SINGAPORE EXPATS FORUM
Singapore Expat Forum and Message Board for Expats in Singapore & Expatriates Relocating to Singapore
still is "singaporeans speak singlish"
Cringe . . yes, the intonation . . . cringe . . .durain wrote:LOL! i think i should do it to my kids too!!! mine came home and said "daddy i want some watt-ter" (as in water).Vaucluse wrote: Of course we immediately took the soap and washed her mouth out . . .
. . . that and the 'want' . . .
......................................................
'nuff said
'nuff said

A very interesting topic we have here... I apologize for the TS's behavior and I'm sure you guys know not everyone in Singapore's like him...
Nonetheless, hoping to drive this thread in another direction... May I know what are the opinions here in regards to Singapore's campaign for accent-less English?
To make it even simpler, what do you guys think of MM Lee's English accent... Is it accent-less to you? Perhaps, you can elaborate on what is your personal definition for accent-less?
Cheers
Nonetheless, hoping to drive this thread in another direction... May I know what are the opinions here in regards to Singapore's campaign for accent-less English?
To make it even simpler, what do you guys think of MM Lee's English accent... Is it accent-less to you? Perhaps, you can elaborate on what is your personal definition for accent-less?
Cheers
- sundaymorningstaple
- Moderator
- Posts: 39768
- Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
- Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot
Far as I know, there is no campaign for "accentless" English here. What IS here is a campaign to speak "Proper" or "Good" English. This doesn't mean the lack of an accent, but instead, the usage of proper grammar and words in general. Accent and grammar are two completely different things. One can usually understand a person, regardless of the accent unless they are a Scot or Scouse as long as the grammar/sentence structure is correct! Accents delineate from where a person is from, but bad grammar only tell about ones quality of education or the type of people one hangs around with.jimi wrote:A very interesting topic we have here... I apologize for the TS's behavior and I'm sure you guys know not everyone in Singapore's like him...
Nonetheless, hoping to drive this thread in another direction... May I know what are the opinions here in regards to Singapore's campaign for accent-less English?
To make it even simpler, what do you guys think of MM Lee's English accent... Is it accent-less to you? Perhaps, you can elaborate on what is your personal definition for accent-less?
Cheers
MM? Pretty neutral if you ask me.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers
- nakatago
- Moderator
- Posts: 8358
- Joined: Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:23 pm
- Location: Sister Margaret’s School for Wayward Children
Just to be sure, you meant his accent, right?sundaymorningstaple wrote:MM? Pretty neutral if you ask me.

I know I haven't been in Singapore long enough, but I also don't know of any "accent-less" English campaign. Most people regard international news reporting to be as "accent-less" as they can get. I mean, these people have to appeal to an audience of vastly differing contexts of English usage.
"A quokka is what would happen if there was an anime about kangaroos."
- sundaymorningstaple
- Moderator
- Posts: 39768
- Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
- Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot
I suppose I shouldn't have called it a campaign although it appears that people in the media (e.g. News anchors on local news channels) are encouraged to tone down their foreign accent. Of course all these are based on hear-say and personal observationssundaymorningstaple wrote: Far as I know, there is no campaign for "accentless" English here. What IS here is a campaign to speak "Proper" or "Good" English. This doesn't mean the lack of an accent, but instead, the usage of proper grammar and words in general. Accent and grammar are two completely different things. One can usually understand a person, regardless of the accent unless they are a Scot or Scouse as long as the grammar/sentence structure is correct! Accents delineate from where a person is from, but bad grammar only tell about ones quality of education or the type of people one hangs around with.
MM? Pretty neutral if you ask me.


Nonetheless, there was once when I had a short chat with an acquittance who got back to Sg after a 2 weeks holiday in Europe. I felt distinctively uncomfortable when I realized that he was speaking in a very heavy British accent complete with words like "blimey" and what not.
Would you feel uncomfortable if a Singaporean were to speak to you in an American/a British accent and you knew that he has never been to either country?
- sundaymorningstaple
- Moderator
- Posts: 39768
- Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
- Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot
Don't worry about it. It only lasts until they go to their favourite kopitiam and when the tea lady cannot understand them, they relearn singlish real fast. 

