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Singapore English The debate on English "as she is spoke" continues. It is urged that the
English used by our pupils must be "internationally intelligible". In a
nation where it is the main language for communication in government.
commerce and industry, and with the world at large. concern over the use
of the language is perfectly natural. That the language will develop local
characteristics is inevitable in a country whose overwhelming majority of
schoolchildren come from ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds that do
not encourage speaking the way English pupils do. The influence of the
mother tongue is all-powerful. and this has led to adaptations and literal
translations of common phrases understood only by Singaporeans. Vivid
examples abound; gems include "this is my one" and "let me spend you".
Many people, including linguistic experts, are in favour of giving free
rein to the evolution of Singapore English. As long as commonsense.
reasonableness and the canons of the language prevail. they contend, there
should be no danger of the language developing into gibberish. The Singapore brand of the language contains local flavour and reflects the feelings
and thoughts of Singaporeans more vividly than the use of Anglicisms. In
this respect we are not unique. as English-users all over the world are also
evolving their own variations of the language. The Australian and
American versions are equally rich in cultural content. Purists who insist
on pruning the "lah" and "man" from the language are only robbing it
of local colour.
For all its oddities. Singapore English is still tolerable as long as the rules
of the language are ground into our pupils. Many Singaporeans today use
two forms of the language -- the local brand when talking amongst themselves, switching to the "correct" model when conversing with foreigners and
during official and business transactions. It is an invaluable flexibility. The
risk, however, is in over-exposure to the local variety. In many homes, even
educated parents speak to their school-going children in Singapore English.
They do so out of habit and because of its relaxed and informal nature. For
children starting out to learn the rules of the language, the danger of
confusion arising from two coexisting systems is obvious. The burden on the
teacher has thus become so much heavier. Parents can make a conscious
effort to lighten the load. They must. Otherwise Singapore English cannot
survive as an intelligible language for long. |
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1. |
There is a strong suggestion in the first paragraph that English is |
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(A) |
a very important language in Singapore. |
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(B) |
not as popular as the mother tongue in Singapore. |
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(C) |
causing a lot of problems in Singapore. |
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(D) |
badly taught in Singapore. |
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2. |
Singapore English seems to be the result of |
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(A) |
gems like "this is my one" and "let me spend you". |
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(B) |
the strong influence of the mother tongue on the English language. |
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(C) |
a conscious effort to develop a national identity. |
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(D) |
bad speaking habits among Singaporeans. |
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3. |
Which of these statements is false ? |
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(A) |
There is much concern over the use of English in Singapore. |
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(B) |
It is not unnatural that people should be concerned about the use of
English in Singapore. |
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(C) |
The concern over the use of English in Singapore is unwarranted. |
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(D) |
The concern over the use of English in Singapore is related to the
evolution of Singapore English. |
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4. |
In the second paragraph we learn that many people |
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(A) |
are apprehensive about the development of Singapore English. |
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(B) |
think that Singapore English is better than American English or
Australian English. |
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(C) |
think that Singapore English is a charming language. |
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(D) |
are in favour of the development of Singapore English within certain
limits. |
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5. |
One advantage that Singapore English has
over the English of native speakers is that |
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(A) |
in some cases it describes more accurately the thoughts
and feelings of Singaporeans. |
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(B) |
it has phrases that Singaporeans find more
commonsensical than some Anglicisms. |
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(C) |
it is easier to teach and to understand. |
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(D) |
it has expressions like "lah" and "man". |
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6. |
"lah" and "man" are put within inverted
commas because |
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(A) |
they are words rich in cultural content. |
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(B) |
they are not English words. |
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(C) |
they are examples of local flavour in Singapore English. |
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(D) |
they are examples of incorrect English. |
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7. |
According to the writer, the ability of some
Singaporeans to speak two brands of English -- the local brand and the
"correct" model -- shows that |
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(A) |
they are inconsistent in their speech. |
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(B) |
they can adapt well to different situations. |
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(C) |
they are linguistic experts. |
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(D) |
they seldom mean what they say. |
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8. |
On what condition may Singapore English be
permitted ? |
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(A) |
On the condition that it is not used in official or
business transactions. |
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(B) |
On the condition that it is not taught or even spoken in
schools. |
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(C) |
On the condition that students are given a good
foundation of the rules of English. |
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(D) |
On the condition that adults use it only when talking to
each other. |
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9. |
The two "coexisting systems" refer to |
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(A) |
family life and school life. |
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(B) |
Singapore English and the "correct" model. |
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(C) |
parents' English and teachers' English. |
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(D) |
the English spoken in school and the English spoken at
home. |
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10. |
We can gather from the passage that the
writer is |
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(A) |
strongly against the evolution of Singapore English. |
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(B) |
is favour of the evolution of Singapore English. |
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(C) |
not against the evolution of Singapore English within
certain limits. |
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(D) |
indifferent to the phenomenon of Singapore English. |
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