Talking in Manglish, can boh?

[ElansarGelmir]

We have many forums about speaking English, Malay, and Mandarin. How about the unique language which has crept into our society due to the daily interaction among the multi-racial nation in Malaysia? What do you think of this language? Should it be curbed, or should we let it nurture by itself? Who's proud of this Bahasa Rojak?

[calibre2001]

Standard English should be maintaned since it provides the most effective platform for communicating thoughts and ideas in English. Its impossible to see how any brand of pidgin English can perform this task.

With Manglish, Malaysia is yours but with proper English, the world is yours. As a local lingo, its fine but somewhat degenerating in the long run. And this would have adverse effects on those who particularly do not use English on a regualr basis. They stand to lose out more.

[Moozy]

i agree with calibre2001, but then you have to take into account the situation when Manglish is used. If it's in a pasar malam, it doesn't make much difference whether u speak the Queen's English or rojak "BM+BC+a little BI". A language's main purpose is for communication. If Manglish serves the purpose too, what's wrong if u speak occasional Manglish with your fellow Malaysians? Especially when you're overseas, you would feel more at home when you hear someone using the unique Manglish of Malaysia out of a sea of foreign languages or standard English.

[chankingguan]

I think Manglish is fine...it's actually the language that is created from the diverse culture that we have. By living together side by side, we have actually assimilated all our other native languages into the main spoken language, English and still it is understood by all races...MANGLISH...a language that we made and shud be proud of. It depends on which ocassion on deciding to use manglish or not. When speaking to your friends who are from Chinese, Malay or Indian-based skools, we shud use Manglish as it makes them comfortable and more open to us (from the english-based skool). Therefore, they will feel more at home and wont treat us like we "berlagak" or proud of our proficiency in English. However manglish shud never...i mean NEVER be spoken in a formal occasion....dats all i have to say.....hehhehehehee

[ElansarGelmir]

Yaler... that's what i was trying to say. Most Manglish speakers know when to switch to formal English mode and when to switch back to Manglish again, depending on the environment and to whom they speak to.

My experience in Singapore has taught me to value Manglish. When i first reached my hostel, i came across a few secondary ASEAN scholars who tried to slang their English, to make them sound more professional. Of course that made some of us pretty uneasy with their unpitched English (emphasizing on the wrong syllabus), and resorted to speaking Manglish and Hokkien among ourselves. That made us feel more Malaysians.

[__earth]

Especially when you're overseas, you would feel more at home when you hear someone using the unique Manglish of Malaysia out of a sea of foreign languages or standard English.

Whenever I heard excessive Manglish/Singlish, I feel irritated. somehow, i feel the intonation sounds rude.

[ElansarGelmir]

Especially when you're overseas, you would feel more at home when you hear someone using the unique Manglish of Malaysia out of a sea of foreign languages or standard English.

Whenever I heard excessive Manglish/Singlish, I feel irritated. somehow, i feel the intonation sounds rude.

Excessive Manglish? Like how?

[masterof_none]

although, I don't think it's a long term solution for learning English, I think it's a good way to learn to speak English.

I'm one of the Manglish user back in Sunway. Sometimes, I think it feels great get to talk Manglish again. (ask Jiin Joo. :-) ).

Gradually, we just need to adjust from Manglish to the 'real' English.

[KobeBryant]

Standard English should be maintaned since it provides the most effective platform for communicating thoughts and ideas in English. Its impossible to see how any brand of pidgin English can perform this task.

With Manglish, Malaysia is yours but with proper English, the world is yours. As a local lingo, its fine but somewhat degenerating in the long run. And this would have adverse effects on those who particularly do not use English on a regualr basis. They stand to lose out more.

yeah , agree with u.....
i am one of those who do not speak english on a regular basis that's why i always want to mix with those proficient in english so that whenever i speak wrongly , they can correct us and we can learn that way

[ElansarGelmir]

But i still strongly feel that some unique culture (in this case, manglish) should be preserved albeit it may be pain to the "queen's english" speakers. However, if you feel that Manglish will influence your English, in other words, sabotage your english, then refrain from speaking manglish lor.

[KobeBryant]

manglish...it is the 'lar' at the end of sentense and the usage like 'where got' ? can name some other examples ?

