Years back, the different races in Singapore communicated with each other in a smattering of languages. Even among the same race, people spoke in different dialects. I think we did the right thing for language, like promoting Mandarin among the Chinese, using English as working language, having a bilingual education system.
Now that the initial problems have been solved, we seem to be facing another one. While our bilingual system (ie English and mother tongue, be it Chinese, Malay, Tamil or others) has produced a handful who are proficient either way, it's pretty sad that it has also led to two other outcomes: people who can't speak either well enough, and people good in only English since that's the medium for all subjects. Even for Chinese, the primary kids are learning romanised hanyu pinyin before the actual Chinese characters.
I'll put myself in the first category though I'm not confident of technical terms in Chinese. But I can communicate with my PRC and Taiwanese friends, and that's enough.
Now I'm steering away from above topic, which has actually resulted from the following: someone thought one of my environments was too cheena, lacks energy, too quiet, too slow etc.
You know what I never like? Chinese using the term "cheena". "Cheena" is a derogatory term, I repeat, DEROGATORY.
Nvm if you've been brought up in an English-speaking environment or educated overseas, nvm if you think the Chinese language is difficult to learn and nvm if you're simply not into Chinese culture and stuff. You don't have to use it and no one is forcing you. But I do not agree to anyone thinking it inferior because it's not. I don't believe in an inferior - or superior - language or culture; there are only people who are lacking in taste and respect.
the english speakg ppl are complaining chinese is difficult to learn; but for us chinese-speaking, we also find english difficult to cope and yet we still push ourselves to do it. wat assy ppl
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