<![CDATA[Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again !]]>http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1150285/1/.html



You think it will work this time ? ๐Ÿ˜‰

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/topic/25486/speak-good-english-movement-campaign-againRSS for NodeThu, 23 Apr 2026 23:23:49 GMTFri, 02 Sep 2011 06:51:08 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:33:54 GMT]]>If the Singapore Government is really serious about raising the standard of English used by Singaporeans, it should start by instructing the people in charge of the "Speak Good English Movement" to take their job more seriously. Itโ€™s tragically ironic when an English test, especially one to be taken by the public as part of the โ€œSpeak Good English Movementโ€, contains such glaring grammatical errors and examples of far-from-good English as




โ€œSumi goes to school at 7.30 am every morning.โ€ The phrase "every morning" renders the expression "am" redundant: it canโ€™t possibly be "7.30 pm" in the morning. The sentence should read: "Sumi goes to school at 7.30 every morning."


โ€œThe Port Authority is an 81-year old institution.โ€ The correct punctuation is 81-year-old, with a hyphen between "year" and "old" as well.


โ€œNow choose the correct ones.โ€ While the sentence is not incorrect grammatically, it is an example of extremely poor communication โ€” and good English is, of course, all about effective communication. What is the word โ€œonesโ€ supposed to refer to?


In fact, the entire test is an example of extrremely poor communication: the test-taker is given no instructions on how he is to complete the test. It can be argued of course that "thatโ€™s understood" and that anybody whoโ€™s taken multiple-choice tests should know what to do, but effective communication is about making yourself clear.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/599819https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/599819Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:33:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 05:03:33 GMT]]>What I fear, and may already be happening, is that Singaporeans will be speaking part-British, part-American, part-Singlish and part-Chinglish !! :faint: :faint:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/587919https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/587919Sun, 18 Sep 2011 05:03:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:11:58 GMT]]>No doubt there is a bigger difference between Singlish and English, whatโ€™s so different is American English from British English (other than the accent and spelling) that we should learn from? Please correct me if I am wrong.


Isnโ€™t it more important that we are able to speak good and proper English and can understand English of different accents? What, just because America is more powerful we should learn American English? So when do we need to start learning Beijing Chinese - or should it be Shanghai Chinese?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/587596https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/587596Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:11:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:21:55 GMT]]>Singapore from Taiwanese perspective:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYuIg7Tnc7g&feature=related

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/587132https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/587132Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:21:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:24:04 GMT]]>

concern2:
:thankyou: for posting the wonderful videos! Simply love them!


I've got one too. Must read the subtitles!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dowNFKCC_ZA&feature=player_embedded
:rotflmao: I like the 'one dollar!'

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/586306https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/586306Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:24:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:47:43 GMT]]>:thankyou: for posting the wonderful videos! Simply love them!


I've got one too. Must read the subtitles!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dowNFKCC_ZA&feature=player_embedded

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/585977https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/585977Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:47:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:42:56 GMT]]>

ZacK:
jtoh:

Haha I passed the Engrish test. ๐Ÿ™‚ I had a colleague who used to say tree sheeps instead of three ships. ๐Ÿ˜„ And another who said chiu-ren instead of children. ๐Ÿ˜„


Way to go jtoh :rahrah:

Tens que! ๐Ÿ˜†

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576197https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576197Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:42:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:41:38 GMT]]>

jtoh:
Haha I passed the Engrish test. ๐Ÿ™‚ I had a colleague who used to say tree sheeps instead of three ships. ๐Ÿ˜„ And another who said chiu-ren instead of children. ๐Ÿ˜„

Way to go jtoh :rahrah:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576140https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576140Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:41:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:19:29 GMT]]>

Nebbermind:
if u look at the President Election stats, there were only 2.15M voters. If u estimate 1M of SG who are not old enough to vote, there are only 3+Mil of Singaporeans.


The other 2.5Mil are all PR/Foreigners, right? Prob 30~40% or even more are PRC...

there are also citizens who simply do not bother to vote, thus not in the 2.15m.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576114https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576114Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:19:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 11:56:42 GMT]]>Haha I passed the Engrish test. ๐Ÿ™‚ I had a colleague who used to say tree sheeps instead of three ships. ๐Ÿ˜„ And another who said chiu-ren instead of children. ๐Ÿ˜„

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576099https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576099Mon, 05 Sep 2011 11:56:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:03:34 GMT]]>if u look at the President Election stats, there were only 2.15M voters. If u estimate 1M of SG who are not old enough to vote, there are only 3+Mil of Singaporeans.


