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?

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 younger Singaporean have lost more than just the dialects, how many of them know their culture?

Is Speak Mandarin Campaign a success? NO, how many Singaporean can speak proper Mandarin without few words of english, malay ....?

going back to speak dialect will not solve the problem. Learn proper Mandarin and English.

Can say all my nieces and nephews all don't know to speak Hokkien.... It's fast becoming extinct in Singapore

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?

How do you know that Speak Chinese campaign is a success? Is it because the younger generation (at least those whom I had come across) can speak but cannot write Chinese?

Originally posted by sgdiehard:

The younger Singaporean have lost more than just the dialects, how many of them know their culture?

Is Speak Mandarin Campaign a success? NO, how many Singaporean can speak proper Mandarin without few words of english, malay ....?

going back to speak dialect will not solve the problem. Learn proper Mandarin and English.

what is our culture ?

It shows singaporeans are easily changed.

The younger Singaporean have lost more than just the dialects, how many of them know their culture?

That is due to PAP regime's education system.

Train people in alien language.

All these policies in the long run demoralises the people.

That is due to the PAP.

me can speak my dialect ! Teochew (: cos due to me staying with my grandparents (:

so gotta communicate with them in dialect .

I think most Singaporeans just don't speak the dialect as we all can communicate in English and Mandarin... not meaning that we don't know it rite... maybe Singaporeans should be speaking (rather than learning) their dialect language again :)

dialect if can learn of course should learn.

but how many people will want to learn?

if cc got offer basic hokkien intermediate hokkien who will go?

Originally posted by yamizi:

How do you know that Speak Chinese campaign is a success? Is it because the younger generation (at least those whom I had come across) can speak but cannot write Chinese?

Sry, i meant success as in gov managed to stop Singaporeans from using dialects. I was asking my parents how come i didnt learn dialect when i was young. After a long pause, my mom said because it is practical i.e.proper English and Mandarin are the more impt languages Singapore needs for economic growth.

On the other hand, I think that though at that point of time Singapore needed to progress fast, we should not have threw dialect (supposedly our first laguage) away just like that. Look at how its dying off now - such a pity

Originally posted by sgdiehard:

The younger Singaporean have lost more than just the dialects, how many of them know their culture?

going back to speak dialect will not solve the problem. Learn proper Mandarin and English.

Yeah. Its precisely becos languages is relatively linked with culture, that is why we should learn dialect language which inturn leads us on to learn more about our culture. A simple example would be the reason for oranges being used as 'gifts' during chinese new year. Its linked to Cantonese. A dialect is only an expresion of a subculture related to the grand Chinese tradition. (Mak, 1995)

perhaps that is also why more and more of us dont even respect Chinese traditions like Chinese New Year, Moon Cake Festival, etc. I have to admit to this myself. I believe that dialect helps tie us to our Chinese culture too.

Originally posted by ChoCoChips:

dialect if can learn of course should learn. but how many people will want to learn?

i perfectly agree with you. My reason would be the Singaporeans being too pragmatic. If there is any dialect Festivals (e.g. Hakka Food Festival...) at perhaps Expo, I doubt most Singaporeans would take time out of their busy schedules to make their way there. To us, life would still go as normal and everything would be well even if we do not know our own dialect lang and its culture. It is like the 'bo chap' attitude.

Would anyone agree to attend or put it bluntly volunteer to attend a 3-days dialect learning journey based on your individual dialect roots?

I would not mind if its during holidays actually.

Originally posted by Euniceosy:

Sry, i meant success as in gov managed to stop Singaporeans from using dialects. I was asking my parents how come i didnt learn dialect when i was young. After a long pause, my mom said because it is practical i.e.proper English and Mandarin are the more impt languages Singapore needs for economic growth.

On the other hand, I think that though at that point of time Singapore needed to progress fast, we should not have threw dialect (supposedly our first laguage) away just like that. Look at how its dying off now - such a pity

I would not say the government stops you from using dialect per se, but rather the government did not actively promote the speaking in dialects. Your mom has got her reasons. But that doesn't mean that she would not have used dialect to communicate with you.

I speak to my dad in teochew, my mom in chinese even till now. I picked up hokkien when I was in poly/army. Now picking up cantonese at work. It's whether or not do you want to pick up a dialect. Learning a dialect, or any other thing for that matter, doesn't drop from the sky or pop out of nowhere.

Originally posted by yamizi:

I would not say the government stops you from using dialect per se, but rather the government did not actively promote the speaking in dialects. Your mom has got her reasons. But that doesn't mean that she would not have used dialect to communicate with you.

I speak to my dad in teochew, my mom in chinese even till now. I picked up hokkien when I was in poly/army. Now picking up cantonese at work. It's whether or not do you want to pick up a dialect. Learning a dialect, or any other thing for that matter, doesn't drop from the sky or pop out of nowhere.

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.

chinese dialcts:

teochew, hakka, canton, hokkien, hainan and... thats all I know.

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..

Originally posted by xXBlack_RebelXx:

chinese dialcts:

teochew, hakka, canton, hokkien, hainan and... thats all I know.

Those are the southern dialects, where are the northen ones?

Are'nt most singaporean chinese descendants of southern chinese?

Originally posted by xXBlack_RebelXx:

Are'nt most singaporean chinese descendants of southern chinese?

Erm, I have seen some shanghainese, pekingnese and I think some from Heilongjiang. I suspect I heard people using the Jilin dialect in a neighbourhood coffeeshop.

PAP wanted us to speak mandarin is to associate ourselves with PRC.

Just like PRC, their government don't allow use of dialect. Their Pu Tong Wa is the only official language. TV station, radio and education system only allow use of it and no other. Only some small hardcore radio station in guandong allow some broadcast of cantonese....

That is why Singapore Chinese have no problem communicating with Chinaman and woman...

I agree that diversity of a certain root language adds flavour to that string of languages say Sino-Mongoloid languages.

But lets face reality, will our singaporean chinese children be able to learn their respective dialects in school? doesnt seem very ethical...

my take: 2nd language should be Mandarin but dont need to enforce mandarin as the only spoken chinese language and allow chinese to speak respective dialects under non-official circumstances.

Originally posted by ChoCoChips:

dialect if can learn of course should learn.

but how many people will want to learn?

if cc got offer basic hokkien intermediate hokkien who will go?

If cc got offer dialect course i would go. Only if it's cantonese though.

Btw anybody know of any cc that got teach canto?

Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:

Erm, I have seen some shanghainese, pekingnese and I think some from Heilongjiang. I suspect I heard people using the Jilin dialect in a neighbourhood coffeeshop.

Thanks for enlighting me. :)

We all lost our dialect, because the government want the few, who have to do business with China, to have a large pool of Mandarin speakers, with which to practice the language. The thinking was dialect speakers would impede the Mandarin speakers. There is no need for everyone to speak Mandarin, only those who need to, or those who want to should learn the language.

The aggressive Speak Mandarin Campaign resulted in a situation where PRCs do not need to know English to come to Singapore.

At the other end, Indians who come here have to know English or they will be disadvantaged.