Singapore Expats

Do you agree that when expatriates enter Singapore, there is a problem of a language barrier between expatriates and the locals?

Singaporeans tend to use Singlish that is new to expatriates and this makes expatriates unable to fully integrate into the Singaporean society.

Do you think that lessons on singlish such as this would help expatriates to integrate? http://singlish.wikispaces.com/

Please tell me what you think by completing the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6C92G5K

Thanks!

Nah. It would be better if Singaporeasn actually spoke the English that MM LKY likes to brag about all over the world. Why on earth should we have to dumb down our speech just because a bunch of lazy locals can't be bothered to use that which they have been taught.

NO.

You said you're proud to be native english speakers. Live up to it.

Ah..... wat?

No anlerstand lah?

Cannot mean cannot lah !!

singlishplease wrote:Do you agree that when expatriates enter Singapore, there is a problem of a language barrier between expatriates and the locals?

Maybe for native speakers. I am not one of them and actually I have more often problems understanding British than Singaporeans.

Singaporeans tend to use Singlish that is new to expatriates and this makes expatriates unable to fully integrate into the Singaporean society.

Integrity problems in Singapore are not language based. Also, practically all the ethnic or racial majorities in Singapore that physically contribute to the nation are not really integrated all together. The expats are neither worse nor better here.

Do you think that lessons on singlish such as this would help expatriates to integrate? http://singlish.wikispaces.com/

I think the idea of learning some crippled, simplified and perhaps opportunistic dialect is completely useless for the native speakers and clearly harmful for people like myself. If I have any difficulty to convey my message I just use one or two words "sentences", repeated few times if necessary. Not a rocket science that requires any lessons and it always works.

Please tell me what you think by completing the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6C92G5K

Thanks!

Yet another uni student or a brilliant business idea?

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Nah. It would be better if Singaporeasn actually spoke the English that MM LKY likes to brag about all over the world. Why on earth should we have to dumb down our speech just because a bunch of lazy locals can't be bothered to use that which they have been taught.

Now the question is as an American do you speak "english"?

Interestingly enough, according to a recent post by JR8, American English is more English than British English as our English still follow a lot of British English from the 1700's while British English has evolved/devolved as the case may be. SA English? Not sure there, but with Afrikaans all mixed in with it, I'll stay clear of that topic.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Interestingly enough, according to a recent post by JR8, American English is more English than British English as our English still follow a lot of British English from the 1700's while British English has evolved/devolved as the case may be. SA English? Not sure there, but with Afrikaans all mixed in with it, I'll stay clear of that topic.

Try saying that after a few pints

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Interestingly enough, according to a recent post by JR8, American English is more English than British English as our English still follow a lot of British English from the 1700's while British English has evolved/devolved as the case may be. SA English? Not sure there, but with Afrikaans all mixed in with it, I'll stay clear of that topic.

I'm surprised that you hear Saffers mix Afrikaans words around these parts. I've stopped doing so as no-one understands me and it loses its effect.

But interesting that you / JR8 should say that about "American English" - the same applies for Afrikaans and its parent language Dutch - Dutch has evolved whereas Afrikaans has remained fairly static for 300 years and only added words from English / other African languages.

Saint wrote:

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Interestingly enough, according to a recent post by JR8, American English is more English than British English as our English still follow a lot of British English from the 1700's while British English has evolved/devolved as the case may be. SA English? Not sure there, but with Afrikaans all mixed in with it, I'll stay clear of that topic.

Try saying that after a few pints

Lemme try...

Amerkan englissshhhh isshhhmore englishhhh dan britishhhh englishhh assshhhh or englisssshhhh ssshhhtilll folw a lottttoffff britisshh englishsh omfsdfjoj o4iwuasa sdeoidlkjqeopcbnqo etugqzqi409ugdr....

singlishplease wrote:Do you agree that when expatriates enter Singapore, there is a problem of a language barrier between expatriates and the locals?

Singaporeans tend to use Singlish that is new to expatriates and this makes expatriates unable to fully integrate into the Singaporean society.

Do you think that lessons on singlish such as this would help expatriates to integrate? http://singlish.wikispaces.com/

Please tell me what you think by completing the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6C92G5K

Thanks!

Another would-be reporter ( or god-forbid , a journalist )looking for something to write in the newsletter.

As far integrity is concerned, there is no common belief that one needs to learn Singlish to integrate. Understanding it is sufficient.

Integration heightens when both parties understand each other well enough. Living in Spore for 30-odd years has my fair share with the language but it does not mean I need it to communicate. Locals , like me, like to abbreviate sentences or words to get the message across. I guess it is because they would not like to spend too much time trying to say what's on their mind. For instance, a hot day is just hot. They would not divulge into describing the effects and their personal inconveniences too much. The most they would say it is hot and they are perspiring. That's it.

Much of such instances is common when ordering food at the local food stall. For example , I have seen foreigners trying to ask whether the food has such ingredients or seasoning or what-have-yous. Hawkers basically do not have time for all that.

i don't think anyone can be fully integrated in Singapore. look at their IC, they classify everyone by race.

Yeah, but now I no longer classed as "Others" like I used to be! Others as in Alien? Now I'm Caucasian but the problem with that is both of my Children are also Caucasian even though their mother is Tamil! As more and more Singaporeans marry inter-racially, the Government is having a hard time remaining profiling racists!

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Yeah, but now I no longer classed as "Others" like I used to be! Others as in Alien? Now I'm Caucasian but the problem with that is both of my Children are also Caucasian even though their mother is Tamil! As more and more Singaporeans marry inter-racially, the Government is having a hard time remaining profiling racists!

lol i wonder ..amerisian? well i was confused the first time i encountered the race question in the forms here. I ticked malay...since from childhood we were taught that Filipinos are malay race..apparently im others.

lol I happen to come across a japanese blog , this japanese dude explain what is "singlish" in japanese.