Regardless of Language
The phrase "…one united people, regardless of race, language or religion…" in the National Pledge attests to the importance of language as a marker of identity in Singapore. The colonial census in 1957 recorded approximately 30 ethnolinguistic groups, of which English and Mandarin were the mother tongues of 1.8 per cent and 0.1 per cent of the population respectively. The linguistic situation that existed prior to 1980 was one of “polyglossia”; the average Singaporean tended to be highly multilingual with a linguistic repertoire of six to eight language varieties.[i]
The situation six decades later is vastly different. Of the four official languages, English and Mandarin are the most common languages spoken at home (36.9 per cent and 34.9 per cent).[ii] English is dominant in the public sphere and a discernible sense of anxiety over declining users and standards exists among the other three language communities. The state has played an immense role in reshaping the linguistic landscape through its language policies, especially those relating to education and media, and its long-running language campaigns. While this has contributed to economic development and political stability, there has been commensurate impact on identity and culture.
For the Chinese in Singapore, the promotion of Mandarin and promulgation of Simplified Chinese characters hindered the inter-generational transfer of knowledge, values and cultural beliefs, and severed the community’s ties to the Chinese diaspora across Southeast Asia (Nanyang), which had played integral parts in the formation of the Singapore Chinese identity. The main justification for the bilingual policy was the need for citizens to have a cultural ballast to withstand the “onslaught of undesirable Western influence” and gain cultural confidence. The choice of ballast was the culture of a far-away Great Civilisation, rather than an indigenous variety. This decision, together with the subsequent promotion of Confucian values in society, has greatly shaped the Singapore Chinese identity.
In the coming years, changes in demographics, technology and geopolitics will challenge the practicability of the current model of language management in Singapore. A more flexible approach centred on individual choice should be considered, together with the development of a cultural ballast that is rooted in Singapore and her immediate region. Technology offers new possibilities for strengthening national identity while maintaining linguistic and cultural diversity. Singapore’s experience in managing its multilingual and multicultural society will be a valuable reference to a globalizing world.
[i] Platt, John. 1980. Multilingualism, polyglossia and code selection in Singapore. In Evangelos A. Afendras & Eddie C.Y. Kuo (eds.), Language and society in Singapore, 39–62. Singapore: NUS Press.
[ii] Department of Statistics Singapore. 2016. General Household Survey 2015. Singapore.