MOST Singaporeans think it is okay to use Singlish in everyday conversation.
MSN conducted a recent online poll - Should Singlish be used in everyday conversation? - and found that 89 per cent of 12,000 respondents say they are comfortable using it.
Of these, 45 per cent of respondents, or 5,288 people, say that they are proud of Singlish and speak it.
The other 44 per cent, or 5,170 people, think it is okay to use Singlish - but they say it must only be used in certain scenarios and it is important to get the basic English right first.
Of the remaining 11 per cent, six per cent (705 respondents) believe there is no reason why Singlish should not be spoken, especially when some leaders even use it to address the public.
Just five per cent (588 respondents) think that Singlish should be dropped so the rest of the world does not think Singaporeans speak poor English.
Said an interviewee in a statement: "The general consensus is that there's absolutely nothing wrong with Singlish. It is part of our culture which defines who we are - we shouldn't hide from that. However, as the world is getting smaller, it is probably a good idea to make sure that we speak good English too."
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Thinking It Over:
Do you think Singlish should be dropped? Why?
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