our commentary

Our text shows an example of spoken Singapore Colloquial English which illustrates the use of Singlish. It is a song performed by Hossan Leong, 40, a male international and stage actor from Singapore. The lyrics were written by Edmund Tan. This song was performed at the event, ' TalkingCock in Parliament: We, the Citizens' in 2006.

Relevant concepts featured

Singlish can be considered as a ‘dialect’ or a variation of English. Dr Anthea Fraser Gupta uses her term ‘Leaky Diglossia’, a modified version of Ferguson’s Digglosia, to explain that people use a mixture of Standard English and Singlish, and also switch from one to another in different situations. In the video, Hossan Leong gave his introduction in Standard English but performed in Singlish, proving her concept.

Throughout the song, markedness (Alsagoff, 1998) is exhibited. In the chorus, the first 5 lines are in Standard English but the 6^th line is not. Markedness is exhibited when a self conscious choice is made when an individual who predominantly uses one variety of English and then switches to the next , particularly in spoken English, as in our example.

Main factors causing variation

A main factor inducing the intentional variation in English could be the use of informal solidarity in Hossan’s performance. He used many colloquial terms such as 'HDB' and 'Tuas Causeway'. By using local dialect, Hossan Leong created an impression of friendliness and this sense of familiarity allowed him to strike a greater rapport with the audience.

There are also features of stylization (Coupland, 2007) in this song. This feature softens text that seems harsh. Edmund Tan makes a mockery of Lim How Doong’s speech in parliament, as seen in the 10th stanza, ‘Don’t talk cock’ in parliament’, but wittingly uses Singlish to make it light-hearted and humorous.

Our group also thinks that Singlish was used for creativity and literature purposes. In almost every stanza of the song, there are rhyming words, for example ‘clean and green’ and ‘cannot win’ in the 8^th stanza.

Origins of language users

This local song highlights the multi-racial aspect of Singapore as can be seen from the fusion of languages in the text. The names of the people used in the song ('Mahathir', 'Jack Neo'), and the use of Malay language ('alamak', 'kena') and Hokkien dialect ('buay ho sei', 'chow Ah Qua') is strong evidence of the different racial backgrounds.

The relationship between the language users and the audience

The well-read songwriter touches on many current affairs such as 'baby bonus' and 'SingTel shares'. The topic of the text also centers on the history, controversial issues and fad periods in Singapore as well as Singaporeans' attitude.

The first 12 lines of the song also explain the founding of Singapore briefly. Controversial topics are highlighted about the opposition parties in Singapore and Singapore’s trading ties with Malaysia. Singapore's 'Hello Kitty' and bubble tea fad periods were made apparent in the lyrics too. The term 'kiasu-ism', an exclusive philosophy of Singapore, was also illustrated.

Grammatical variations of Standard English

Singlish has some distinct features. The use of past tense is not compulsory. We can see that in the first verse, Sang Nila Utama 'saw' a lion, but 'name' (instead of named) the village.

The 'be' verb deletion is also distinct. In the lyrics, the 'be' verb is present in the phrase, 'war is over', but mainly, the 'be' verb is omitted. Instead of using linking verbs, the subject and the object are often placed together. An example would be 'Singapura (is/was) very strong'.

There is also a system of specific pragmatic particles. Specific words unique to Singlish are added to the end of sentences. An example would be to 'Stop speaking Singlish lah'. The use of improper grammar structure is due to the formal nature of the conversation.

Usefulness in future teaching

The usage of informal solidarity and being able to make the switches between Standard English and Singlish based on the appropriacy of the situation would be useful for future teaching. Using Singlish in classrooms will allow teachers to connect to students on a personal level. Studies have shown that using a language or dialect students are comfortable with increases social interaction in the classroom. Dr Gupta promotes the speaking of Singlish in classrooms as it is a social place and teachers would want to create a condusive environment for learning.

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Note: Word count excludes sub-headings

References:

Alsagoff, L. (1998). Society style and structure in language. Singapore: Sprint Print.

Coupland, N. (2007). Style : language variation and identity. London: Cambridge University Press

Gupta, A. F. Singapore English (characteristics) [PDF document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://lonline.nie.edu.sg/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_39147_1%26url%3d

Gupta, A. F. Singapore English (some issues)[PDF document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://lonline.nie.edu.sg/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_39147_1%26url%3d

Gupta, A. F.Understanding Language Change[PDF document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://lonline.nie.edu.sg/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_39147_1%26url%3d

Gupta, A. F. Varieties of English [PDF document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://lonline.nie.edu.sg/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_39147_1%26url%3d

Leong, H. (2006, 28^th August). We Live In Singapura! Message posted to http://www.mrbrownshow.com/?p=235

mrbrownshow. (2006, September 1). Talkingcock in Parliament, Hossan Leong. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akSD0huK0Ls