FINAL+SCRIPT


 * FINAL SCRIPT. **


 * i. Thesis: Dorea
 * ii. What is Singlish: Christina
 * iii. Context : Hannah
 * iv. Primary Source: Hannah
 * v. Colloquialism: Christina
 * vi. Diglossia: Dorea
 * vii. Ambiguity Christina
 * viii. Deletion of Words: Dorea
 * ix. Code Mixing: Hannah
 * x. Conclusion: Christina
 * xi. Bibliography: N/A

The importance of any language in relation to the identity of a community is indisputable. Through the study of a language, the symbiotic relationship between language and society can provide us with insight into a community’s culture and history. In our presentation, we will be indentifying some key characteristics of Singaporean Colloquial English and discussing specific elements of Singaporean society which are reflected in the linguistic components of the language. Hence our thesis is ‘The linguistic features of Singlish showcase and convey Singapore’s rich cultural and historical context’.
 * i. thesis / dorea **

In Singapore, there are approximately 23 languages used across the nation due to the culturally diverse population. However, the Government recognizes only Chinese Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English as ‘official’. This is attributed to the fact that over 80% of the population are of Chinese and Malay origin, approximately 10% are of Indian Origin and English’s role in the international community as a lingua franca.
 * ii. what is singlish? / christina **

Interestingly, English in Singapore is not referred to by linguistic scholars as ‘English’, but is instead termed ‘Singaporean Standardised English’, or ‘SDdE’. This is designed to contrast to I supposed what we can call the ‘other’ type of English, which is abbreviated as ‘SCE’, of which the formal term is ‘Singaporean Colloquial English’, or ironically, is colloquially referred to as ‘Singlish’.

Singlish is based off of Singaporean Standardised English, but is a purely spoken colloquial version of the language. It is an amalgamation of the four primary languages used in Singapore, Chinese Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English, in that it incorporates words from all four languages.Therefore, S inglish holds the position of being able to function as a second linga franca to a multicultural country.

From the widespread usage of English stemmed Singlish which grew as a mode of interethnic communication due to an almost absence of monolingual speakers. Basically Singlish is derived from a context of a multiethnic and multilingual nation.
 * iii. context / hannah**

As mentioned before Singapore consists of mainly Chinese, Indian and Malay nationalities as well as a small portion of other nationalities. The shift in a once dominant Malay population to a now dominant Chinese population denotes the extensive contact of the different cultures in Singapore over a long period of time.

This integration of cultures within a highly dense population requires not only communication but some sort of cultural linkage so that the interacting cultures may feel more like a collective identity rather than, say, an Indian in Singapore or a Chinese in Singapore. Singlish provides this avenue for cultural connection, and is viewed by many as a potential national language, as its usage is uniquely Singaporean.

Our primary source is a video of an episode on Singlish by a Singaporean Comedy TV series called The Noose. It provides a brief explanation on what Singlish is, and how it came to be. The series presents a fictional scenario of a ban on Singlish by authorities due to its supposedly broken and unrefined structure. In this fictional situation, a vast number of population are left speechless by the ban, going on to say that Singlish is the most direct and effective form of communication. I t is also the easiest way of connecting with those outside their race. Overall this video focuses on communication, and how Singlish is not just a mode of linguistic communication in a multicultural society but also is a mode of connection in which each different cultural background can obtain cultural familiarity when the integrate with each other.
 * iv. primary source / hannah**

Due to its diverse nature, Singlish is considerably difficult to define. It represents the multilingual backgrounds of Singapore’s citizens and showcases this by containing certain cultural values and ideas within it’s language system. As it is //designed// to represent the multicultural aspect of Singapore, Singlish in itself can be considered just as ambiguous and multi-faceted as the society it is used in.
 * v. ambiguity / christina **

Firstly, linguistics scholars have agreed that Singlish cannot be viewed as a creole language, as creole languages usually have Pidgin as an ancestral languages. Singlish is primarily based off of English and borrows grammatical syntax and phrases from other languages.

Secondly, Singlish is an ever-changing language due to the fact that it’s everyday use in such a diverse society results in it’s constant expansion and inclusion of different words and phrases. Due to it’s continual development, it can never be standardized or formalized. This is also due to the fact that it is a purely spoken language. The fact that it can never be given formal ‘rules’ as such, means that Singlish is by nature a highly ‘ambiguous’ language.

As grammatical nuances are borrowed into Singlish, it means that non-speakers of Singlish, or one of the mother tongues, will be unable to understand the reasoning //behind// the inclusion of the syntax, hence adding to the idea of vague-ness of the language.

Diglossia is when two forms of the same language are used in different contexts. This is the current situation with English in Singapore. Business and higher education settings require the use of Standard English, while Colloquial Singaporean English resonates within the daily interactions of most Singaporeans.
 * vi. diglossia / dorea**

In 1956, a bilingual primary and secondary education policy was implemented in Singapore, making it mandatory to both learn Standard English and attend language classes of their ethnicity. However, as the educational system is highly competitive, and only English is used in universities, the Asian cultural emphasis on success has encouraged the use of English in domestic settings.

