Singlish, as it is spoken

What is unique about Singapore? To me, it is our “Uniquely Singapore” language

– Singlish, Singapore’s very own Colloquial English. Now I am sure many of the
Singaporeans think lowly of Singlish and that it is awful. To me, Singlish is really
something that we as Singaporeans should embrace.

At first sight, given a slightly disapproving stance from the government, anyone
would expect Singlish to be unworthy for all citizens to take pride in.

Singlish is something all Singaporeans have in their blood. Spoken by every

lifestyle, from cabbies to big CEOs in Singapore, it is Singapore’s best-loved habit.
Overseas, the easiest way to tell if someone is a Singaporean is just by his or her
accent. Hear a ‘lah’, ‘lor’, or ‘leh’, and instinctively, you know that person is a
Singaporean.

When you speak Standard English, you tend to feel more tensed up – it is just
not natural for the many of the people in Singapore. It does not mean we cannot speak
Standard English fluently; we are too focused on speaking it correctly and properly, to
avoid any inclusion of Singlish and thus coming off as stiff and awkward sounding. On
the other hand, everyone is perfectly relaxed and comfortable with Singlish. The nature
of Singlish makes you loosen up and feel carefree.

This is what we should embrace and cherish, how Singlish makes every
Singaporean similar. The Merlion, Singapore Flyer, and the Esplanade are just
landmarks. These are just what we have on the outside. What we have in us is what
makes us unique.

Speak Singlish to Americans, and I am sure that they would probably be very
confused at this bizarre yet familiar English. Yet, if Singaporeans stop making fun of
their own English, at Singlish, our tourists would be quite amused but at the same time
impressed with our unique creation, Singlish. It is our identity as a nation.

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 Singlish, as it is spoken

In fact, if you scrutinise Singlish, you will find out that the vocabulary of Singlish
consists of mainly English, Malay, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, and Indian dialects,
representing a combined language of Singapore – a multi cultural nation.

Singlish is our language, the language of Singaporeans, the badge of identity for
many Singaporeans and definitely a platform to communicate with other Singaporeans
who speak other languages. Which other country in the world has such an extensive
language of so many other languages, all spoken in one country? None, that is for sure.

Many Singaporeans are able to adjust from Singapore Colloquial English to

Standard English. As Singaporeans progress to be better educated, our younger
generation is effectively bilingual. However, it is interesting to note that despite this,
Singlish is still the main language that one speaks with friends, family, and close
acquaintances. Thus, it is apparent that Singlish has become ingrained in our culture
and a crucial building block in our Singaporean identity.

In addition, Singapore is an island whose forefathers are immigrants from nearby

countries. Our language grew out of the hardships of these ancestors. Therefore,
something that is wholly unique to us and binds us together is difficult to find and can
only be a mixture of our entire past heritage, culture, and that is Singlish. We have
created Singlish.

Singlish helps us say exactly what need to be said, take for example, the phrase
“he is very kind one”. It is really almost impossible to capture the essence of this phrase
in Standard English, without compromising its succinctness. Singaporeans have shaped
Standard English into a language so unique, a language that aids us to communicate so
effectively but in a brief manner. We should be proud of Singlish.

Beneath our friendly and welcoming people, state-of-the-art infrastructure,

scrumptious hawker food, lays the language of Singaporeans. Singlish is the key
ingredient to our unique melting pot that is Singapore. Without, Singlish, Singapore as a
dish will be bland, tasteless, and I am not “talking cock hor”!

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(Word Count: 648 words)

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