[iQing]

But i still strongly feel that some unique culture (in this case, manglish) should be preserved albeit it may be pain to the "queen's english" speakers. However, if you feel that Manglish will influence your English, in other words, sabotage your english, then refrain from speaking manglish lor.

I have got you... what is the meaning of lor?... hehe

I find that germans can understand my accent well.
I think proper English is about using the grammar correctly.
regarding accent, each country/area has thier own accent. We don?t have to immitate how the English speak thier language.

Speaking Manglish... it reminds me of "mind your language" (sitcom)
it?s fun actually... but try to avoid it in official function..

I think there?s a new form of English, which many people thinks it will degrade our English... it has become popular after the existence of global internet fever
for example :
JTLUK that I will call u ASAP. gr8 2 meet ur bf

I admit that I am writing such English as well...

can you imagine if we speak manglish and write i-English at the same time? it really looks modern and informal ... it has it pros and cons

[ElansarGelmir]

manglish...it is the 'lar' at the end of sentense and the usage like 'where got' ? can name some other examples ?

Just wondering... is broken english manglish? For eg. you eat already or not? That phrase is translated verbatimly from Mandarin. So, is it mandarin or broken English....

[jiinjoo]

Hahaha.... Quite funny to think that there can be such a diverse set of opinions on Manglish. There's an outdated book out there with this title, so if you can find it, you might be able to learn it properly (that answers Manglish != Broken English) or even examine and enhance it (much like the mission of talkingcock.com)

But Syamsul ho, you wan to tok like dat also can one. Most impotanly you have to no who your audience is first. or else if your amelican flend canot undestand then how? But then if you wan to keep the accent as well as make your amelican flend undestand you, you can talk like this lo! See, leasonable glamma, put extla words only at the end of the sentence, and be careful not to spice it with malay la, or mandalin la, or tamil etc. then can alredi.

I think online forums helps a great deal for those who long for a more condusive English speaking environment. Maybe we should put some javascripts on the forum, so that one can right click and check the ditionary online immediately.

The word 'lar' is long ago already lar, that no one will know whether it is from mandarin or malay or any other regional culture lar, until the point it is hard to attribute it to anyone lar, even mandarin doesn't have the 'lar' in it until pretty recently lar, because they used to use the word 'ye' last time lar... this ye, that ye, oh my god ye lar....

[jiinjoo]

what is the meaning of lor?
From the Coxford Dictionary:

LOR
(law)
Yet another Singlish tag, similar in usage to "Lah", but which adds a slightly cynical or resigned tone to the sentence.
"Aiyah, don't care him. He's always like that, lor."
See also: Lah Leh Meh

I think in central peninsula, "lor" also have some connotation of "more knowledge than you", e.g. "Like that then you go eat karipeng lor" translated verbosely: "Don't you know that if this is the case, you might as well go eat curry rice?" Which is different when you say "Like that then you go eat karipeng lar", i.e. If this is the case you will have no choice but to go eat curry rice.

I have no idea how it's used beyond that. Anyone?

[iQing]

There are some Chinese expressions used at the end of a sentence such as lor, lah...

naturally many of us still use these expression when we speak englsih...
here?s some examples...

LAR....
LOR...
QUA... (it means maybe... same as kut in malay)
AH.... (it means really? ... same as ke in malay)
MAH....

some of my malay friends really use the expression MAH extensively...

aku tak tau mah...
susah buat mah...
kamu comel mah...
aku sayang ko mah....

it?s a bit rare for a person to use MAH in Englsih...

[ElansarGelmir]

Ya lor... Lor is more to Singlish lor... Wah, if an ang moh saw this thread arr, we die liao lor...

Ok, ok, stop the lor... it's getting irritating. Hehehe.... Anyway, i agree with Jin Joo's idea of having an online dictionary in the forum. Well, whenever i post my messages, i have to refer to another webpage (wwww.dictionary.com) to check for spelling error. Kinda tedious. If only we can have a small column dictionary, perhaps below the Emoticons, that would be much easier. Just a suggestion...

[KobeBryant]

but i like those lar, lor , ma , meh.....it makes u very close to the person u are talking to

[Kevinlim]

sometimes we are too used to the "lah", "lor", "ah" etc etc thing but that's how we communicate for so many years. some things can't be changed in a short period of time. sometimes it's there are some expression that is hard to be mentioned using proper language so there comes the rojak language thing. even if it's not correct to do so, sometimes u just can't get rid of the habit.

