Chinese dialects
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this is a chat of my language changes
speaking:
1 before primary school,hakka100%.
2 before university's life,hakka(fujian)57%,chinese30%,hakka(meizhou)10%,english3%.
3 during my university's life,chinese(75%),hakka(5%),hakka(meizhou)0%,english5%,dialect of southwest of china(8%),other dialects(7%).
4 after graduated,chinese88%,FUZHOU dialect3%,canton3%,hakka5%,english1%.
5 came to singapore(6 months),chinese50%,english45%,hakka5%.
Writting,
1 before came to singapore,chinese 95%,english5%(exam)
2 came to singapore,english95%,chinese5%(because I don't know how to write it in english).
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We are easily brain-washed :(
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Originally posted by Euniceosy:
lol i have been careless with my words. lets say we were discouraged to use dialect. If only my parents spoke to me in Hokkien. I cant even understand a single thing when my grandparents and parents communicate in Hokkien, except for a word or two though.
you are right though, in order to learn dialect (emphasis that it is actually our first language) we have to put in effort. will Singaporeans put in the effort?
well, i have 2 questions:
If you are a parent, would you wish for your child to learn his/her dialect and its related culture and traditions?
If you are a youth of today (who doesnt know yourdialect), would you be willing to learn at least the basics of your dialect & culture?
We only know how to discuss and think about the negative impacts of the loss of dialects and what a pity it is. Shouldnt we actually stand up and do something about it before its too late...
Feel free to give your comments to all the post.
I do not know what do the youths think nowadays. I only know I am interested inmy culture and tradition though my understanding is not deep enough.
It really depends on individual's interest.
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Originally posted by purpledragon84:
i thot of this before.. but there's no practical use of dialects, if u were to ask me..
u know, good, u duno, u dun lose out..
cultural roots? whats the point? it cant save me money, it cant earn me money.. i do speak hokkien, and the only use of it is, as what is mentioned here, to communicate with my grandparents..
give another 10 years and there wun be an issue anymore..
well, i think its precisely purpledragon84's reasoning that made the gov decide that neglecting (abandoning) dialect is for a better purpose for S'pore's future. Intially i felt the same way, i mean it is practical reasoning. But what about intengible considerations?
Read this quote from HowLanguages Work by Linguist David Crystal:
Saving languages is exp, time-consuming nd energetic work; but it is immediately worth while. It is difficult to convey the sense of j and pride that ppl feel n they realize that their lang will live on. Conversely, it is difficult toxpress the sense of loss when you have not experience it. ... Language death is like no other form of disappearance. When ppl die, they leaves signs of their presence in the world, in the form of their dwelling places, burial mounds, and artefacts - in a word, their arhceaology. BUT spoken language leaves no archaeology. When languages dies, which has never been recorded, it is as i it has never been.
We dont have to learn dialect like a 3rd language but i feel the need to know the basics (i.e. at least able to speak it like our first generations in Singapore do) and also to understand and know our dialect culture is essential to preserve the dying dialect language in Singapore.
What do you think?
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dialect ftw. I wish singapore tv networks would allow more hokkien into their show.
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Learning new things is good.
That is what I feel.
But look at what is happening.
Teenagers and youngsters are learning dialects, but vulgarities in dialects, nothing else.
It would be good if they learn dialects correctly, as in proper language, not vulgarities. =) -
would you like to learn your dialect language? would you want to know your dialectal culture?
dont anybody find it a loss that they dont know their dialect anymore; for many, not even the basics of the language...
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Originally posted by Euniceosy:
would you like to learn your dialect language? would you want to know your dialectal culture?
dont anybody find it a loss that they dont know their dialect anymore; for many, not even the basics of the language...
no, to be frank, we young ones want money nothing else, no money no talk. -
Originally posted by xXBlack_RebelXx:
Are'nt most singaporean chinese descendants of southern chinese?
ya mostly from south china, north china not that common =)hmm, dialects, a lot of youngsters can speak dialect too, hokkien vulgars...and sadly, some dont even know the meanings of these vulgars can they just anyhow use it. ask them speak proper hokkien, i think less than 5% can speak.
for me, speaking my dialect (teochew) is a big chore, because go anywhere everyone is speaking either english or mandarin or singlish. then at home parents use mandarin to communicate. only when communicating with my grandparents then they will speak teochew. i dont speak it frequently and it doesnt sound nice when i speak it.
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The thing is, there might not be enough places or occasions where you can speak your dialect. For instance, maybe at home, but if you go out, it is already a mixed environment and so you cannot easily use dialect to other people. I think this is the natural reason why dialects have a tendency to be disused.
