Singaporean English

Singapore English is the English language spoken in Singapore, of which there are two main forms, Standard Singapore English and Singapore Colloquial English (better known as Singlish).

Singapore is a cosmopolitan city with 42% of its population born outside the country. Singaporeans, even those of the same ethnic group, have many different first languages and cultures. For example, in 2005, among Chinese Singaporeans, nearly a third speak English as their main language at home while almost half speak Mandarin, and the rest speak various mutually unintelligible Chinese topolects. In the Indian community, most Singaporeans of Indian descent speak either English or Tamil at home. The English language is now the most popular medium of communication among students from primary school to university. Many families use two or three languages on a regular basis, and English is often one of them. In the past, some children received fewer years of English education than others. As such, the level of fluency in English among residents in Singapore varies greatly from person to person.

Singapore English can be classified into Singapore Standard English (SSE) and Singapore Colloquial English (Singlish). The language consists of three sociolects; Acrolect, Mesolect, and Basilect. Both Acrolect and Mesolect are regarded as Standard Singapore English, while Basilect is considered as Singlish.

Singaporeans vary their language according to social situations (Pakir 1991) and attitudes that they want to convey (Poedjosoedarmo 1993). The better educated Singaporeans who have a "higher" standard of English , tend to speak "Standard" Singapore English (the acrolect). On the other hand, and typically the less-educated or Singaporeans whose first language isn't English, speak Singlish (the basilect). Gupta (1994) said that most Singaporean speakers systematically alternate between colloquial and formal language depending on the formality of the situation. The constant use of both SSE and Singlish has resulted in the gradual emergence of a mesolect, an intermediate form of Singapore English, half-way between formal and informal Singapore English.

Standard Singapore English is the standard form of English used in Singapore. It generally resembles British English and is often used in more formal settings such as the workplace or when communicating with people of higher authority such as teachers, bosses and government officials. Singapore English acts as the "bridge" among different Singapore's ethnic groups Standard Singapore English retains British spelling and grammar. For example, the spelling "tyre" is used instead of "tire", and shopping malls are referred to as "shopping centres".

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