HAVING read anti-Mandarin- speaking comments before, I decided to avoid speaking Mandarin to see what the response might be during my recent trip to Singapore. I encountered:

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Another "proper English" wannabe. Sigh!

Pray tell, whose "proper English"? RP - about 3% of the English speakers use that? GA - what exactly is that? AU/NZ/Irish/Canadian/South African/other native varieties? Indian? Filipino? S'porean? Kenyan? Nigerian? No way?

Have some conceptual understanding first la...sibei sian la, forever reading the same old crap.

Put it this way la, I grew up speaking mostly Singlish, some English and other languages la, but I end up speaking very "proper English" la, by any account! I have an uncanny ability to pick up sounds, and accents - maybe not everyone is as gifted, granted - but please la, no need to be a "native English speaker" to speak "proper English" la. Please la, tolong la, go read the literature widely available on the same la, just read a bit la, and don't spout crap again la. Don't mean to be rude, just that I simply don't understand what a smart Doctor pretends to be some applied (English) linguist. With your doctorate, I'm sure reading the literature is no big deal. Try and digest
some of the basics there first la, then we talk again, can?

My own personal experience is that when I speak "proper English" to S'poreans, 99% of the time they will clam up and start "slanging" la. Different la! Gimme a break la. Just speak the way you do, and accept that I don't nec have to speak the way you do to understand what you're saying la, k?

I think the same applies to the learning of all languages. A good place to start is the learning of Mandarin - this should be from kindergarten to secondary 1. In Singapore, the TV and radio is essential to learning oral Mandarin. Speak first, write later. Once you learn to speak well, resistance to learn to write is going to be much less since you are already familiar with the language, in effect, half the battle is already won.

Even in the US and UK, many don't speak "proper" English.
In the old days we speak Hokkien and other dialects which I think it's great!
Many Americans from different parts of the US find it hard to understand folks from other parts of the US. Don't worry too much pick up some Mandarin and Hokkien and Cantonese.

#4,
You weren't 'listening to' (reading) the letter-writer - just 'hearing' (skimming) superficially. That unskilled habit increasingly shorter attention-spanned generations - no thanks to soundbyte diets - particularly suffer in face-to-face conversations.

She also referred to the lack of confidence from the listener's presuming : 'If it's English and not Mandarin or Singlish, I won't be able to understand her'. Thirdly of course is that many of the over-Singlished NEED to learn to differentiate the nuances peculiar to English - that Singlish has stripped off in its enduring simplicity.

I have taken an LCCI test in listening to English that helped me realise intent listening for FULL understanding requires much concentration to differentiate nuances. Presuming you get the GIST of a message isn't the same as getting the ACTUAL message - understand?

Singlish, like other reductionist devices, lulls listeners into lower expectations/abilities re lingual development/complexities. Such a 'make it easy for me' mindset/demand reduces patience/concentration and learning/confidence for the 'harder stuff' that even un-kampung Mandarin and Malay daunts.

The remedy? Accept honestly that Singlish is like chewing gum - culturally comforting but mind-numbingly unnourishing; to get us by in simple conversations. Its parent languages like English, Hokkien and Malay are complex and require greater focus and respectful learning to evolve discernment of speech and writing nuances.

The same could be encouraged of Singlish - should it ever evolve into a complex language, even if without aid of Singlish publications, if that's possible. It's been more than a century if we placed the birth of Singlish at the turn of the 20th century - do you see it evolved from the simple rojak it was meant to be?

Another 'Holier-then-thou' speech from a pompous, overseas Singaporean, who deems it necessary to get on his high-horse and deign us with his experiences with citizens who clearly have not had the privilege of his overseas education. Futhur to that, he feels it is necessary to lecture us on how he educates his child and how he has overcome his impoverished childhood and risen to the very top because he listened to Rediffusion.

Well Dr. Lee, get off your soap box, stop your pontificating and realise that while you may have a successful career through, I'm sure, your own hard work, not everyone in Singapore has been affored the same opportunities or has the same capabilities as yourself.

Do realise that the sales staff were simply trying to serve you better by asking a colleague to translate your 'proper english', and what I find most strange is how you preach Singaporeans should LISTEN, yet when the YMCA maintenance man did, you berate him on his lack of understanding your english. Perhaps he dared not ask clarification because of your behaviour?

Your post is most insulting and incredibly condescending, what's worse is you veil your insults under the pretext of 'helping' Singaporeans by telling them to 'listen'.

Well Doctor, I heard you and i don't like what you're saying, we're not buying your insults and we certainly don't need your advice.

Sorry (#5): "for the 'harder stuff' - like even un-kampung Mandarin and Malay - daunts."

Un-discerning listening/comprehension manifests as poor professional text : There was a series of bus-stop ads by a voluntary society promoting courteous service. One ad about a taxi driver went something like : 'If you have sat in Mr so and so's taxi...' should have been : 'If you have ridden in...' Sitting in a vehicle doesn't connote movement, unlike riding.

Just for fun...
'If you see any suspicious-looking persons...' is the North-East line's message to report possible terrorist threats in trains. It can be more accurately phrased - any takers?

'if you see any suspicious activity...'

The good doctor is so right.
Banning his children from watching TV was the single most important thing he did.
Especially if one considers all the mispronunciatioin of MediaCorps' over-paid news readers and reporters.
To learn to speak good English, one must listen.
And read as well...not just the trashy stuff but good books and articles.
What a pity, the Nat Library is not doing enough to encourage read-aloud sessions.

dr. is a woman la, yo!

and pls la, jousterr, stop kicking singlish la. you may not like it, but pls give it and its speakers some credit la. it's not as "simple rojak" as you think it is la. the fact that you think it is suggests to me how little you understand it la. as a matter of fact, i'm getting rusty on my singlish, and when i trip over some expressions, i begin to wonder what the rules are...got rules one! too bad native speakers are usually aware of them...auto liao ma.