The culture of Singapore English / Jock O. Wong, National University of Singapore.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wong, Jock, author.

Series:

Studies in English language

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

English language--Singapore--Grammar.

English language.

English language--Variation--Singapore.

English language--Social aspects--Singapore.

English language--Dialects--Singapore.

Language and culture--Singapore.

Language and culture.

English language--Dialects.

English language--Social aspects.

English language--Variation.

Grammar.

Singapore--Languages.

Singapore.

Language and languages.

English language--Grammar.

Physical Description:

xv, 329 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Summary:

"This book provides a fresh approach to Singapore English, by focusing on its cultural connotations. The author, a native Singaporean, explores a range of aspects of this rich variety of English - including address forms, social categories, particles and interjections - and links particular words to particular cultural norms. By using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) approach, which is free from technical terminology, he explains the relationship between meaning and culture with maximal clarity, and an added strength of this study lies in its use of authentic examples and pictures, which offer a fascinating glimpse of Singaporean life. Through comparisons with Anglo English, it also explores some difficulties associated with Standard English and cultural misunderstanding. Lending a unique local perspective and written with an incisiveness that makes it ideal for both academic and non-academic readers, this book will appeal to all those interested in Singapore English and its cultural values"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1. English in Singapore

2. The language of culture and the culture of language

3. Singlish forms of address

4. Cultural categories and stereotypes

5. The discourse of 'can' in Singlish

6. Expressions of certainty and overstatements

7. The tonal particles of Singlish

8. The enigmatic particle lōr

9. Interjections: aiya and aiyo

10. Making sense of Singlish.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical reference (pages 313-326) and index.

ISBN:

9781107033245

1107033241

OCLC:

864871653