Editing Singapore English (section)

== Singapore Colloquial English / Singlish ==
{{Main|Singlish}}

Unlike Singapore Standard English, [[Singlish]] includes many discourse particles and loan words from [[Malay language|Malay]], [[Singaporean Mandarin|Mandarin]] and [[Singaporean Hokkien|Hokkien]]. Many of such loan words include swear words, particularly [[Hokkien profanity|Hokkien profanities]] such as "kanina" and "chee bai".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guidesify.com/blog/2017/08/13/singlish-phrases-define-singapore/|title=Singlish Guide: 125 Phrases/Words That Define SG (Singaporean English)|website=guidesify.com|date=13 August 2017 |access-date=11 September 2018}}</ref> Hence, it is commonly regarded with low prestige in the country and not used in formal communication.<ref name="bunkyo.ac.jp"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Mercer |first1=Neil |last2=Maybin |first2=Janet |year=1996 |title=Using English: From Conversation to Canon |publisher=Routledge |location=United Kingdom |isbn=0-415-13120-0 |page=229 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zAct-WT7ywcC |quote=Another interesting feature of Lee's songs is the (nonstandard) pronunciation of Singapore English speakers in [...] playful use of features of Singaporean English that have strong cultural connotations, Dick Lee is successfully able to [...]}}</ref>

However, Singlish has been used in several locally produced films, including ''[[Army Daze]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Mair|first=Victor|title=Wah piang eh! Si beh farnee!|url=http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003798.html|publisher=Language Log|access-date=7 June 2013|date=21 November 2006}}</ref> ''[[Mee Pok Man]]''<ref>[http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/994096_759371874_713768310.pdf] {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and ''[[Talking Cock the Movie]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Tan|first=Hwee Hwee|title=A War of Words Over 'Singlish'|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,322685,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703114732/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,322685,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 July 2007|magazine=Time|access-date=7 June 2013|date=22 July 2002}}</ref> among others. Some local sitcoms, in particular ''[[Phua Chu Kang]] Pte Ltd'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Srilal|first=Mohan|title=Quick Quick: 'Singlish' is out in re-education campaign|url=http://www.atimes.com/se-asia/AH28Ae05.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000925130805/http://atimes.com/se-asia/AH28Ae05.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=25 September 2000|work=Asia Times|access-date=7 June 2013|date=28 August 1999}}</ref> also feature extensive use of Singlish.

The proliferation of Singlish has been controversial and the use of Singlish is not endorsed by the government. Singapore's first two prime ministers, [[Lee Kuan Yew]] and [[Goh Chok Tong]], have publicly declared<ref>{{cite book|last=Deterding|first=David|title=Singapore English|year=2007|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|location=United Kingdom|pages=90–91|isbn=978-0-7486-2544-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VP_HO_Q5rEUC}}</ref> that Singlish is a substandard variety that handicaps Singaporeans, presents an obstacle to learning standard English, and renders the speaker incomprehensible to everyone except another Singlish speaker. The country's third, [[Lee Hsien Loong]], has also said that Singlish should not be part of Singapore's identity.<ref>{{cite news|last=Au Young|first=Jeremy|title=Singlish? Don't make it part of Spore identity: PM|publisher=AsiaOne News|date=22 September 2007|url=https://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20070922-26463.html|access-date=4 August 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921213200/http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20070922-26463.html|archive-date=21 September 2016}}</ref> In addition, the government launched the [[Speak Good English Movement]] in 2000 to encourage Singaporeans to speak proper English.<ref>{{cite web|title=Singapore to launch speak-good-English campaign|url=http://www.singapore-window.org/sw99/90830afp.htm|agency=Agence France-Presse|access-date=7 June 2013|date=30 August 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622034209/http://www.singapore-window.org/sw99/90830afp.htm|archive-date=22 June 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Despite strong criticisms of Singlish, linguist David Yoong has put forward the argument that "Singaporeans who subscribe to Singlish and have a positive attitude towards the code see Singlish as a language that transcends social barriers" and that the language can be used to "forge rapport and, perhaps more importantly, the Singaporean identity".<ref name="latrobe.edu.au">[http://www.latrobe.edu.au/rclt/ALS2009/abstracts/Yoong.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330162432/http://www.latrobe.edu.au/rclt/ALS2009/abstracts/Yoong.pdf|date=30 March 2012}}</ref> Sociolinguist Anthea Fraser Gupta also argues that Singlish and standard English can and do co-exist, saying that "there is no evidence that the presence of Singlish causes damage to standard English". This was followed by organisers of the [[Speak Good English Movement]] clarifying that they are "not anti-Singlish", with their primary intention instead to ensure that Singaporeans are able to speak standard English first. A spokesperson was quoted as saying: "The presence of Singlish causes damage to standard English only when people do not have a good grounding in standard English".<ref>Anthea Fraser Gupta, "Singapore Colloquial English and Standard English", ''Singapore Journal of Education'' 10/2 (1989): 33–39. Online at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02188798908547659
and
https://doi.org/10.1080/02188798908547659</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20081209-106379.html|title=Linguists speak up for Singlish|website=www.asiaone.com|access-date=2020-02-13}}</ref>