The fact that Singlish is trapped in this diglossia depicts how a diversity of languages exist through its constant use in different context. It also explains how despite the official stigma towards Singlish, Singlish continues to exist. For many individuals, Singlish is the most convenient form of communication as it accommodates for both the development of English and preserves the distinct cultural diversity amongst Singaporeans.

Therefore, while Singaporeans are proficient in the standard variety of English, the use of Singlish is still chosen to be used, evidently creating a Diglossia and suggesting the efficiency and sense of comfort Singlish provides for its speakers. This is perhaps due to the fact that Singlish is not only a practical accommodation of languages but also unique to Singapore, thus a part of the Singaporean national identity.

The term 'colloquial' denotes a language system that is 'used in ordinary conversation; not formal or literal'. Singlish itself is acknowledged as a Colloquial language - hence the formal name being ‘Singaporean Colloquial English’ - and therefore, due to it's lack of formality, is given a stigma within society as it is not officially recognised by the government and is perceived as 'less' and over a lower status.
 * vii. colloquial status / christina **

In 1993, the Government banned SCE from television on the grounds that they believed television was an educational medium and did not wish to continue to propagate 'improper' language. This contributes to the stigma associated with it.

Due to the fact that Singlish is not standardised, it is a continually evolving language. This has implications for who can or cannot speak it, as those before Singapore's independence do not speak Singlish at all. It is very much the language of younger generations. This causes a very palpable division between generations, which results in further stigma. Furthermore, students who attend private schools will be taught English by more fluent speakers in comparison to the more colloquial public school teachers. This also creates a social divide and heightens the stigma associated to Singlish.

However, despite the stigma, Singlish, as a primarily spoken language is impossible to remove from society due to the fact that people learn languages both in a home environment and educational environment. In the instance where parents will be using the colloquial spoken variation of Singaporean English and where Teachers themselves utilise it, it creates a cycle wherein younger generations are continually exposed to it - hence the propagation of Singlish.

In Singlish, there are often omitted tenses, structurally consistent for native speakers but frequently interpreted as bad English by foreign ears. Omitted tenses mirror the grammatical structure of Chinese as there are no differences between past and present verbs in Chinese. In the example on the slide, this sentence attempts to explain why someone’s leg is bleeding. The extensive deletion of words almost renders the sentence to be without meaning. There verbs here are also all without past tenses. Instead, past time is indicated by the use of ‘already’, such as ‘my baby speak already’ or ‘liau’from hokkien and ‘le’ from Mandarin Chinese. Now what does this tell us about Singapore? Firstly, the use of Chinese, Malay or Hokkien grammatical structures, suggest the dominance of Chinese and Malay as the mother tongue of the majority of Singaporeans. Also the simplicity in grammatical structure is consequential to the purpose of Singlish as a means for communication amongst four official languages.
 * viii. deletion of words / dorea**

Code-mixing is basically acquiring linguistic elements such as intonation, syntax and lexis from one or more languages and transferring them into another language. This is a common characteristic among multilingual speakers and more often than not, they will find themselves code-switching between the languages they are most accustomed to. The video is a good example of code-mixing in Singlish. Madam Cho Si Mi's intonation and syntax is that of Chinese and even though at the end she is protesting in Chinese, she is still incorporating loanwords from English.
 * ix. code mixing / hannah**

There are a few characteristics of code-mixing in Singlish. In terms of intonation and syntax pragmatic particles are often incorporated in sentences that express a concept in a particular language such as Chinese, but would otherwise be semantically meaningless in English. For example the words 'Lah' and 'Lor' would be used at the end of a sentence which denotes emphasis and assertiveness. However these expressions would not be recognized to an international English speaker. Furthermore in terms of loanwords, the underlying element to its usage is the cultural references, much like paying tribute to the culture it originated from. Food names are a typical example. The main reason for code-mixing to come about is the constant interaction between the different speech communities. Language is one of the key elements to identifying with one another and feeling connected. The code-mixing in Singlish emphasises its close link with culture. Furthermore its preferred usage over standard English denotes its significance as a connecting marker of cultural identity.

The linguistically diverse culture of Singapore is reflected in its colloquial language. As a combination of the four official languages utilized in Singapore, it demonstrates the diverse culture and heritage of the nation.
 * x. conclusion / christina **

With Singaporeans culturally identifying themselves by the usage of Singaporean English - it makes way for the presence of the more colloquial Singaporean Colloquial English which is a spoken language and used in much less formal situations.

The insight afforded to us through the studying of Singlish is merely a window into the vastly complex world of Singapore. And yet Singlish as the grammatical syntaxes and nuances as well as loanwords that exist within Singlish make Singlish distinctive in that it contains and represents Singaporean culture as well as enables us to understand the social and cultural nuances by conveying these details through language. While it is not an officially recognised language, Singlish is nontheless a vital aspect of Singaporean culture and presents itself as such.


 * xi. bibliography / none**