Last edited by sundaymorningstaple on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 6:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers
Two posts, two questions along the same line . . .jimi wrote: Would you feel uncomfortable if a Singaporean were to speak to you in an American/a British accent and you knew that he has never been to either country?
care to share with us which venerable institution you work for?
......................................................
'nuff said
'nuff said

-
- Newbie
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Mon, 22 Mar 2010 8:18 pm
- Location: Singapore
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 10:52 pm
I am an English speaking Singaporean as well and I don't speak Singlish at all. I speak mostly Singapore Standard English with a Singaporean accent. I pronounce "three" as "tree" as well, though I do pronounce the "th" in most other words. I won't change my accent for anything in the world, it is who I am.sundaymorningstaple wrote:Don't worry about it. It only lasts until they go to their favourite kopitiam and when the tea lady cannot understand them, they relearn singlish real fast. :lol:
I won't bother to defend the majority of Singaporeans who do speak pidgin English due to a host of various factors - education, home language, etc. I think the situation is exacerbated by the large number of foreigners working in the informal sector. I realise that I probably belong to the 20% minority. But I have noticed that the majority of younger Singaporeans do have the ability to use Singapore Standard English.
I don't visit coffeeshops much because like what you said, they can't communicate with me, so why patronise them? If someone can't understand me, I would ask him "Do you speak English?" and wait for someone who speaks English to come. If there is no such person, I would just walk away to another store.
The informal sector in Singapore has to do something about their workers. The bosses are only concerned with making profits so they hire the cheapest labour possible without any regard for the service they provide. They get their workers from Malaysia, China, Vietnam and from the less educated (read totally uneducated) Singaporeans.That is why most of them can't even take an order in English these days.
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 9:30 pm
When I was living in Singapore, 'scolding' someone never really sounded strange, but I'm more inclined to say 'tell her off' rather than scold, these days, partly due to the fact that people look at me askance when I say 'scold'.nakatago wrote:I asked permission from my flatmates that if ever their daughter talks to me in pidgin, I will scold her for it.
She's three.
'I scolded him..'
'You wot?...'
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 9:30 pm
Not sure if that's entirely true. 'Proper grammar' is all fine and good but when a person speaks and say, puts the emphasis on the wrong syllable, it does massacre the language a little. That and the omission of certain sounds. I mean, if someone says 'use' and doesn't pronounce the 'd' to indicate past tense, you'd automatically assume they have a poor grasp of the language, even if they write perfectly acceptable English.sundaymorningstaple wrote:Far as I know, there is no campaign for "accentless" English here. What IS here is a campaign to speak "Proper" or "Good" English. This doesn't mean the lack of an accent, but instead, the usage of proper grammar and words in general. Accent and grammar are two completely different things. One can usually understand a person, regardless of the accent unless they are a Scot or Scouse as long as the grammar/sentence structure is correct! Accents delineate from where a person is from, but bad grammar only tell about ones quality of education or the type of people one hangs around with.jimi wrote:A very interesting topic we have here... I apologize for the TS's behavior and I'm sure you guys know not everyone in Singapore's like him...
Nonetheless, hoping to drive this thread in another direction... May I know what are the opinions here in regards to Singapore's campaign for accent-less English?
To make it even simpler, what do you guys think of MM Lee's English accent... Is it accent-less to you? Perhaps, you can elaborate on what is your personal definition for accent-less?
Cheers
MM? Pretty neutral if you ask me.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 4 Replies
- 4325 Views
-
Last post by archcherub
Sun, 17 Feb 2019 5:25 pm
-
-
looking for native german speaker (i speak english & chinese)
by sujun93 » Tue, 25 Dec 2018 12:39 am » in Language Exchange - 0 Replies
- 1786 Views
-
Last post by sujun93
Tue, 25 Dec 2018 12:39 am
-
-
-
18 Singaporeans injured as Batam's Montigo resort bridge collasped
by abbby » Fri, 08 Nov 2019 10:54 am » in Travel & Holidays - 0 Replies
- 1299 Views
-
Last post by abbby
Fri, 08 Nov 2019 10:54 am
-
-
- 33 Replies
- 8401 Views
-
Last post by Lisafuller
Sat, 31 Dec 2022 1:30 am
-
-
Employment Pass - Do any employers still submit manually?
by am1707 » Tue, 20 Feb 2018 4:58 am » in Careers & Jobs in Singapore - 4 Replies
- 2343 Views
-
Last post by PNGMK
Tue, 20 Feb 2018 8:00 am
-
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest