Why do people in Singapore still speak Singlish despite the 'Speak Good English Campaign'?

Question

There is a project a few of us are working on and we would like to know why still there are people speaking in Singlish despite the emphasis on Good English? So many efforts have been made by the government to persuade Singaporeans to change their accent of speaking but there is no fruit from the labor.
Though a poll had been done earlier and the public claimed that speaking Singlish gives them a sense of identity of being Singaporeans, my group members and I strongly believe that speaking Singlish is not professional.

Answer 1

I think you need to pull the beam out of your own eye before you start trying to take a speck out of other people's eyes...For one thing, effort is not countable, so your statement "So many efforts" is bad English.

Answer 2

I believe it is the culture that had gone deep into our mind. No doubt our government is emphsising on good english programme but most of us is so used to speak Singlish tt we are not able to adpot speaking good English.
To me , I just speak as usual to anybody that I meeet. I don't really speak good english just to show that I am different from the rest of my friends.
I do agree with you tt speaking singlish is not professional but it really takes time for us to change our mindset from speaking Singlish to Speak English. maybe it takes up to 3 to 5 years before changes can be seen

Answer 3

I'm an American that lived in Singapore for 5 years (now i'm back :D haha)

But Singlish is just Singaporean culture.
Personally it pissed the hell out of me. hahaha No offense. But it just sounded so...annoying.
Not the point!

As I said it's just culture and it just makes Singapore...Singapore. Know what I mean?

Answer 4

Personally I don't feel very motivated: why should I be so deliberately different when my circles of friends are comfortable with our language.

Trust me, I don't speak Singlish to Caucasians.

Furthermore, changing of habit takes time. It is too ambitious to want change overnight.

Answer 5

i'm a Singaporean, we are born to speak like this,you can't change us,the whole world is not going to bow down to the english language, personally i think my government is forcing us to be like you ang mohs(whites) but i'm a rebel and i speak singlish whenever i like it,lah

Answer 6

when Singaporeans talks in singlish.they are just being "themselves"now.they should try to speak the standard English with foreigners though

Answer 7

they gave you a reason why they don't want to change...but I suspect if you're born with a language as your mother tongue you will always hear that language when they speak. It also comes from talking with their peers, they continue it because their peers do.....I've been an ESL teacher and seems to me unless you're born into English (it's your first language) then you don't speak English correctly or well....but I can say there are a "few" exceptions.