Sound a little smarter when you cut down on the number of mistakes you make everyday
If you’ve been living in Singapore for the last 20 years or so, you would probably have heard of the Speak Good English Movement (SGEM), which was launched by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in year 2000.
Comprising key academics and professionals in Singapore, the committee behind SGEM aims to encourage Singaporeans to speak and write in standard, grammatical English that is universally understood.
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While the SGEM recognises the role of Singlish as a marker of our unique identity and vibrant culture, it also aspires to help the public gain a better understanding of standard English, to enable locals to code switch between standard and colloquial forms depending on the context of use.
Since its inception, the SGEM has been actively promoting the use of grammatically correct English. For me, the most memorable initiative is the display of sticky note posters in public places including libraries. The posters feature commonly used Singlish phrases alongside their Standard English versions. Over the years, the SGEM has also collaborated with various organisations including British Council, National Library Board, as well as F&B outlets Yakun, Toast Box and Kopitiam to conduct workshops and distribute printed mugs with tips and reminders to speak good English.
The SGEM has produced simple infographics that are easy to absorb, along with other engaging ways for us to learn and practice speaking and writing Standard English. These resources can be found at the SGEM’s website.
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This year, the SGEM has published a free, pocket-sized guidebook called Grammar Rules. The book covers grammatical structures, tenses and word classes, and draws attention to common mistakes made by Singaporeans, before providing the correct words and phrases.
A spokesman for the SGEM said, “Through Grammar Rules, the Speak Good English Movement hopes to draw attention to the importance of grammar so that Singaporeans may be encouraged to improve their standard of spoken and written English.”
10,000 copies of Grammar Rules have been made available to the public, and collection can be made at the Singapore Philatelic Museum and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall during the museum’s operating hours.