Meat Pao.
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when we gals speak dialect, we are called ah lian and ah hua
when guys speak dialect, they are called as ah beng and ah huat
so who want to speak...
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Yeah. i use to relate ppl speaking dialects (esp Hokkien) with ah lians or ah bengs. but only lately i realise that if we learn how to speak our dialect properly, firstly it wouldnt sound vulgar (becos ppl wont use vulgarity only) since we would communicate purely in our dialect. It would be just another language to us! I think younger generation should learn their proper dialect. It is sad to see such a huge change in our language. honestly, our mother tongue should have been our dialect since it is the language of our forefathers!
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Some parents even find it disgraceful to communicate in Chinese..Moreover dialects =.='''
They feel that communication in English is much more "cool" & of a higher social status..Take a look @ some of the aunties who tries so hard to act posh (bt buay posh) by conversing with their kids in Eng
E.g
Auntie : "Ah girl ah, come come, eat swt.."
Though their Eng isn't gd (more like Singlish)..but they die die also want to converse in Eng just because they feel that conversing in Eng is more cool..
Chinese & other dialects are deemed as for low class ppl..Hence, they will won't encourage their children to pick up other languages..
Even for my batch (Those born in yr 80s)...there are not much who have a good grasp with their dialects...Moreover for those born in the 90s?...
I think...in another 50yrs time or so?..There won't be such dialects as Canto, Hokkien etc.. =.='''
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You wanna revive the 'Speak Cantonese' thread?
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tiu ley deh ke si fatt long ahhh....dialect got lost meh?
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Originally posted by Euniceosy:
Have been thinking about the disappearance of dialects in Singapore...
Due to the success of Speak Chinese campaign and the learning of English, majority of younger generation now do not know their dialect language. This also leads them to be detached from their dialect roots in which i find is a negative impact. (reason being: cannot connect with their grandparents especially those who do not learn any eng/chi; lost in culture e.g. used-to-be-popular Hakka/Teochew/Hokkien/Cantonese,etc. dishes or the meaning behind heritage and individual dialect's rituals and practices; many more other losses due to dying of dialect language in Singapore)
Therfore, what do you think about Singaporeans learning their dialect language again?
The dictator lee kuan yew is responsible for this.
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Originally posted by Cowbaycowboo:
tiu ley deh ke si fatt long ahhh....dialect got lost meh?
Cao hai... -
see!! it's blardy hiong kan alive!
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Lee Kuan Yew when are you going to speak dialect in parliment?
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Originally posted by chrisbenoit:
Lee Kuan Yew when are you going to speak dialect in parliment?
He stops the use of dialects in the media, so you think he will speak dialects??? This senile sicko is so damn a control freak, without control he will die soon. -
Which is why we should officially allow Chinese dialects to be introduced back to Singaporeans! Honestly, all the campaigns/policy to teach Singaporeans to be bilingual in Mandarin and English made so pragmatic to the point where Chinese dialect is deemed to be of lower class and is useless to us.
Firstly - Depending on your forefathers, Chinese dialect is our REAL mother tongue!
Secondly - We are becoming so superficial and 'surface' people. Learn english cos its so called 'posh'.. What about our Chinese dialectal culture? Why should we swap our ORIGINAL Chinese dialectal culture with the ang moh culture?!
(lol getting a bit agitated...)
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Jiak Pa Beh?
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Jiak liao,
jiak luck, go toilet Lau Sai.
Well, sometime dialects can bring people closer, example, if r u are dealing with your first time business associate who is hokkien, and informally u speak abit of it, there seem to be a close Ka kee lang mentally. And u can negiotate in more relaxing way.
Same goes to us gals, when we meet our new gal frens, we will tease men or boys like...woei!!! see, wha!!! this one Yantao hor, hey hey, that one, so macho, must be tao ki hor. Wha lau, see that guy, kenna sai.
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LKY is a Hakka.
I am a Hakka.
Lky is rich.
But I am not very rich.
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Originally posted by angel7030:
Jiak liao,
jiak luck, go toilet Lau Sai.
Well, sometime dialects can bring people closer, example, if r u are dealing with your first time business associate who is hokkien, and informally u speak abit of it, there seem to be a close Ka kee lang mentally. And u can negiotate in more relaxing way.
Same goes to us gals, when we meet our new gal frens, we will tease men or boys like...woei!!! see, wha!!! this one Yantao hor, hey hey, that one, so macho, must be tao ki hor. Wha lau, see that guy, kenna sai.
then when guys c u
did they said
wowowo
Chio mei is here?