930142013-10-29T17:31:29.920-07:002013-10-29T17:31:29.920-07:00To Daphine who says
"It's not that we c...To Daphine who says <br /><br />"It's not that we can't -- it's more that we are lazy. Read our formal essays and you'll see that we actually have a decent command of the language. In the name of efficiency (as we Singaporeans are well known for), why say "I have to go to the toilet (7 words)" if you can shorten it to "I go toilet (3 words)", right?" <br /><br />What you say is ridiculous! Who in his right mind would speak English and say, "I no come" or "I no go" unless he is simply poor in English or has no self resect whatsoever. <br /><br />If what you say is true, only a Singaporean would be content to go around and say "I go toilet" and be proud of that! <br /><br />Second it is not just the truncation of words. It is the most disgusting Chinese Hokkien sing song accent which makes any male Singaporean speaking it look more effeminate than what he already is. <br /><br />The tone of voice is simply groveling or begging. Just listen to this pathetic woman in the video. <br /><br />Laziness my foot. More a case of idiocy than anything else. Gopalan Nairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15399145588654603667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-18000476201266745762013-10-29T02:19:34.534-07:002013-10-29T02:19:34.534-07:00It's not that we can't -- it's more th...It's not that we can't -- it's more that we are lazy. Read our formal essays and you'll see that we actually have a decent command of the language. In the name of efficiency (as we Singaporeans are well known for), why say "I have to go to the toilet (7 words)" if you can shorten it to "I go toilet (3 words)", right? Daphinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-7583941874869876912013-02-10T05:47:34.920-08:002013-02-10T05:47:34.920-08:00Mr Nair, I can totally empathise with your sense o...Mr Nair, I can totally empathise with your sense of disgust towards Singlish spoken in Singapore. The real problem is that many Singaporeans have become inured to it to the point of accepting it (ironically) as part of their national identity. Take the best(or worst) examples of such atrocious 'English' in terms of the speech patterns of those in power, who probably cannot make it past grammar school in the UK or Canada, and you will know what I mean. I was educated in the USA and Canada, and although I have a relatively strong hybrid accent, I refuse absolutely to associate myself with the Singaporeans and their way of speaking ever since I left. The worst part of my experience growing up in Singapore on the linguistic front was simply being laughed at and ostracized for sounding proto-North American or what they see to be 'American' (they love to say 'angmoh' which is a rather disgusting word by the way). That totally killed my interest in wanting to associate with any Singaporean ever since I left. Kevin Janghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11226393229034655229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-37823150953386232372013-01-31T20:22:46.209-08:002013-01-31T20:22:46.209-08:00The English we speak here in Singapore is both emb...The English we speak here in Singapore is both embarrassing and sounds thoroughly ugly.<br /><br />I often hear parents speak poor English to their children, using the wrong grammar and sentence structures (usually a direct translation from their mother tongue), and they don't seem to find anything wrong with that. With teachers speaking like this, I wonder if they can shake off the mistakes.<br /><br />It's really sad. I'm probably guilty of it too, which makes it worse.Julienoreply@blogger.com