Countries and Countrymen

Singlish

2009-05-10T00:29:00.001-07:00

Singapore English has its origins in the schools of colonial Singapore. In the nineteenth century very few children went to school at all, and even fewer were educated in English. The people who spoke English and sent their children to English medium schools were mainly the Europeans, the Eurasians (people of mixed racial ancestry), some of the small minorities, such as the Jews, some of the Indians and Ceylonese, and also a group of Chinese people usually called the Straits Chinese, who had ancestors of long residence in the region, and who spoke a variety of Malay usually called Baba Malay which was influenced by Hokkien Chinese and by Bazaar Malay.

The fact that all these children would have known Malay probably explains why most of the loan words in Singapore Colloquial English are from Malay. The largest group of teachers was Eurasians, and there were also many teachers from Ceylon and India. European teachers were never more than a quarter of the total teaching staff in a school, and they usually taught the senior classes. These Europeans may have been from Britain but were also from the USA, Belgium and France. The children in these schools would have been exposed to many varieties of English.

Singlish or Singapore English is the most commonly spoken language in Singapore. Though English is one of the most commonly spoken language in the world, you may still find it a little difficult to understand the English spoken in Singapore. The reason behind this is that you may find a number of terms, words and phrases from the locally spoken languages.

Almost everyone in Singapore speaks more than one language, with a lot of people speaking three or four. Most children grow up bilingual from childhood and learn additional languages as they grow up. As expected the presence of other languages has prejudiced the English in Singapore. The influence is especially obvious in the kind of English that is used informally, which is popularly called Singlish. Singlish is a symbol of identity for many Singaporeans.

Singapore Languages

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Singapore is one of the well known tourist destination of Southeast Asia. The country is home to a number of ethnicities. These people have their own culture, practices and language. hence being a multi-ethnical country Singapore has a number of languages as the main languages of the country.
The four official languages of Singapore are Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English. English is the most common language used and is the language which unites the different ethnic groups. Children are taught in English at school but also learn their mother tongue to make sure they don't lose contact with their traditions.

Expatriates and foreigners may encounter language problems in the beginning of their stay in Singapore as many Singaporeans use Singlish to communicate. Singlish is a mix of English with other languages mixed into the English, sometimes phrases can end with funny terms like 'lah', 'leh', mah'. Chinese commonly use their own dialects to communicate, and sometimes, inter-dialect groups don't understand one another's language, as the language is vastly different. Except for Hokkien and Teochew, which have a closer link. The Malays use the language among their fellow races and the Indians speak Tamil. But whatever the race or religion, the country's community unite as one nation, where most religious or racial gaps are being bridged.

The Singapore English is originated in the schools in Singapore during the colonial times. During the 19th century only a few children went to the schools and a few among them spoke English. Those who went to the schools used to speak their own languages. However, every student had to know Malaya language at that time. this is one of the main reasons for which most of the loan words in English in Singapore comes from the Malaya Language.

Singapore Demographic

2009-04-29T21:47:00.001-07:00

Singapore is one to the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia. The Lion City is home to a number of ethnic groups who have their own culture and practices. You can see a great combination of different cultures and practices in Singapore. This is one unique point of demography of Singapore. If you watch closely you will find that each ethnic group have maintained their distinct identity.

Singapore is a cosmopolitan city that is home to different ethnic groups from different corners of the world. Unity in diversity is the philosophy of this city-state. The People of Singapore is its greatest Strength. Though the geography of the city has contributed a lot to the success of Singapore, the city-state lacks natural resources. But its adaptable, hardworking and resilient population is the main secret behind the success of Singapore.

The population of Singapore comprises of almost four million people. Almost 77% of this population is from Chinese origin. 14% of Singapore's population consists of Malaya where as 8% of the population is of Indian origin. There is also one percent Eurasians as well as people of other communities. Fishermen were the original inhabitants of Singapore. After its establishment as a British trading post, a number of merchants and migrants came to Singapore and settled there. Many of the migrants came to Singapore from the southern provinces of China, Indonesia, India, Pakistan Middle East and Ceylon to search for a better life for themselves as well as their family. In Singapore a lot of inter-marriage has taken place among these ethnic communities. This has strengthened the cultural richness of Singapore. However, most of the ethnic groups living in Singapore have retained their own cultural identity. All the ethnic groups have become an integral part of Singapore community.

Chinese In Singapore

2009-04-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

Singapore is one of the most well known tourist destination in South East Asia. Though thew city state is small in size Singapore is home to a number of people who belong to different commmunities and ethnicities. For a small country with a small modern history singapore has a rich ethnicity. A considerably large section of the people who live in Singapore have come from various parts of Asia. These people have different ethnicities, culture as well as religious practices. You can find Indians, Arab, Malaya as well as Chinese people in Singapore. the Chinese people form a major part of the population of the Lion City. The Chinese community is the largest ethnic geroup in Singapore. they have maintained their religious practices and culture very well in Singapore.

The Chinese people who have immigrated to Singapore or are born in Singapore and have the citizenship of Singapore is known as Chinese Singaporeans. Most of Chinese Singaporeans are people of Chinese descent. These people form the largest ethnic group in Singapore. They consist of almost 78% percent of the population in Singapore. So approximately every three out of four Singaporeans are Chinese Singaporeans. It should also be noted that Singapore is the only country outside greater china where the Chinese people has got the majority in population.

You can find different communities of Chinese people present in Singapore. These people came from different parts of china and have some differences in their culture, lifestyle as well as religious practices. The Chinese people also speak different Chinese languages. Some of the Chinese people practice Christianity and Taoism. But most of the people follow Buddhism. There is also an ethnic quarter for Chinese people. This ethnic quarter is known as Chinatown. Visiting this ethnic quarter you can get a thorough understanding about the Chinese people in Singapore.

Indians in Singapore

2009-04-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

Singapore is one of the most popular tourist destination in southeast Asia. though small in size this city-state is home to people who belong to different commmunities and ethnicities. A large section of the people living in singapore have come from different parts of Asia. these people have different ethnicities, culture as well as religious practices. You can find chinese, Arab, Malaya as well as indian people in Singapore. the indians form a major part of the population in singapore. they have maintianed their own culture and religious practices.

The History ofIndians in Singapore dates back to the colonial time when several indians came to singapore to work. The history of Indians in Singapore is as old as the history of Modern Singapore. when Modern Singapore was built in the year 1819. At that time a good number of Indian youth came to Singapore as workers, soldiers as well as convicts. At that time Indian population mainly included Indian male. However, with time a balanced gender ratio is restored. At present singapore is considered as home to one fo the largest overseas Indian Population.

Though at first the Indians came to Singapore to work and to earn money they gradually settled in this land. Later they emmerged as a powerful community in Singapore. the Indians consists 9% of the total population of Singapore which make them the third largest ethnic group in Singapore. the Indians in Singapore take active part in the social, political as well as financial spheres of Singapore. they have also retained their cultural practices well. Little India is an ethnic quarter in India where you can get a glimpse of Indian cultures and lifestyle.