Globalization and its Effects on Language Culture Draft #2B

Loss of language culture remains a persistent predicament that has plagued many countries when concerned with the ill effects of globalization, specifically Singapore. The challenge faced by many Singaporeans today is that there is a lack of appreciation for their own language heritage. One example of such deteriorating language culture is the erosion of dialects (Vaish, n.d).  Globalization has bonded youths across the world over a common language, English. They are more inclined to communicate in English, rather than what the past generations in their own family grew up with.

Also, in modern society today, the government and many citizens frown upon the use of Singlish. Globalisation has warped the government’s perspective on what is the ‘right’ way of speaking, and hence, leading to a disintegration of appreciation for this unique culture. This shows the lack of espousal towards Singapore’s linguistic heritage.

Such losses of appreciation have an imminent effect on Singapore’s society, which could distort the representation of Singapore to other parties. Thus, to stay true to Singapore’s unique nature, solutions have to be executed so as to ensure that Singapore’s linguistic integrity will remain intact.

Languages in Singapore can be viewed from two different perspectives. One can be that of competing fields, whilst others view it as compliments, which is the stand the government takes (Ong, n.d). They focus on the importance of bilingualism and how it would benefit Singaporeans in the future.

However, globalisation pushes the stand for a more homogeneous use of language instead of one that consists of a variety. Youth of Singapore generally feel more comfortable with speaking English and their prescribed mother tongue rather than their own dialects. According to the “Census of Population” in 2010, 1,064,157 of Chinese Singaporeans prefer to speak Mandarin at home rather than their own Chinese dialects, which only 482,550 speak at home. It has also been an issue that Singapore’s policies such as the Speak Mandarin Campaign have actually eradicated the use of Chinese dialects (Gupta & Siew, 1995; Li, 1997; Ong, n.d; Pakir, 1993). As the main focus is now on the common prescribed mother tongue rather than an individual’s “peculiar” way of speaking. Thus we should suggest some solutions to ensure that the essence of dialects is preserved.

A solution would be to include the teaching of such dialects into the local universities curriculum. Instead of giving the option for Singaporeans to study other languages, it could be made compulsory for them to take up a module that involves learning a local dialect, be it Chinese, Malay or Indian. It brings awareness to these students of other dialects that they might not be mindful of. Thus the original diverse range of dialects would not just be condensed into a simplified version of Mandarin, for example, and be taken for granted. Such knowledge will then be able to be passed on to future generations.

Another point encompassing language cultural loss in Singapore is that with globalization, the government has been trying to eradicate the use of Singlish, as more countries become aware of this unique language. ‘Singlish’ is a common informal way of speaking between Singaporeans, and differs from Singapore Standard English (SSE) in terms of grammar and vocabulary (Harada, 2009). The Singapore government feels that “English proficiency is a sine qua non of economic competitiveness” (Lee & Tan, 2011), and do not want other countries to view Singapore as inferior because of the language used. The government thus initiated the controversial “Speak Good English Movement” in 2000 to help eliminate the use of Singlish. However, Singlish is still a common way of conversation up until today, showing the ineffectiveness of such a policy.

Since Singlish is already adamant in the speaking practice of many, the solution to this problem should not be to eradicate it, but to preserve it as part of the Singaporean culture. There are many who view Singlish as a symbol of the Singapore identity, but there are also the handful of those who disapprove exceedingly (Ong, n.d). Thus, a balance needs to be struck in order to please both sides. Primary schools could teach younger pupils about when the appropriate occasions for Singaporeans to use Singlish are, and when not. This would allow them to be clear about it at a younger age so it helps foster a consciousness for using the two languages. Cultivating such habits from a younger age deters these new generations from straying in the future.

Although such policies may take time before it can be implemented, it will foster long-term appreciation of the languages they speak for years to come, which is better than short-term solutions.

Due to the rapidly modernizing world, it has become increasingly difficult to exclude globalization from daily activities. However, with persistent planning of new ways to integrate unique dialects and ways of communication into the lives of the newer generations, it is possible to salvage the integrity of such languages.