The other 2.5Mil are all PR/Foreigners, right? Prob 30~40% or even more are PRCโ€ฆ

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576061https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576061Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:03:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:36:42 GMT]]>

tankee:
Oppsgal:

๐Ÿ˜‰ why never hold speak good chinese campaign instead?


no need. These days the hawkers, coffee-shop aunties, salesgirls, cleaners, etc etc speak very good mandarin. SO good that sometimes I thought I am in China. :evil: :siam: ๐Ÿฆ†

haha... I think so too... so much China news on tv too, I am starting to think I am in China. ๐Ÿฆ†

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576042https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/576042Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:36:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:17:48 GMT]]>

Oppsgal:
๐Ÿ˜‰ why never hold speak good chinese campaign instead?

no need. These days the hawkers, coffee-shop aunties, salesgirls, cleaners, etc etc speak very good mandarin. SO good that sometimes I thought I am in China. :evil: :siam: ๐Ÿฆ†

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/575026https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/575026Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:17:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 11:42:11 GMT]]>Really gotta share this.... Bottomline is as long as the party you are speaking with understands you... Anything goes :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:


These two are sooooo cutttteeeeee :
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JmA2ClUvUY][/youtube]

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/574993https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/574993Sun, 04 Sep 2011 11:42:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 11:00:15 GMT]]>Just sharing this clip from the Noose on \"Ban on Singlish\":

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-Oy5ryS5a8][/youtube]

Here is Ris Low's interview on her English or ermmm Singlish:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmicVxvMe0Y][/youtube]

Please note that I am not against Singlish as I speak that as well, but I am more for us perfecting English so that we can choose to \"activate\" it and speak properly when the situation requires us to ๐Ÿ™‚

Bravo if you can pass this test ๐Ÿ˜‰
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cakJf0J3hEU][/youtube]

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/574976https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/574976Sun, 04 Sep 2011 11:00:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 10:26:59 GMT]]>

UncleLim:
We had some Australian friends over and it was the first time I heard my DD speak in complete sentences. She was comparing school activities and homework with our guests' DD.


Maybe having more FT in Singapore is the way to improve our English.

Or... maybe this will be the other extreme possibility ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH47Xie-Fh8
I do not always get to watch it... But I think the Noose cracks me up everytime :rotflmao: ... If you watch Barbarella... Some gals actually speak like her :roll:

I agree with your comment above ... Having more \"ang mos\" may actually help us speak better English, but then I think the \"ang mos\" are more interested in learning Singlish just so that they can communicate with us instead :faint:

It is quite natural to mimic the person we are speaking with so that we can communicate better, as is the case for your DD. This goes back to my comment above, we speak because we want to communicate and we communicate to be understood... So if we wish to be good communicators, we need to be able to mimic the speaking styles of the broad spectrum of people we wish to engage.

Fortunately or unfortunately for us, English is the common language of the world so that means it is essential to be able to speak proper English, especially more so in the context of our work. Imagine us representing our respective companies to negotiate a business deal with a foreign company, what kind of image are we conveying if we were to speak \"broken\" Engrish or Singlish? :oops:

Just my thoughts :idea:

Hahahaha this cracked me up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shANR5U_dpY&feature=related ... 55secs into the clip... \"Happy fogger....!!!\" :rotflmao:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/574972https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/574972Sun, 04 Sep 2011 10:26:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 09:14:25 GMT]]>We had some Australian friends over and it was the first time I heard my DD speak in complete sentences. She was comparing school activities and homework with our guests' DD.


Maybe having more FT in Singapore is the way to improve our English.

Or... maybe this will be the other extreme possibility ?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH47Xie-Fh8][/youtube]

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/574397https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/574397Sat, 03 Sep 2011 09:14:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:11:28 GMT]]>I feel itโ€™s important to speak good English. We have to set the foundation right at schools. Unfortunately, more often than not, our English is peppered with local phrases, non-English words and lahs, lors, lehsโ€ฆ Thatโ€™s fine in an informal setting among friends, but weโ€™ve got to be able to switch out of it in a formal setting like meetings, interviews etc. Unfortunately, when I listen to some of the kids (even adults) these days, my ears cringe.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/574159https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/574159Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:11:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:25:26 GMT]]>

UncleLim:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1150285/1/.html



You think it will work this time ? ๐Ÿ˜‰
I hope it works... Not that I do not identify with Singlish etc, I do speak \"rojak\" language depending on the circumstances... I feel that we should strive to be proficient in the language and give ourselves an option to choose to speak properly when the situation requires us to do so. We would be in a sorry state if our best proficiency level for English is \"Singlish\"... Just my thoughts.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/573785https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/573785Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:25:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Speak Good English Movement/Campaign -- again ! on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:21:01 GMT]]>๐Ÿ˜‰ why never hold speak good chinese campaign instead?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/573699https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/573699Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:21:01 GMT