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.
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
