Haphazard Records

The Singaporean Language

Goes without saying, we Singaporeans speak a really flawed English. We mix whatever other languages we know into 1 sentence. For example: (ahem, I'm not good at this so excuse if it sounds weird) "ALAMAK! Wa lao eh, I do all wrong leh...Zhe me ban?!"

I mean seriously, I know we are a racially harmonious society. But must we prove it in such a way?! It makes us sound uneducated and barbaric. If you want to say something, stick to ONE language! Is it impossible to say what you wish with one language? Is your vocabulary so small?

Such illiteracy can be heard almost anywhere, anytime in Singapore. Till the point it gets so annoying. Being a country that depends much on tourism, is it not embarrassing that tourist hear our native people speak in such a way? I mean what's with, "Okay lor" or "do it that way lah". PEOPLE! DO YOU KNOW IT SOUNDS PERFECTLY FINE WITHOUT THE LOR OR LAH?! Save yourself the extra effort and oxygen. I understand oxygen is free of charge, everywhere and you don't have environmentalist going, "SAVE THE AIR! DON'T BREATHE!" But must we use it to the very max we can?!

Okay so maybe you can point a finger at the government saying they made you study 2 languages. So after awhile of it, you can't help but to mix it together. Perhaps I can agree. (Heh heh, I can finally insult chinese cause I'm really hopeless at it) Perhaps the government didn't foresee this language problem coming. And now, they are trying to solve the problem. Well it's QUITE LATE don't you think?! You should have thought of something to counter this problem much much earlier. I know that the more important world language is English and Chinese. But I'm pretty sure they meant English and Chinese by itself, not mixed Chinese and English.
EXTRA INFO: Spanish is too an important language, or so I heard from Cheryl... [So that people won't go,"HAHA! Where got? She don't know one lah!" (see what I mean?) . I actually Googled whether Spanish is an important world language... It actually is!! It's more spoken than English in trades between America and Europe!]

Another thing that makes me laugh is about SMS. It's common knowledge that the space to type is limited. So people shorten their words to the max. It's still a wonder to me how a "please" became a "plox". But you know why people have to shorten?! It's because they add unnecessary words like, "leh, lor, lah, hor, arh". PLUS with the more "ah lian" alphabets like 'x' or 'z'. Then it becomes ,"lehx, lorz, larx, horz, arhx". IF YOU CAN'T COUNT, IT TAKES UP 4 SPACES OF YOUR SMS SPACE! That's why you have to shorten it so much, because you don't use such words only once.

You tell me that it's natural for us Singaporeans! I bet even you do it!

I admit, yes, I do add redundant words in my speech. Especially when speaking casually to my friends. But towards someone from overseas, like my cousins. Or people older or of a higher social status, not adding those 'lahs' or 'lors' is very natural to me. I'm sure it is to many others too. But why do we add it in our normal speech. I guess we should practice not saying it...

I haven't finish studying my sciences. I'm so screwed. So so screwed...

posted by Cineja @ 2:44 PM