References:

Dixon, L. Q. (2005). The bilingual education policy in Singapore: Implications for second language acquisition retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.lingref.com/isb/4/047ISB4.PDF

Gupta, A. F. (1994) The step-tongue: children's English in Singapore, Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters, p. 35.

Harada, S. (n.d.). The roles of Singapore standard English and singlish retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://www.bunkyo.ac.jp/faculty/lib/slib/kiyo/Inf/if40/if4006.pdf

Lee, K., & Tan, I. (2011, February 05). What is singlish arh? retrieved October 17, 2013, from, http://www.perspectivist.com/politics/what-is-singlish-arh

Ong, C. (n.d.). Some thoughts on the bilingual situation in Singapore today retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://ldt.stanford.edu/~cong2811/doc/ap/20030230L.pdf

Speak good English movement retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.goodenglish.org.sg/

Vaish, V. (n.d.). Globalization and multilingualism in Singapore: Implications for a hybrid, retrieved October 13, 2013, from,

http://repository.nie.edu.sg/jspui/bitstream/10497/3337/1/CRP22and23_04AL_Conf06(AERA)_Vaish.pdf

Wikipedia, speak good English movement, retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speak_Good_English_Movement

Globalisation Essay, Draft #2

Loss of culture remains a persistent predicament that has plagued many countries when concerned with the ill effects of globalization, specifically Singapore. The challenge faced in Singapore today is that there is a lack of appreciation for one’s own language heritage. One example of such deteriorating language culture is the erosion of dialects in Singapore (Vaish, n.d). Also, in modern society today, the use of Singapore’s own version of English, also know as Singlish, is frowned upon by the government and many citizens. This shows the lack of espousal towards Singapore’s unique culture. With the new generation of youth being more interconnected with other western cultures and mannerisms, there is increased difficulty in attempting to draw back these youth to their origins. The stray of the younger generations away from their roots could affect Singapore’s culture as a whole, where in the future, such cultural habits will not be passed down to upcoming generations. Such losses have an imminent effect on Singapore’s society, which could distort the representation of Singapore to other parties. Thus, to stay true to Singapore’s unique nature, solutions have to be executed so as to ensure that Singapore’s cultural integrity will remain intact.

Languages in Singapore can be viewed from two different perspectives. One can be that of competing fields, while on the flip side, they can be seen as compliments, which is the stand the government takes (Ong, n.d). However, globalisation pushes the stand for a more homogeneous use of language instead of one that consists of a variety. Youth of Singapore generally feel more comfortable with speaking English and their mother tongue rather than their own dialects. According to the “Census of Population” in 2010, 1,064,157 of Chinese Singaporeans prefer to speak Mandarin at home rather than their own Chinese dialects, which only 482,550 speak at home. It has also been a concern that Singapore’s policies such as the Speak Mandarin Campaign have actually eradicated the use of Chinese dialects (Gupta & Siew, 1995; Li, 1997; Ong, n.d; Pakir, 1993). So if such government policies are not effective, there may be other ways to bring back the essence of dialects so that it is not forgotten. A solution would be to include it into the local universities curriculum. Instead of giving the option for Singaporeans to study other languages, it could be made compulsory for them to take up a module that involves learning a local dialect from their own race, be it if you’re Chinese, Malay or Indian. It brings awareness to these students of other dialects that they might not be mindful of. This would be beneficial to Singapore, as the original diverse range of dialects would not just be condensed into a simplified version of Mandarin for example. Such knowledge will then be able to be passed on to future peers.

