Globalization and its Effects on Language Culture
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 the dialects spoken by their
past generations.
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, it
lead 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, 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. Some view it as 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.
Globalisation
has proven that bilingualism is important for Singapore’s multi-racial society.
It allows for cross border international conversations as well as conversing in
a common language with those of their own race in Singapore. However, people
then neglect the use of their own dialects as a result. Thus, it is not
surprising when 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. This shows how currently, the main
focus is 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
to conserve this appreciation 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 stimulates these students to be open to other
dialects that they might not be mindful of. This prevents the original diverse
range of dialects from being condensed into a simplified version of Mandarin,
for example, and be taken for granted.
Another
point encompassing the loss of appreciation for language culture 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.
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
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
