The Singlish Controversy
Language, Culture and Identity in a Globalizing World

An exploration of the controversies surrounding Singlish and how they illuminate wider issues of identity and language in the context of globalization.

Lionel Wee (Author)

9781316632826, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 17 September 2020

222 pages, 3 b/w illus. 3 tables
23 x 15.2 x 1.1 cm, 0.34 kg

'Wee's book, which combines theoretical discussions with relevant examples, is … a welcome reality check for language researchers, educators, and policy makers to reassess their claims and positions beyond narrow linguistic descriptions, evaluative discourse, and linguistics prejudices.' Stefanie Pillai, Language in Society

Singlish is the colloquial variety of English spoken in Singapore. It has sparked much public debate, but so far the complex question of what Singlish really is and what it means to its speakers has remained obscured. This important work explores some of the socio-political controversies surrounding Singlish, such as the political ideologies inherent in Singlish discourse, the implications of being restricted to Singlish for those speakers without access to standard English, the complex relationship between Singlish and migration, and the question of whether Singlish is an asset or a liability to Singaporeans. These questions surrounding Singlish illustrate many current issues in language, culture and identity in an age of rapid change. The book will be of interest to scholars and advanced students of World Englishes and sociolinguistics. Its detailed analysis of the Singlish controversy will illuminate broader questions about language, identity and globalization.

1. Language policy in Singapore: English, Singlish and the mother tongues
2. Ideology pooling and metadiscursive convergence in the Singlish debate
3. Language experts, linguistic chutzpah and the Speak Good Singlish Movement
4. Voice: who speaks about Singlish?
5. The commodification of Singlish
6. Singlish, migration and mobility
7. What is Singlish? Language, culture and identity in a globalizing world.

Subject Areas: Globalization [JFFS], Society & culture: general [JF], Dialect, slang & jargon [CFFD], Language: history & general works [CBX]