[ElansarGelmir]

Let's put it that way. Not all languages are perfect, especially if we do not master those languages in depth. Thus, we find it hard to express ourselves without being too verbose. And being multilingual, we find that some words in one language defines an expression accurately, whilst others don't. That's how Manglish is derived, i think. Using words from different language which suits the context of the sentence most accurately. Or others just simply do not bother trying to think of other synonyms of the same language. But i have to admit, using the ah, lar, lor, meh gives the oohm to casual conversations.

[trishotiwuth]

Standard English should be maintaned since it provides the most effective platform for communicating thoughts and ideas in English. Its impossible to see how any brand of pidgin English can perform this task.

Ehem. Are you sure? If Manglish can't possibly communicate thoughts effectively, then how have most English-speaking Malaysians been communicating? You are not saying that we speak standard English, are you? From what I learn in my Linguistics class, language is universal. Therefore, the Mat Sallehs still understand what we're trying to say even if we say it in Manglish.

[trishotiwuth]

sometimes we are too used to the "lah", "lor", "ah" etc etc thing but that's how we communicate for so many years. some things can't be changed in a short period of time. sometimes it's there are some expression that is hard to be mentioned using proper language so there comes the rojak language thing. even if it's not correct to do so, sometimes u just can't get rid of the habit.

True. I can't agree more. The "lahs" and the "lohs" have been around for quite some time that it has seeped into our culture. To completely erase the habit of adding these suffixes we might even need to revamp the whole culture. Toddlers shouldn't be exposed to the "lahs" and "lohs". Parents need to speak standard English. In school everyone should leave out the "mahs" and the "mehs". Sounds tough? Tell me about it. I'm gonna be an English teacher. Boo hoo hoo...

[KobeBryant]

u are going to teach ? english techer

[solace]

manglish rocks!! we love to spiaking london!! blekZ~

[ElansarGelmir]

oh yeah, just received a letter from an old pal of mine who speaks really fluent english. In my previous letters, i wrote manglish to him, and he replied in casual but perfect English. However, today i think he tried to be Manglish by inserting some lah with quotes and unquotes... e.g. Our society has gained its momentum over time to put on their final show "lah"... a little jagged ler... makes me think, do we need skill to converse in manglish?

[calibre2001]

Let me share an interesting experience I once had. A long time ago while I was washing my laundry at a laundrette in London, this old chap, a black man probably from the Carribean ( Jamaica, Bahamas area) sat next to me and started talking. He was speaking English, heavily accented with a Carribean flavour (think Bob Marley rasta talk) and using alot of foreign terms in his talk. Knowing he's a senile chap, I politely agreed and nodded to whatever he just said which was just plain uninteligible gibber.

That taught me one thing; if you think you could bring your own brand of a language to the world arena so could a million others; Singlish, Jamaican English, Indian English, Jap English, Scottish (hard to decipher!) included.

[calibre2001]

Standard English should be maintaned since it provides the most effective platform for communicating thoughts and ideas in English. Its impossible to see how any brand of pidgin English can perform this task.

Ehem. Are you sure? If Manglish can't possibly communicate thoughts effectively, then how have most English-speaking Malaysians been communicating? You are not saying that we speak standard English, are you? From what I learn in my Linguistics class, language is universal. Therefore, the Mat Sallehs still understand what we're trying to say even if we say it in Manglish.

The fact remains that Manglish, in its truest form, definitely lacks an extensive vocabulary and room for creative expression. Very often, words and phrases need to be borrowed from other languages.

Someone mentioned about Manglish sounding disgusting. Sadly, I concur. Its because Manglish/Singlish is pretty much a patchwork lingo. And frankly, its definitely easy the difference between patchwork and great work!

[calibre2001]

Standard English should be maintaned since it provides the most effective platform for communicating thoughts and ideas in English. Its impossible to see how any brand of pidgin English can perform this task.

