Communicative Landscape of Singapore

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Communicative Landscape of Singapore

ID # 3703

Communicative Landscape of Singapore

First, communicating in Singapore is an art for locals as they navigate a variegated terrain of language uses; speaking to their parents in Hokkien-Chinese, Malay, or Tamil; to their professors in English (or perhaps the occasional Mandarin Chinese); using Malay in the military; ordering food in Singlish; and of course all four major languages for National Day celebrations. Thus, Singapore is a combination of linguistic and communicative styles which have interacted from across Asia and the west, such that picking the means of communication becomes a delicate art. It is stressed that bilingualism in Singapore has become a hallmark of the state construction of national identity.

“Bilingualism is a central piece of Singapore’s education system. We will not waver from our bilingual stance. There are good reasons for this.  Bilingualism gives us an edge, a special advantage as an economy and as a people. It allows us to take advantage of the strengths of both the western and eastern economies.  It also allows us to reach into our own cultures, and be confident of ourselves as a society.  This bilingual tradition is precious to Singapore.”—Former President of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam

One unique occurrence which struck me as initially out of the ordinary (for me that is) was the reference to ALL older persons one interacts with as Uncle or Aunt. Whenever I was with other Singaporeans getting into a taxi (a space where the art of communication is most explicit) one would say, “Hello Uncle! Can you take us to Tembusu lah?”  This reference is both a nod to the reverence Singaporeans have for elders in society, but also to the importance of relationships within society. Interactions are not referred to, like in the US, as their individual name, or their occupation, but rather as a relationship. This emphasis on the relational, communitarian role of individuals in a society of people is important for understanding how Singaporeans refer to their position and others in society.

View the art of communication in action in this short film by a Singaporean named Afiq Omar. Duration 21min.

The nature of this communitarian individual in Singaporean society reveals itself in unique ways in the university. For example, Singaporeans are least likely to engage with the lecturer during a class, or sit anywhere near the front of class. This was made abundantly clear on my first day of class at the university. Being an exchange student in a new environment my goal was to sort of blend in with the locals. Now, most people would immediately know that such a task was nearly impossible considering that I do not sound or look like any of my fellow classmates, but nevertheless I was determined.

For my first lecture I arrived early, as is per my sensibilities, and sat in the middle of the lecture hall. This I thought was safe considering it was the middle. However, little did I know that Singaporeans fill in lecture halls form back to front rather than the other way around, so I was actually right at the front of class with only bravest of individuals willing to sit in the row behind me. So much for being inconspicuous. However, the first day of class our professor, having been educated in the United Kingdom, tried to engage the class in conversation. This seemed like a bit of a lost cause for no one was willing to engage. Not even, I because of my attempt to not stick out, but eventually I spoke up in charity to her. It was from then on that I knew negotiating the delicate are to communication was going to be my task for the next year.

Students are often reluctant to make opinions heard in large groups, being reticent to distinguish themselves in the public space. That said the University is hyper competitive despite the seeming lack of desire to show individual strength, particularly at the time of exam preparation. Perhaps, it is the structure of the university, modeled off of British and (now) American educational systems combined with the university’s enrollment into the process of nation building that creates such a dichotomy.

Additionally, unlike communication in the US, which is very direct, communication in Singapore is often less so. When speaking in English Singaporeans are more likely to be direct with you in general than with other languages, particularly in daily informal speech going back and forth between English, Chinese, and Singlish. Singaporeans are quite indirect; often relying on implied meanings, tone, and gestures to reveal their displeasure or excitement.

In fact, silence is also a means of communication which the untrained person can mistake for lack of connection, but this is hardly the case. Often, Singaporeans prefer the presence of another that does not include idle chit chat. Thus, it can be hard sometimes to know what is being communicated exactly. There is a sense that even when someone is displeased with you they may not communicate that clearly leaving to unresolved disputes. This came to a head when I was working with Singaporeans on group projects. Sometimes it would be very difficult to understand what a group member was trying to get across, while at other moments lack of communication seemed to prevent progress. At one point, having been in Singapore a while, I also began to think as the locals did, not wanting to “break the other person’s rice bowl” as the saying in Southeast Asia goes when group members did not participate fully.

Thus communication in itself becomes an art, upon which the first stroke is the realization that communication is varied and has no singular meaning in the context of Singapore. A bit of patience and acceptance of ambiguity will go far towards making communication a bit less stressful. Communication then should be taken as an evolutionary process of continual adaptation and flexibility. The first step to better communication is patience.