Photo by Angela Lansbury.
I saw this and others which were similar in the lifts at the ITE technical college.
Singapore is a good stopover. English is spoken everywhere in the central area and the tourist shops and hotels.
To find out what Singaporeans mean when they say strange things, such as 'off the light look at this website.
https://www.goodenglish.org.sg/resources/grammar-rules/singaporean-blunders
When I am in Singapore I go out almost every day to a Toastmasters International club, often as Language Evaluator or Grammarian. The Good English organisation is a great help to me. It reassures me that I am doing the right thing in promoting good English.
It also reinforces my efforts, and endorses what I say.
To understand Singlish, or teach English in Singapore or anywhere in the world, you could do one of the following things:
1 Attend a Toastmasters International Meeting and offer to be the Language Evaluator or attend and listen to their evaluator.
Story
If there is no person doing the role, and they say they have to time, I simply draw a column down a page in my notebook head the left columns with ticks for alliteration, assonance, similes and metaphors, and draw a cross above the right hand column and note the wrong uses of English. When they get to the point in the programme where there should be a Language Evaluator, if they announce that they don't have one, I murmur, "I could be the Language Evaluator!" Sometimes they decide there's no time. But often I am invited to speak.
2 If you are asked to teach grammar, or correct grammar, do the exercise on the Good English website. This ensures you are teaching correct English.
3 If all else fails, email me, or employ me to teach English at your office. I do English language workshops for businesses.
Travel Tips
Singapore Airlines:
Author
Angela Lansbury, BA Hons, ACG, ALB. Travel writer and photographer, author, speaker, trainer specialising in the English language, etiquette and communication.
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