Yeah, i know singaporeans do their paperwork in english. But what about social? Do Singaporeans in the office speak mandarin to each other? What if a foreign worker who isn't an ang mo expatriate and can't speak mandarin works in the same department? Would he or she be able to blend in? In addition, what about lunch? What is your preferred language? Hokkien or mandarin or english or singlish?
can slowly learn mandarin from friends n colleagues lor.
can, why not
learn the 3 word sutra first
Are u referring to indians from the subcontinent?
let's say if indians are not included la... [but wont be the case if the TS's question is regarding singlish]
I am talking about malaysian or filipino execs who can't speak mandarin and come down to singapore to find work. Let say if a malaysian/filipino ends up in an all chinese department of a singapore firm. Would everybody be speaking mandarin to each other?
I don't see why people in an all chinese firm cannot speak english to each other. It is just depends on whether your colleagues want to communicate to you or not. If you are not friendly and nice, who want to waste time talking to you?
Singapore is basically rojak... so I do not see the problem of communicating in english, chinese, malay or other languages and dialets....
Originally posted by Durian_bananas:I am talking about malaysian or filipino execs who can't speak mandarin and come down to singapore to find work. Let say if a malaysian/filipino ends up in an all chinese department of a singapore firm. Would everybody be speaking mandarin to each other?
I have few pinay colleagues....been working with us (sporean) for more than 5 yrs. Apply for PR and settle down in spore comfortably.
I see no problem if they dont know mandarin.
ya, me too, those gals working for me are from thailand, vietnam, pinoy, and even some malaysian got no problem dealing with singapore clients.
if there is a problem then halimah yacob and that botak finance minister will be out of job
Originally posted by angel7030:ya, me too, those gals working for me are from thailand, vietnam, pinoy, and even some malaysian got no problem dealing with singapore clients.
if there is a problem then halimah yacob and that botak finance minister will be out of job
don't pretent to be a mamsan when you are justa dirty cheap prostitute
Originally posted by likeyou:I have few pinay colleagues....been working with us (sporean) for more than 5 yrs. Apply for PR and settle down in spore comfortably.
I see no problem if they dont know mandarin.
Hello, I work in Malaysia. But my HQ is in Singapore. I liase a lot with the singaporeans by phone and email. But I don't understand why my singaporean co-workers speak to me in mandarin even though I kept on telling them that my mandarin is only kindergarden level. Even they come down here for visits, they also speak to me in mandarin, only when i ask them to speak to me in english, then they do so.
Yes most malaysians speak and write mandarins. But I am one of the 20% malaysian chinese who don't.
Factory they pronounced as 'fuck three'
i understand no problem
My old old uncle friend in kopidiam got ever tell me last time he ever hear one Filipino ex-president come to here for dono wat conference then he also got pronounced 'factory' as 'farktree' on TV news. I laugh until got stomach ache.
The thing is that Chinese Malaysians are stereotyped to be better in Mandarin than English.
90% of all my Malaysian customers are more comfortable if I converse with them in Mandarin than in English
However, ironically 90% of my Malaysian friends are more comfortable if I converse to them in English because their Mandarin sucks.
Anyway, to answer your question, it is possible to survive in Singapore without understanding Mandarin but it is an advantage to be able to speak and understand the language.
I can tell you honestly, workers who cannot converse in english, then will die in singapore.
no, honestly speaking, if singaporeans cannot speak Mandarin, they may loose out in near future
Originally posted by Durian_bananas:
Hello, I work in Malaysia. But my HQ is in Singapore. I liase a lot with the singaporeans by phone and email. But I don't understand why my singaporean co-workers speak to me in mandarin even though I kept on telling them that my mandarin is only kindergarden level. Even they come down here for visits, they also speak to me in mandarin, only when i ask them to speak to me in english, then they do so.Yes most malaysians speak and write mandarins. But I am one of the 20% malaysian chinese who don't.
It is ok to speak in mandarins.
Just like me when I called up my shanghai colleagues, I speaks mandrian with them and they feel comfortable with it.
And when I called up my Jkt colleagues, I speaks English. Too bad, I dont know malays. If know, I definately speaks malay too.
You can say to them "apa macham"?
welll to be honest if u r handicapped in one of the main languages then conversations are a bit boring. like my colleagues all from SEA. can only speak english. and when we talk about certain colloquial localised stuff they would stare at you blankly. very sian wan~