I left the UK in 2002. I’ve lived in Singapore ever since. And somewhere along the way, I stopped speaking the same English as the people I grew up with. Not because I picked up Singlish (though I did, a bit). But because English itself kept moving in two directions at once, and I was...
What a 10-Year-Old Sign Taught Me About Machine Translation Over ten years ago, I made a sign. White background, red stencil lettering, four screws in the corners. I based it on the Danger Keep Out signs you see all over Singapore. Those blunt, no-nonsense warnings that mean exactly what they say. My version swapped the...
Here is an opinion piece I wrote for the introduction of the book: Singaporelang, what the Singlish ? : a visual Singlish dictionary / by Zinkie Aw. Find it in your nearest library here. A few weexks ago I was waiting in a Primary School canteen to meet the English Language Head of Department. The...
There are many differences between the English used in Singapore and that found in Britain and the United States. Some of the features of Singapore English are similar to features in Mandarin Chinese. However other languages, such as Malay, also influence Singapore English. In many cases, it is likely that the influence for one feature...
Should you improve your command of English or learn more languages? Alex talked with Kai, Vernon, Kevin, and myself last month, for the Limpeh Is Foreign Talent V-log series. We had a very interesting, open and unscripted discussion on many topics related to: Singlish, accents, languages, and pronunciation. Featuring Kai – Linguist, Polyglot, Language Guru (Finland)...
‘Yeah’ in Singapore is pronounced the same as ‘Yes’ is in Germany. “Ya” Singlish Yeah = ‘Ya’ The ‘e’ sound in ‘Yeah’ is sometimes pronounced with an ‘a’ sound. Other examples of this blending of sounds includes: bet / bat den / dan beg / bag Note: This does not happen to all words with an...
In Standard English, ‘th’ is pronounced and formed with the tip of the tongue touching the top row of teeth. It is known as a voiceless or voiced dental fricative (IPA θ or ð). However, in many places, there is a noticeable tendency for this sound to change. – USA (New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia), this sound...
By Pamela Tham
These are the posts that got the most views in 2014.
Did the Flight Crew Pronounce ‘Cabin Crew’ Incorrectly? Or Did the Passenger Misunderstand the Correct Pronunciation? From 2012, On an SIA flight to KL S’porean Passenger to Stewardess: Hallo Miss, just want to ask you ah, who and where is this Kevin Khoo ah? He seem to be a very busy man. Everyone is looking for...
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