Sep 8 (THAINDIAN NEWS) As the country of Singapore rises to the position of financial services hub as well as a popular tourist destination, the government is once again trying to get the locals to speak more proper and clearer English. While the country shifts it’s economy from services to manufacturing, the Singaporean government feels that mastering the standard English language is imperative in raising the living standards of the country.

Some citizens are concerned however, feeling that by pushing standard English, that the unique “language” of the country, known as Singlish, could be lost forever. They consider this way of speaking to be a “cultural glue unifying the multiethnic, multi-religious city-state of 5.1 million people,” according to the ‘Associated Press’.

“There are many people who champion ‘Speak Singlish. But I appeal to you to think of our children. Put aside some of the more emotional elements that language always engenders,” Vivian Balakrishnan, who is a government minister, stated in a speech given on Tuesday.

Singlish is actually a combination of the four official languages of the nation, Enlgish, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil, along with vocabulary from a few Chinese dialects. English words are often used to directly translate Chinese phrases, which causes broken sentences such as, “”Got problem call me can,” which means, “Please let me know if you need help,” and “You ask me I ask who” which means, “I don’t know either.”

But some citizens feel it is just too difficult to expect them to change. Fadilah Mohammed, who is a saleswoman at a downtown mall food store stated, “It’s what makes us Singaporeans. When I speak English, I have to think carefully. When I speak Singlish, it just comes out naturally.”