Saturday, January 21, 2012

Speak English Good

English may be the official language of Singapore but it is not the native language for many of its citizens. After all, 75 percent of the population is Chinese so one would expect Mandarin and other Chinese dialects to be dominant in many communities. Singaporeans also combine English, Chinese and Malay words, creating the local language known as "Singlish." When locals speak Singlish, I understand very little.

Singapore implemented a program aimed at improving people's English skills, calling it the "Speak Good English" movement. The government wants to discourage Singlish and focus on using proper English so children will grow up understanding the language better.

After my recent trip to the local IKEA store, I should send this picture to the language police! I'm disappointed IKEA didn't recognize the mistake but then again, English isn't their first language either.

We excited you open so late! ;)

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