Originally posted by ruuix:
[b]Singlish or English?
In my own opinion, what matters most is our ability to code-switch. For all of you out there who don't know what is 'code-switching',
Code-switching is a term in linguistics referring to alternation between two or more languages, dialects, or language registers in the course of discourse between people who have more than one language in common. Sometimes the switch lasts only for a few sentences, or even for a single phrase.
-- wikipedia.com
To me, speaking Singlish is just code-switching. Throw in some malay, chinese, hokkien or even some alien language and viola!
By speaking Singlish, it doesn't mean that we are not proficient in English. The most important thing is to know when to code-switch, and when to not. If we are speaking to our own group of friend, i don't see why we can't throw in a few 'lor's or 'la's in our conversation. If our intended meaning is not distorted by our frequent lors and las, i think it is perfectly okay to speak in Singlish.
Just do not make a fool out of yourself by speaking in such proficient Singlish such that other people, such as foreigners, do not even understand what we are trying to say. I believe this is what the Speak Good English Movement is all about. To speak good English is not about using bombastic vocabulary, but simply being grammatically correct and not using our Singapore speak that often.[/b]
While intended meaning definitely won't change with lors and lahs, it's irritating to foreigners. The more lors and lahs in a sentence, the more confuse they will get.