Another point encompassing language cultural loss in Singapore is that with globalization, the government has been trying to eradicate the use of Singlish, as more countries become aware of this unique language. ‘Singlish’ is a common informal way of speaking between Singaporeans, and differs from Singapore Standard English (SSE) in terms of grammar and vocabulary (Harada, 2009). The Singapore government feels that “English proficiency is a sine qua non of economic competitiveness” (Lee & Tan, 2011), and do not want other countries to view Singapore as inferior to them because of the language used. They thus initiated the controversial “Speak Good English Movement” in 2000 to help eliminate the issue at hand. However, Singlish is still a common way of conversation up until today, showing its ineffectiveness. Since Singlish is already adamant in the speaking practices of many, the solution to this problem should not be to eradicate it, but to preserve it as part of the Singaporean culture. There are many who view Singlish as a symbol of the Singapore identity, but there are also the handful of those who disapprove exceedingly (Ong, n.d). Thus, a balance needs to be struck in order to please both sides. Primary schools could teach younger pupils about when the appropriate occasions for Singaporeans to use Singlish are, and when they are not. This would allow them to be clear about it at a younger age so it helps foster a consciousness when using the two languages. Cultivating such habits from a younger age deters them from straying in the future.

Overall, it is important to educate the present generations on the history of Singapore culture as well as to cultivate habits that can be passed down for generations to come. It is difficult to exclude globalization from society in general, due to the rapidly modernizing world. Thus it is important to find ways to integrate it while still learning to appreciate the defining values of cultures, Singapore in this case, so that erosion of such culture will not take place.

References:

Dixon, L. Q. (2005). The bilingual education policy in singapore: implications for second language acquisition, retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.lingref.com/isb/4/047ISB4.PDF

Gupta, A. F. (1994) The step-tongue: children's english in singapore, Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters, p. 35.

Harada, S. (n.d.). The roles of singapore standard english and singlish, retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://www.bunkyo.ac.jp/faculty/lib/slib/kiyo/Inf/if40/if4006.pdf

Lee, K., & Tan, I. (2011, February 05). What is singlish arh?, retrieved October 17, 2013, from, http://www.perspectivist.com/politics/what-is-singlish-arh

Ong, C. (n.d.). Some thoughts on the bilingual situation in singapore today, retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://ldt.stanford.edu/~cong2811/doc/ap/20030230L.pdf

Speak good english movement, retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.goodenglish.org.sg/

Vaish, V. (n.d.). Globalization and multilingualism in singapore: implications for a hybrid, retrieved October 13, 2013, from,

http://repository.nie.edu.sg/jspui/bitstream/10497/3337/1/CRP22and23_04AL_Conf06(AERA)_Vaish.pdf

Wikipedia, speak good english movement, retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speak_Good_English_Movement

Globalisation Essay, Draft #1B

Loss of culture remains a persistent predicament that has plagued many countries when concerned with the ill effects of globalization, specifically Singapore. In such a context, the erosion of dialects in Singapore is one aspect of deteriorating language culture that needs to be overcome (Vaish, n.d). The government has constantly emphasized the need for bilingualism. However, with the new generation of youth being more interconnected with other western cultures and mannerisms, there is increased difficulty in attempting to draw back these youth to their origins. The stray of the younger generations away from their roots could affect Singapore’s culture as a whole, where in the future, their cultural habits will not be passed down to upcoming generations. Such losses have an imminent effect on Singapore’s society. Thus, solutions have to be executed so as to ensure that Singapore’s cultural integrity will remain intact.

Languages in Singapore can be viewed from two different perspectives. One can be that of competing fields, while on the flipside, they can be seen as compliments, which is the stand the government takes (Ong, n.d) However, globalisation pushes the stand for a more homogeneous use of language instead of one that consists of a variety. Youth of Singapore generally feel more comfortable with speaking English and their mother tongue rather than their own dialects. According to the “Census of Population” in 2010, 1,064,157 of Chinese Singaporeans prefer to speak Mandarin at home rather than their own Chinese dialects, which only 482,550 speak at home. It has also been a concern that Singapore’s policies such as the Speak Mandarin Campaign have actually eradicated the use of Chinese dialects (Gupta & Siew, 1995; Li, 1997; Ong, n.d; Pakir, 1993). So if such government policies are not effective, there may be other ways to bring back the essence of dialects so that it is not forgotten. A solution would be to include it into the local universities curriculum. Instead of giving the option for Singaporeans to study other languages, it could be made compulsory for them to take up a module that involves learning a local dialect from their own race, be it if you’re Chinese, Malay or Indian.  It brings awareness to these students of other dialects that they might not be mindful of. This would be beneficial to Singapore, as the original diverse range of dialects would not just be condensed into a simplified version of Mandarin for example. Such knowledge will then be able to be passed on to future peers.

