Language groups in Singapore in 1957

Within the context of the ethnic Chinese community in Singapore, IIRC, English replacing everything else is a relatively recent phenomenon. It was first Mandarin replacing "dialects", then English now replacing Mandarin. This one isn't on any Speak English campaign, it is a phenomenon happening in just about every developing or recently developed country where the youth gets glamorized with mainstream anglophone media and culture. So I don't think it's necessarily "forced", but the outcome is the same.

I can sort of understand the need for English though, or else what are you going to make all of Singapore speak? English was simply the most pragmatic choice at the time, having been our colonial language. Yes, it was also forced upon us, but this never really became mainstream until way after independence and the majority of people still spoke their native languages.

Because of Singapore's linguistic diversity, we had to settle on a neutral language and I simply don't see the need for an additional Mandarin. What's wrong with letting the different "dialect" groups keep their native languages? It's not like Indians speaking their various non-Tamil Indian languages can't communicate, they can, using English.

I don't think everything I stated is true for English though. English was never intended to replace "dialects", its purpose was a purely additional language that the government did not wish people start to view as their native language. On the other hand, Mandarin was absolutely intended to replace the "dialects", and the entire point of the campaign was for Chinese Singaporeans to see Mandarin as our "mother tongue".

Nonetheless I agree that the reality has become English replacing everything else, which is sad indeed. . I do what I can and now exclusively speak Hokkien at home with my parents, but sadly you're probably right that English is going to replace everything else.

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