Singlish use rising in Singapore, even at work, study finds

SINGAPORE, May 26 — Singlish is increasingly shaping everyday communication in Singapore, including in workplaces, according to a new study by the Institute of Policy Studies.

The study found that more young Singaporeans say they speak Singlish well and use it frequently, The Straits Times reported today.

According to the news report, about 80 per cent of those aged 18 to 35 said they could speak Singlish at least well, far higher than older age groups.

The proportion of respondents who identified most with English or Singlish rose to 47.6 per cent in 2024, up from about one in three in 2013.

More than half of respondents said Singlish is an important part of culture that should not be lost.

The Sinngapore newspaper also cited several researchers saying that Singlish reflects a sense of national identity in Singapore and captures everyday life from hawker centres to workplaces.

Singlish proficiency has also risen, with 57.8 per cent of respondents in 2024 saying they could speak it well or very well.

However, Standard English proficiency has also hit a decade high, with about eight in 10 respondents saying they speak it well.

The study found that Singaporeans increasingly switch between informal Singlish and formal English depending on context.

Researchers said this reflects “a mature public instinct for code-switching”.

At the same time, the share of people identifying most with their mother tongue or dialects has fallen over the past decade.

The researchers concluded that Singapore’s language landscape is one of “negotiated coexistence” rather than replacement.

المصدر: Malay Mail