The word "commodification" comes from "commodity", which refers to something desirable or useful.
Traditionally, we think of commodities as physical goods that can be transferred from one party to another, like gold, silver, wheat, and milk.
But increasingly, people recognise that intangible things can also be commodities. For example, skills are considered commodities even though they cannot be passed from one person to another the same way that physical goods can, because they do meet the basic definition of a commodity: they are useful.
Language is like a skill. It's something you acquire by learning, and you can develop it and become progressively better at it.
In this way, we can think of language as a sort of commodity. This implies that it is useful and/or desirable.
So when we talk about the commodification of language, we're actually referring to the process of making a language useful.
When it comes to Singlish, commodification is especially important to understand because the Singapore government often argues that Singlish is useless.
Is it really so?
Books, films, and plays: Showing off to the world
The Singapore government's claim that outsiders cannot understand and appreciate Singlish has proven to be false.
Many works by Singaporean writers have found global success. For example, The Coxford Singlish Dictionary, a lighthearted repository of Singlish expressions resembling an actual dictionary, was praised as "invaluable" by the Times of London. "Humorous, with lots of cross-cultural wordplay" was the opinion of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Note that these are media outlets in Britain, which is where Singapore often looks to determine what "standard" English is.
Singapore Dreaming was a movie that also attracted critical acclaim. Audiences around the world loved the use of Singlish dialogue. Taiwanese youth started repeating some of their favourite Singlish expressions from the film and were envious that Singapore has its own version of English. American and Spanish viewers could identify with how languages mix together the way they do in Singlish. One reviewer wrote that the use of Singlish in the film allowed him to "understand just how ‘globalized’ Singaporeans really are AND because of its use in the film, the story and characters seemed more familiar" to him.
Online, Singlish has spread quickly thanks to YouTube videos such as Sinful English.
And even universities are getting in on the act, with the University of York putting Singapore You Are Not My Country by Alfian Sa'at on its reading list for literature courses, and lion heart by Amanda Chong being on the syllabus for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations. These works contain Singlish expressions which literature students are expected to analyse for their deeper meanings.
At home
Numerous works targeted at a more local audience have also been created. For example, Mee Pok Man, Army Daze, and 12 Storeys were films that enjoyed success at the local box office. Because the films were set in Singapore, it was crucial to use Singlish for the dialogue to ensure authenticity.
A book titled Singaporelang - What the Singlish? was published in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of Singapore's independence, supported by a government grant. This shows the "schizophrenic attitude towards Singlish on the part of the government", especially in contrast with the banning of Singapore Dreaming from local television because it contained what the government felt was excessive Singlish dialogue.
When the government thinks there is an opportunity for Singlish to be commodified, it is happy to lend its support. The clearest example of this is how the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), an arm of the government, readily promotes Singlish as a unique selling point of Singapore. Its website contains a guide to Singlish and entices visitors to come and hear it for themselves. In this case, Singlish is commodified for economic gain through attracting tourist spending.
Foreigners promoting Singlish
Not only Singaporeans produce works with Singlish. Foreigners are increasingly taking an interest in Singlish as the wealthy city-state attracts more and more expatriates. Some of them are writing about their experiences with Singlish.
For example, a blogger going by the moniker "Aussie Pete" wrote:
As time goes by, and one spends much time living and interracting with the locals (especially outside of the tourist areas), it soon becomes apparent that English alone is not enough to fully converse on local topics. The intent of this post is to offer a guide to non-Singlish speaking people to perhaps better understand what is going on around them.
Another writer Cullen Hartley wrote:
If you’re a soon-to-be expatriate planning a move to Singapore, you have undoubtedly heard of Singlish, the peculiar creole English spoken by most native Singaporeans. It is a mix of Malay, Chinese dialects, and English. Most people who bother to write about Singlish know it well, and they produce in-depth dictionaries cataloging the dialect’s nuances. These books are an ever-present facet of every Singaporean bookstore, and if you want to learn more the material is definitely out there. However, I feel the end result for most foreigners that pick up Singlish dictionaries is terminal information overload. People just don’t learn much from picking up a dictionary. Even-tempered expats become overwhelmed and give up and the more adventurous look silly as they misuse and mispronounce words. (Excuse me, did you see that ang kat makaning char siew cheem bye? Lah-lor.) I don’t claim to be an expert on Singlish, but I will share ten words that I guarantee that you’ll hear in Singapore.
In these examples, we can see non-Singaporeans trying to pass on their understanding of Singlish to other non-Singaporeans. Singlish has become more than a marker of Singaporean identity. It can be actively used and exchanged by non-Singaporeans too, taking on a more commodity-like character.
We will explore the impact of non-Singaporeans on Singlish further in the next chapter.
No comments:
Post a Comment