With Manglish, Malaysia is yours but with proper English, the world is yours. As a local lingo, its fine but somewhat degenerating in the long run. And this would have adverse effects on those who particularly do not use English on a regualr basis. They stand to lose out more.

yeah , agree with u.....
i am one of those who do not speak english on a regular basis that's why i always want to mix with those proficient in english so that whenever i speak wrongly , they can correct us and we can learn that way

LOL!! I've been reading a forum set up by foreign students learning Chinese in China. They note that its sometimes difficult for them to practice their Chinese since everyone they talk to would take advantage of them by practicing their English with them instead!! These people are known as 'English bandits'.

[ElansarGelmir]

Let me share an interesting experience I once had. A long time ago while I was washing my laundry at a laundrette in London, this old chap, a black man probably from the Carribean ( Jamaica, Bahamas area) sat next to me and started talking. He was speaking English, heavily accented with a Carribean flavour (think Bob Marley rasta talk) and using alot of foreign terms in his talk. Knowing he's a senile chap, I politely agreed and nodded to whatever he just said which was just plain uninteligible gibber.

That taught me one thing; if you think you could bring your own brand of a language to the world arena so could a million others; Singlish, Jamaican English, Indian English, Jap English, Scottish (hard to decipher!) included.

i think everyone knows when you are speaking internationally, then use the international lingua franca... It's the matter of being versatile in switching from one language to another without losing the candorness of your conversation, which depends heavily on whom you are talking to...

[calibre2001]

I should point out that not everybody has the privilege of knowing the difference between Manglish and proper English when speaking.

[chiunlin]

I should point out that not everybody has the privilege of knowing the difference between Manglish and proper English when speaking.

Do you mean that some people can't differentiate between Manglish and proper English or that some people don't know when they should speak proper English or Manglish?

[ElansarGelmir]

I should point out that not everybody has the privilege of knowing the difference between Manglish and proper English when speaking.

Do you mean that some people can't differentiate between Manglish and proper English or that some people don't know when they should speak proper English or Manglish?

i think he's confused either.......

anyway, what i want to say is, Manglish is ok if you speak with those of the same frequency. Don't tell me you speak cantonese to a kwai lou, or speak malay to a Japanese? No, right? It's the same case here with Manglish. We speak Manglish to Malaysians or people of the same region...

[iQing]

I should point out that not everybody has the privilege of knowing the difference between Manglish and proper English when speaking.

Do you mean that some people can't differentiate between Manglish and proper English or that some people don't know when they should speak proper English or Manglish?

i think he's confused either.......

anyway, what i want to say is, Manglish is ok if you speak with those of the same frequency. Don't tell me you speak cantonese to a kwai lou, or speak malay to a Japanese? No, right? It's the same case here with Manglish. We speak Manglish to Malaysians or people of the same region...

I agree with you.
Language is ment for the purpose of communication...
Manglish can be used but try to avoid it in official function

Listening to manglish is like watching Kopitiam
and listening to singlish is like watching phua chu Kang...
and both are funny and entertaining...

[ElansarGelmir]

Hehe... Phua Chu Kang roqs... Compared to the way rosie and PCK talks, and Chu Beng and margeret talks, i feel more like home listenning to PCK and Rosie's Singlish. Feel at ease in their not so classed conversation...

[iQing]

too bad I can?t download Phua Chu Kang in Germany...

PCK limited... best in Singapore and JB

ReCom... best in Malaysia and New York.. lol

[ElansarGelmir]

ReCom... best in Malaysia and New York.. lol

and some even say in Pluto...

[naturesimple]

y cany se make this 'language' as our country uniqness??? the next time ppl heard other ppl saying end with 'la' , 'yalor' n more , the former will identify the latter as malaysian. can malaysia be famous by this???

[USSDefiantNX74205]

The problem (if there is a problem...correct me if I'm wrong) here I would say, lies in our feeling of 'rendah diri', if you get what I mean. Most of us would say that Manglish is not real English because Manglish is a patchwork or shortened phrases, mispronounced words and has an imported vocab. This therefore, makes it 'no standard' compared to the REAL English spoken by Americans and Britons. But then again, no matter how we look at it, Manglish is still English, but with an added touch of local flavoring.

This happens everywhere in the world. Take the black community in America for example. They speak with terms like 'yo', 'wassup' and many others. But does this make their English more 'English' than ours? That's the beauty of language. It evolves with the speakers, not the other way round. Manglish is fine, but it should only be used in occasions where you are sure the other party understands you. You wouldn't wanna see a Malaysian speaking Manglish with a Jamaican who speaks Jamaican English would you? It would be entertaining, but both parties won't get their messages across effectively. So in occasions like these, the only option would be to use a mediating form of English. And that means using formal English.

