Singapore Expats

Without trying to start up a sh*tstorm or YAR (Yet Another Rant, for geeks like me familiar with "YAxx" conventions), but having just got off the phone where I heard it for the first time today, but unlikely to be the last, I will ask....


Why is it that in Singapore, the mixing up of statements and questions is so consistent and ubiquitous, in what is an otherwise easy thing to say anywhere else.

Example:

Incorrect: "I don't what is it"

Correct: "I don't know what it is"

Right now I can't think of other examples although I hear them every day.

These are simplified versions, I'm sure you have heard your own examples. It just grated hearing it the first thing this morning, hence the mini-rant.

So is this just poor English being taught in schools, or the patois, or some kind of local and intentional Ebonics?

I can't stand the 'is it' after everything - especially to bank and telco call centres:

Agent: Can you confirm your name, please
Me: Mr Billy
Agent: Mr Billy, is it?

Of course it's Mr Billy - you stupid twat - I just told you is was.

Yes...the ubiquitous "izzit", right up there with the other trademark sentence-enders "oredi", "oso" and "one".

When "izzit" is used in reference to me I enjoy pointing out that I'm not an "it".

It ain't gonna change anything though....

BillyB wrote:I can't stand the 'is it' after everything - especially to bank and telco call centres:

Agent: Can you confirm your name, please
Me: Mr Billy
Agent: Mr Billy, is it?

Of course it's Mr Billy - you stupid twat - I just told you is was.

They call it Singlish.
I called it Manglish !! lah........(Mangled English)

I just call it ignorance.

Can also can, cannot also can.

'nuff said or do you want me to double confirm? I will revert back to you. Brah, you are angry one.


/s

i've finished already.

i've eaten already.

i've gone already.

i'm ready already.

already already already.

and my favorite reply: it's like that one!

Brah wrote:Yes...the ubiquitous "izzit", right up there with the other trademark sentence-enders "oredi", "oso" and "one".

When "izzit" is used in reference to me I enjoy pointing out that I'm not an "it".

It ain't gonna change anything though....

BillyB wrote:I can't stand the 'is it' after everything - especially to bank and telco call centres:

Agent: Can you confirm your name, please
Me: Mr Billy
Agent: Mr Billy, is it?

Of course it's Mr Billy - you stupid twat - I just told you is was.

Be fair...... foreign educated..... in Wales!

taxico wrote:i've finished already.
i've eaten already.
i've gone already.
i'm ready already.
already already already.
and my favorite reply: it's like that one!

With an eye to your picture, 'Enough already'.

Not exactly on-topic, but I found this one interesting:
http://www.ef.sg/epi/

Singapore, a country with English being one of the official languages is 12th in the ranking after 11 European countries where English is not an official language.

x9200 wrote:Not exactly on-topic, but I found this one interesting:
http://www.ef.sg/epi/

Singapore, a country with English being one of the official languages is 12th in the ranking after 11 European countries where English is not an official language.

I couldn't find the Philippines save a mention of the migrants to Canada. Singapore likes ragging on us for corruption, domestic helpers and how dangerous it is there

I'll revert back to you on the issue of bad English in Singapore.

And less commonly, so-and-so did not reply me.

Then again, the level of English competency (or lack thereof) in many English-speaking countries now is, frankly going to the dogs as well.

There, they're and their apparently are one and the same nowadays.

Poor English has been taught in Singapore schools ever since there was such a thing, blind leading the blind. People learn bad English in school, and speak bad Mandarin at home. For ethnic Chinese at least.

I still suspect the seeming inability of many Singaporeans to argue coherently, logically or even shows signs of empathy has a lot to do with the poor linguistic skills.

An inability to express and articulate their thoughts. If you can't say what you mean, you can't mean what you say.

taxico wrote:i've finished already.

i've eaten already.

i've gone already.

i'm ready already.

already already already.

and my favorite reply: it's like that one!

Simplified version:
- Finish liao
- Eat liao
- Go liao

teck21 wrote: An inability to express and articulate their thoughts. If you can't say what you mean, you can't mean what you say.

So, should people expect this to appear on people's Facebook statuses now?