A minor point encompassing language cultural loss in Singapore is that with globalization, not only are dialects being diluted, but English, as a whole has been changed. ‘Singlish’ is a common informal way of speaking between Singaporeans, and differs from Singapore Standard English (SSE) in terms of grammar and vocabulary (Harada, 2009). Globalization has led to the spread of such an informal language such that majority of Singaporeans use it in casual conversations. To resolve the problem, the Singapore government discouraged the use of Singlish in education and initiated the controversial “Speak Good English Movement” in 2000. However, Singlish is still a common way of conversation up till today, showing its ineffectiveness. Therefore, since Singlish is already adamant in speaking practices of many, the solution for this problem should not be to eradicate it, but to embrace it as part of a new Singaporean culture. There are many who view Singlish as a symbol of the Singapore identity, but there are also those handfuls that disapprove exceedingly (Ong, n.d). Thus, a balance needs to be struck in order to please both sides. So, while embracing it as part of Singapore’s culture, it is still important to emphasize the significance of speaking good English when a situation calls for it. Primary schools could teach younger pupils about when the appropriate occasions for Singaporeans to use Singlish are, and when they are not. This would allow them to be clear about it at a younger age so it helps foster a consciousness when using the two languages. Inculcating such habits from a younger age deters them from straying from it in the future.

Overall, it is important to educate the present generations on the history of Singapore culture as well as to cultivate habits that can be passed down for generations to come. It is difficult to exclude globalization from society in general, due to the rapidly modernizing world. Thus it is important to find ways to integrate it while still learning to appreciate the defining values of cultures, Singapore in this case, so that diluting or erosion will not take place.

Reference:

Dixon, L. Q. (2005). The bilingual education policy in singapore: implications for second language acquisition, retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.lingref.com/isb/4/047ISB4.PDF

Gupta, A. F. (1994) The step-tongue: children's english in singapore, Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters, p. 35.

Harada, S. (n.d.). The roles of singapore standard english and singlish, retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://www.bunkyo.ac.jp/faculty/lib/slib/kiyo/Inf/if40/if4006.pdf

Ong, C. (n.d.). Some thoughts on the bilingual situation in singapore today, retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://ldt.stanford.edu/~cong2811/doc/ap/20030230L.pdf

Speak good english movement, retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.goodenglish.org.sg/

Vaish, V. (n.d.). Globalization and multilingualism in singapore: implications for a hybrid, retrieved October 13, 2013, from,

http://repository.nie.edu.sg/jspui/bitstream/10497/3337/1/CRP22and23_04AL_Conf06(AERA)_Vaish.pdf

Wikipedia, speak good english movement, retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speak_Good_English_Movement

Globalisation Essay, Draft #1A

Loss of culture remains a persistent predicament that has plagued many countries when concerned with the ill effects of globalization, specifically Singapore. In such a context, the erosion of mother tongue dialects in Singapore is a challenge that needs to be overcome (Vaish, n.d). The government has constantly emphasized the need for bilingualism, however, with the new generation of youth being more interconnected with other western cultures and mannerisms, there is increased difficulty in attempting to draw back these youth to their origins. The stray of the younger generations away from their roots could affect Singapore’s culture as a whole, where in the future, their cultural habits will not be passed down to upcoming generations. Such losses have an imminent effect on Singapore’s society, thus solutions have to be executed so as to ensure that Singapore’s cultural integrity will remain intact.

