Languages in Singapore

Official Languages

For a tiny city state with a population of barely 4 million, Singapore has a pronounced linguistic diversity.  With its multicultural influences, it’s not surprising that Singapore has recognized 4 official languages. These are Malay, a nod to the native Malay population, Mandarin, the language of the predominant ethnic group here, Tamil, spoken by a majority of the early Indian immigrants, and English, in acquiescence to the founding fathers of the colony.  For all purposes, English and Mandarin are the official languages of business, commerce, government, healthcare, and medical tourism affairs. In fact, Singapore is one of the very few former Asian colonies that didn’t do away with the Queen’s language in a fit of patriotic fervor when Her Majesty’s troops departed. This is why you’ll have no problem making yourself understood on your medical tourism travels – English is not just spoken, but encouraged here.  School children learn English as their primary medium of instruction.  All public signage is in English and so are the country’s national publications.  Like in many former colonies, the language spoken here is British English, although American English has a presence too.    

Malay is the language of the national anthem Majulah Singapura, and is the language of the street.  There is also a fair smattering of Gujarati, Malayalam, and Punjabi being spoken in Singapore.   

Singlish

Singlish is the Singaporean dialect of English, a peculiar mix of English words peppered liberally with Chinese and Malay phrases.  The government discourages its use for official purposes, and purists bemoan the declining state of English in Singapore, but die hard Singlish speakers say it’s what gives the country and its people a unique flavor.