|
These Singaporeans were recommended to LifeStyle as having a strong grasp of spoken English.
MS PEK SIOK LIAN, 40
film-maker and journalist
Those who know Ms Pek say she is an example of someone who is bilingual in Mandarin and English, but manages to keep a mental wall between the languages so the grammar and tones of each do not bleed into the other.
The alumnus of CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School sat for O levels in both subjects as first languages. To make her acclaimed documentary Mad About English, released last year, she traversed China conducting interviews in Mandarin. Yet, her round, polished English tones have earned her newscasting jobs in CNN and Bloomberg.
She picked up her crisp diction unconsciously, she says.
'I did enjoy the language. I did like to read, and the drama and literature classes. If you are interested in literature, you pay attention to language.'
She says good pronunciation does not mean speaking in a posh English acent.
'Standard Singapore English has a neutral sound. What's important about it is grammar and structure. It doesn't matter if you have a Beijing accent or a more Singaporean accent,' she says.
GERALD WOON, 40
investor relations consultant
He has had an affinity with the English language since childhood, having been brought up in an English-speaking family.
Mum was the leading figure in instilling a love for books and word games.
As a child sudying at St Michael's Primary and St Joseph's Institution, he devoured books by British writer Enid Blyton. But while reading honed his writing abilities, he still had a few kinks to iron out in his speech.
He says: 'My mother still tells this embarrassing story to everyone even now. When I was a kid I used to pronounce words as they are spelt, so I would say, 'This place is in a state of chows'.
'I meant, of course, chaos.'
Good diction is often equated with pretentiousness here. He says: 'People are enamoured with Singlish, so they will say you are proud because you want to speak like an ang moh.
'I don't think just because a person chooses to speak well at an appropriate time, he or she is trying to be arrogant.'
MANOJ CHAMAN LAL, 39
associate vice-president, corporate broking
Listening to his speech now, it is hard to believe Mr Chaman used to speak poor English when he was a student.
Raised in a traditional Indian family with parents who were not English-educated, he attended neighbourhood schools
Princess Elizabeth Estate Primary and Dunearn Secondary and feels that teachers play an important role in influencing how students speak.
'I had a maths teacher who spoke horrid English,' he recalls with a chuckle.
Things changed when he went to Canada for university studies and mixed with locals. He had a girlfriend over there - a Singaporean who had been living in Canada for many years - and credits her for whipping his English into shape.
He says: 'She was a teacher, a really mean and tough one who would correct errors in my speech. I took it a little hard at first. My ego was hurt. But in retrospect, it was fabulous training.'
How does he feel about the state of spoken English in Singapore today?
'Singaporeans sometimes come off as shy. I don't think we are shy. We just cannot communicate well.
'We're packed with ideas but we just don't know how to present them.'
FARALIZA TAN, 22
Miss Singapore World 2008
Last year's pageant winner took Mandarin as a second language at A levels at Tampines Junior College and thanks to the Malay heritage on her mother's side, she speaks conversational Malay, too.
Her fluency in English and poise in public speaking earned the graduate of Nanyang Technological University kudos last year.
She declined to comment on the brouhaha surrounding her successor, Ms Ris Low, though in previous interviews, she has called for the public to support Ms Low's efforts to improve.
She says that it is natural for Singaporeans to switch pronunciation styles to suit the social group, but it is important to be aware of how one adapts one's speech.
If one is taking shortcuts in pronunciation, be aware of it, she adds.
'When I am with my Malay relatives, I sound more Malay,' she says. Pronounce all the words clearly when you are relaxing with friends and they cannot be blamed for thinking that you are pretentious, she notes.
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
| 
