English is the undisputed lingua franca of the today’s
globalised world. As an undergraduate in Singapore, that point has been
emphasized to us since we began our formal education. English is Singapore’s first language and many of us,
including me, are more comfortable conversing in English relative to our mother
tongue. Despite that fact, many of
us would consider our English proficiency to be average at best. Personally, in all honesty, I consider
myself a poor writer, with no concept of grammar whatsoever. But as a citizen
in a globalised city I feel that effective communication trumps the need of
having to learn immaculate English.
The fact that English permeates my daily activities seems
to reflect its importance. From simple tasks, such as buying daily meals to
writing graded essays, English has to be used. Even upon my graduation, as I
embark on my work-life journey, my grasp of the language will affect my career
prospects. Being to read and write fluently and effectively will propel me forward in my career.
However in a globalised city like Singapore, the people
that I would encounter would come from diverse backgrounds. Conversing with
them would many a times require more than the use of English. While, English
might be a common language that bridges the communication barrier between us,
the use of other “dialects and languages” would help forge a deeper social bond.
That, I believe is effective communication. While it- that might be widely criticized
as a dilution of the language, it is a culture that is unique to a globalised
cosmopolitan city like Singapore. The wide usage of the colloquial language “Singlish”,
which is a melting pot of various languages and dialects into the English
language, aptly describes this point.
(295 words)
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ReplyDeleteThank you, Boon Siang, for this highly detailed and informative discussion. I enjoyed reading this because of the way you express a recognition of value in your English study. At the same time, there are a few issues worth considering. For example, while generally you focus well on why English is important for you and other citizens in Singapore, you digress in the 3rd paragraph. A nod to the use of Singlish may be warranted, but since you only have 300 words for this short essay, it may be better to keep your thoughts trained on standard English. I also wonder about the assertion that "English is Singapore’s first language." Really? In what way?
ReplyDeleteHere are a few other issues to consider.
1) Being to read and write fluently and effectively … > able?
2) Even upon my graduation, as I embark on my work-life journey, my grasp of the language would affect my career prospects. > (verb tense: check "would")
3) Nonetheless in a globalised city like Singapore, the people that I would encounter would come from diverse backgrounds. > (wrong transition word/verb tense)
4) While, English might be a common language that bridges the communication barrier between us, the use of other “dialects and languages” would help forge a deeper social bond. > (punctuation/verb tense as above, and in other sentences)
5) While it might be widely criticized as a dilution of the language, it is a culture that is unique to a globalised cosmopolitan city like Singapore. > What does "it" in both the first clause and the second refer to?
All in all though, this is a good effort and a fairly compelling reflection. I appreciate your hard work.
Hi Boon Siang!! :)
ReplyDeleteSo daring of you to write the more difficult topic haha.
(1) Good introduction to your writing - you clearly stated your stand before you further elaborated on them in the subsequent paragraphs.
"... effective communication triumphs the need of learning English."
(Oh, I actually agree on that point by the way!)
(2) "From simple tasks, such as buying daily meals to writing graded essays, English has to be used."
Slightly odd phrasing for "English has to be used." Sounds quite informal for an academic writing.
(3) "While, English might be a common language that bridges..."
Wrong use of punctuation after the word "while". (Is it a typo? HAHA)
Yay thanks for sharing and good job!
Great job Boon! You are one of the few who writes about something different.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you describe the importance of English and I totally agree with the frequent usage of it in our daily communication. Honestly, I don't think you are a poor writer. You are good at describing and explaining your points, example "From simple tasks, such as buying daily meals to writing graded essays, English has to be used". I can literally imagine the scene as I was reading it. Haha. However, do be careful of some word choice like "whatsoever" as it makes it seemed too casual. Overall, good job Boon! :D
Li Jun
Hi Boon! Your post is very unique as I felt that it followed a more academic approach compared to most of us. I definitely agree with you on the reasons why English is so important. Those reasons are the main motivators behind me trying to improve my English. The flow of your post is very fluent, and that makes it very easy for me to read. However, there are a few grammatical errors to take note of. One such example is from your last sentence in paragraph 2. It is better to phrase it like this: "Being able to read and write fluently and effectively will definitely be an assert that can propel me forward in my career." Nevertheless, it is still an interesting post!
ReplyDeleteTypo oops! *Asset
DeleteHi Boon Siang!
ReplyDeleteI like how you've incorporated all the relevant details within such a tight word limit. You seem to have incorporated all the pertinent issues in your article. Some suggestions for sentence construction are-
1) You've used "the fact" a lot in your sentences. While we do this often while speaking, it gets quite redundant while reading. So maybe you could rephrase a few sentences.
2) "Being to read and write fluently and effectively would definitely be an ace that will propel me forward in my career." could maybe be changed to "Learning how to read and write fluently and effectively will definitely work to propel me forward in my career."
3) "While, English might be a common language that bridges the communication barrier between us, the use of other “dialects and languages” would help forge a deeper social bond."
There's no need for the comma after while
Good job! I do disagree with you when you say you have no concept of grammar though.
-Naina