Singapore for Singaporeans?
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mel2sg:
I went to robinsons expo sale...was looking at long pants for hubby. This PRC promoter was talking in very thick accent mandarin which I simply don't understand.I am not anti-prc, but really cannot understand the biz sense of employing prc as Sales, as they only can communicate in chinese.......Dont they any any basic English lesson before coming here? Aren't the biz eliminating non-chinese speaking customers?
- go Giant to buy an electronic item, ask the prc to explain the use of it.....this one lagi best, can tell me ownself go manual as written in english. my wife and me wonder why the hell Giant get the prc as promoter... :rant:
Most of these PRC sales people here don't try to speak English when they see Chinese. They assume Chinese sure to understand what they say :mad: alamak, this is Singapore. -
Actually no. The ones I meet studiously try to talk in English. I have to start in Chinese so it is easier.
Most funny one was post birth (ds1) many years back. The prc nurse English cannot make it. I tried talking to her in Chinese, but she ngeh ngeh must reply in English. End up I got no clue what she was trying to convey. -
hquek:
So far those i met simply assume Chinese people understand mandarin. Maybe for those working in hospital will be 'forced' by management to speak English.Actually no. The ones I meet studiously try to talk in English. I have to start in Chinese so it is easier.
Most funny one was post birth (ds1) many years back. The prc nurse English cannot make it. I tried talking to her in Chinese, but she ngeh ngeh must reply in English. End up I got no clue what she was trying to convey.
They can speak English if they want to, just bullying us Chinese. Retail industry require English speaking promoters. My mandarin very jelak if I have to explain what I want. End up, I will 1) not buy 2) try to find myself. -
Honestly, I rather the prc continue to speak mandarin to me, especially in working environment. In my previous working place, I used to handle the few Chinese offices. Almost everyday I need to speak to my chi na counterparts for work discussions, their inklish really cannot make it… Although Chinese is my stronger language, my chi na is certainly not good enough to be on par with them (there are just too many inklish business terms). In the end, we came to a situation where we were all happy - we hold bilingual conversation - they speak in chi na and I reply in inklish. Many of my ex colleagues were amazed how we could communicate but it works.
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Once I asked a PRC bus driver, how much is the bus fare from the bus stop I am boarding to the interchange (3 bus stops only), he 说话： ＂不是很贵＂(not very expensive). I was speechless. The reason of me asking was because I knew there was this bus with fixed fare but I forgot what the number was and I wanted to avoid that bus.
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Wat to do? Employ more from Philipine or India who can speak english to be our bus drivers, sales and nurses?
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snowlotus:
Wat to do? Employ more from Philipine or India who can speak english to be our bus drivers, sales and nurses?
their english is also heavily accented, try those telco or bank helplines, sometimes I have to ask them to repeat bec hard to grasp their pronounciation -
pinky:
Some known banks or IT companies hire many Indians to be support staff. You will need a lot of time to understand them. There are many nurses now who are from china and Philippines. Govt too successful with the 'stop at 2' then...that's why this is happening.snowlotus:
Wat to do? Employ more from Philipine or India who can speak english to be our bus drivers, sales and nurses?
their english is also heavily accented, try those telco or bank helplines, sometimes I have to ask them to repeat bec hard to grasp their pronounciation -
Thing is that it is pretty inevitable. Look at china. One and only child. Last time by force, and it seems nowadays more by choice. In future there is probably going to be huge problem with the few young folks supporting the aged. Look at America, percentage of non white births has just become the majority. Already there are reports the face (or maybe colour) of the world is going to change.
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resgmom:
Nothing wrong with the usage. Everyone locally knows what is \"冷气机\".
冷气机 is one of the commonly used term to describing air-con in Chinese. Anyway, it's the default term to describe air-con (in written and spoken language) at least in places in Hong Kong.
Except that it is simply a commonly used term and NOT a correct translation for \"Air conditioner\" in ENGLISH.
If you're trying to say \"cool air machine\", you are correct.
But if you're trying to say \"air conditioner\", technically, it is wrong translation.
That's all I want to say.
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