Role of english in singapore (original) (raw)
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An In-depth Study of the Role and Development of English in Singapore
盛岡大学紀要 第32 号 (The Journal of Morioka University, No. 32), 2015
This paper is about the usage of English in Singapore, a topic not familiar to those who do not know much about language use in Singapore. English is the main and first language in Singapore, and these terms will be more fully discussed in this paper. More than just the language used in Singapore, the first part of this paper explores the role English has in developing Singapore as a nation, and how it shapes the linguistic identity of the country. There will be a description of the brief history of the country, the development of English into a first language, and further on, how English evolved into Singapore English, a localized variety in its own right. The second part of this paper will discuss various terms and their differences, such as Singapore English and Singlish, and delve further into the development of the localized English variety in Singapore, arguments for and against it and its impact on society and the linguistic environment of Singapore.
The Singlish's History and Popularity in Singapore
Lindy Zahida, 2022
This study was conducted to identify the factors what makes English special and become popular in Singapore. This research also attempted to find out also to find out why Singapore has English as one of its official languages. This paper presents a brief overview of English as an International Language in every culture there must be a new paradigm of how English is positioned (or perhaps its own position) in the current era. When addressing this paradigm, it's important to remember that it's not about a specific dialect of English; rather, it's about how English is used in intercultural dialogue around the world. This clarification was deliberately given at the beginning of this paper to avoid misunderstanding this paradigm and to avoid thinking that language culture is not just a mockery. The variety of English that has, is currently, or will appear. In its presentation, this paper is divided into several parts, namely: it is hoped that it can provide a clear understanding of both history and culture about the English language in Singapore and the concepts that are closely related to it. In this paper, the author finds several points to be discussed, namely the factors that make English one of Singapore's national languages, the use of English in Singapore, the popularity of English in Singapore, who use Singlish often, how is Singlish happen, what age used Singlish more.
Singapore is placed in the Outer Circle of the Kachru's Three Circles Model, and has over the years developed an English which is uniquely Singaporean. This paper argues that in order to understand the ways in which Singapore English is developing its own standards and ways of speaking, a new model needs to be developed that takes culture, capital and identity into consideration. This sociocultural perspective is one grounded in an understanding of the dualistic role of English in Singapore both as a global language and a local language. It is argued that this duality is consistent with the cultural identity of Singaporeans who negotiate fluidly between two divergent orientations -that of the global citizen and the local Singaporean. The paper explains how a culturally focused model which examines the identities of Singaporean speakers is able to provide a finer-grained and thus more explanatorily adequate account of Singapore English than previously proposed models, in particular, the diglossic analysis.
English as a ‘mother tongue’ in Singapore
World Englishes, 2014
This paper investigates the role of English and what it represents to speakers of the three major ethnic groups across three different age groups in Singapore. This paper reports a study conducted on 436 Singaporeans of different age and ethnic groups, looking at their language use and perceptions of English as a marker of their identity. The Singapore government has always been cautious about according the 'mother tongue' status to English. The latest 2010 census however reveals that over 30 per cent of Singaporeans report English to be the primary language used in the home, an increase from about 20 per cent in 2000. What remains unclear is the extent to which English has penetrated the psyche of the everyday Singaporean. The results in this study suggest that English in Singapore has to be reconceptualized as a new mother tongue, and to do so requires a reconfiguration of what it takes for a language to be a 'mother tongue.' This paper will take this on by adapting Skutnabb- and objections and definitions of the term, and propose a set of conditions that can be used to define the term mother tongue.
Overseas Singaporean attitudes towards Singlish
Asian Englishes, 2020
This qualitative study explores the attitudes of Singaporean undergraduate students living abroad towards the colloquial variety of Singaporean English, also known as Singlish. The data, consisting of eight in-depth individual interviews, and the findings were analysed using a theoretical framework incorporating cognitive, affective and behavioural components of attitude. The findings demonstrate that Singaporeans have a 'love and hate' relationship with Singlish. While the distinctiveness of Singlish features allows Singaporeans to recognize and connect with fellow countrymen abroad, serving as a marker of identification and solidarity, it is also viewed as 'improper' and 'a cause of embarrassment'. Singlish is considered a means by which non-Singaporeans can assimilate into the Singaporean community, and yet, it was found that there was an exclusivity about Singlish in that it could only be mastered by Singaporeans. The findings are discussed in relation to the implications that future research can have on attitudes towards Singlish.