Languages in Singapore can be viewed from two different perspectives. One can be that of competing fields, while on the flipside, they can be seen as compliments, which is the stand the government takes (Ong, n.d) However, globalisation pushes the stand for a more homogeneous use of language instead of one that consists of a variety. Youth of Singapore generally feel more comfortable with speaking English and their mother tongue rather than their own dialects. According to the “Census of Population” in 2010, 1,064,157 of Chinese Singaporeans prefer to speak Mandarin at home rather than their own Chinese dialects, which only 482,550 speak at home. It has also been a concern that Singapore’s policies such as the Speak Mandarin Campaign have actually eradicated the use of Chinese dialects (Pakir, 1993; Gupta & Siew, 1995; Li, 1997; Ong, n.d). So if such government policies are not effective, there may be other ways to bring back the essence of dialects so that it is not forgotten. A solution would be to include it into the local universities curriculum. Instead of giving the option for Singaporeans to study other languages, it could be made compulsory for them to take up a module that involves learning their local dialects, be it Chinese, Malay or Indian.  It brings awareness to the adolescent of other dialects that they might not be mindful of. This would be beneficial to Singapore as the original diverse range of dialects would not just be condensed into a simplified version of Mandarin for example, and knowledge can be passed on to future peers.

A minor point encompassing cultural loss in Singapore is that with globalization, not only are dialects being diluted, but English, as a whole has been changed. ‘Singlish’ is a common informal way of speaking between Singaporeans, and differs from Singapore Standard English (SSE) in terms of grammar and vocabulary (Harada, 2009). Globalization has led to the spread of such an informal language such that majority of Singaporeans use it in casual conversations. To resolve the problem, the Singapore government discouraged the use of Singlish in education and initiated the controversial “Speak Good English Movement” in 2000. However, Singlish is still a common way of conversation up till today, showing its ineffectiveness. Therefore, since Singlish is already adamant in speaking practices of many, the solution for this problem should not be to eradicate it, but to embrace it as part of a new Singaporean culture. There are many who view Singlish as a symbol of the Singapore identity, but there are also those handfuls that disapprove exceedingly (Ong, n.d). Thus, a balance needs to be struck in order to please both sides. So, while embracing it as part of Singapore’s culture, it is still important to emphasize the significance of speaking good English when a situation calls for it. Primary schools could teach younger pupils about when the appropriate occasions for Singaporeans to use Singlish are, and when they are not. This would allow them to be clear about it at a younger age so it helps foster a consciousness when using the two languages. Inculcating such habits from a younger age deters them from straying from it in the future.

Overall, it is important to educate the present generations on the history of Singapore culture as well as to cultivate habits that can be passed down for generations to come. It is difficult to exclude globalization from society in general, due to the rapidly modernizing world. Thus it is important to find ways to integrate it while still learning to appreciate the defining values of cultures, Singapore in this case, so that diluting or erosion will not take place.

References 

Gupta, Anthea Fraser (1994) The step-tongue: children's english in singapore, Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters, p. 35.

Harada, Shinichi. (n.d.). The roles of singapore standard english and singlish, retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://www.bunkyo.ac.jp/faculty/lib/slib/kiyo/Inf/if40/if4006.pdf

Ong, Cindy. (n.d.). Some thoughts on the bilingual situation in singapore today, retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://ldt.stanford.edu/~cong2811/doc/ap/20030230L.pdf

Vaish, Viniti. (n.d.). Globalization and multilingualism in singapore: implications for a hybrid, retrieved October 13, 2013, from,

http://repository.nie.edu.sg/jspui/bitstream/10497/3337/1/CRP22and23_04AL_Conf06(AERA)_Vaish.pdf

L, Quentin Dixon. (2005). The bilingual education policy in singapore: implications for second language acquisition, retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.lingref.com/isb/4/047ISB4.PDF

Speak good english movement, retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.goodenglish.org.sg/

Wikipedia, speak good english movement, retrieved October 13, 2013, from, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speak_Good_English_Movement