[iQing]

I hv 2 agree. izt gr8
wadda u think of dis kinda cool funky style o?english?

to -- 2
love -- luv
great -- gr8
mate -- m8
by the way -- BTW
be right back -- BRB
smile -- :-)


dis kinda english is written WORLDWIDE
n I think we can use this kinda english to communicate even with the US or UK ppl... wadda u think?

[budakkerek]

that funky style o english exists mainly coz of the Net. abbreviating, creating acronyms to save time and coz they mls wanna type so long a word.

I guess most of us are using such language esp in SMSing and chat sessions. Believe it or not, this a few years back, was said to be the reason why the level of english proficiency is deteriorating among our students 8O true..very true..

stimes i TERuse such words in my essays..then hv to oopss...cancel and write again. hehe

[ElansarGelmir]

Hmm... I wonder... if everyone is disdained of derived English, then why the Queen's English is not being used world wide albeit more than 70% of the world speaks English? Why is American English acceptable? Why no one bans Australian English? Why is there the African American English? They still speak their own version of English in their country, don't they?

to -- 2
love -- luv
great -- gr8
mate -- m8
by the way -- BTW
be right back -- BRB
smile -- :-)

dis kinda english is written WORLDWIDE
n I think we can use this kinda english to communicate even with the US or UK ppl... wadda u think?

Hmm... i think SMS language can indirectly help us in someway which we do not realize... For instance, when taking down notes, if we are adapted to use this acronyms/abbreviations, we can cut down the time used to copy notes, or perhaps, are able to jot down everything that the lecturer said without missing out some points... However, only use it informally... Using them in essays of course is warranting for trouble...

[calibre2001]

Hmm... I wonder... if everyone is disdained of derived English, then why the Queen's English is not being used world wide albeit more than 70% of the world speaks English? Why is American English acceptable? Why no one bans Australian English? Why is there the African American English? They still speak their own version of English in their country, don't they?

to -- 2
love -- luv
great -- gr8
mate -- m8
by the way -- BTW
be right back -- BRB
smile -- :-)

dis kinda english is written WORLDWIDE
n I think we can use this kinda english to communicate even with the US or UK ppl... wadda u think?

Hmm... i think SMS language can indirectly help us in someway which we do not realize... For instance, when taking down notes, if we are adapted to use this acronyms/abbreviations, we can cut down the time used to copy notes, or perhaps, are able to jot down everything that the lecturer said without missing out some points... However, only use it informally... Using them in essays of course is warranting for trouble...

I guess as everybody knows the US of A pretty much rules the world. The US meddles around in the affairs of the world for its own political and economic interests (it has control of everything except OIL!!). Thus American English has been elevated from yankee-pariah state to uber coolness. Let us not forget money-scam Hollywood and American pop culture which has spread its tentacles round the globe.

Queen's English has waned in popularity following the solvency of the once mighty British Empire, which was probably responsibility for planting the 'English' seed worldwide. Only the Brits and Anglo-centric still uphold the 'superiority' of Queen's English. If not for the US, we would probably see plenty of languages fighting for the position of the world's most widely used language.

SMS language has got a personal touch of its own 8O

[wwhong]

nothing wrong with manglish at all....just show our uniqueness, haha....as long as both parties can understand each other then there shouldn't be a problem whether u speak manglish or not...that's the purpose of language isn't it? as long as it delivers what the speaker wanna say so that the listener understands...

the best way? know both. when u r around with m'sian and s'porean, speak manglish and if u r around with americans, britains or whoever, just speak clear english. there's no need to try to emulate american slang, british slang or whatever slang there is. just speak it loud and clear and that's it/

[ElansarGelmir]

I guess as everybody knows the US of A pretty much rules the world. The US meddles around in the affairs of the world for its own political and economic interests (it has control of everything except OIL!!). Thus American English has been elevated from yankee-pariah state to uber coolness. Let us not forget money-scam Hollywood and American pop culture which has spread its tentacles round the globe.

I believe that no one should look down on one's culture or language. Every culture/custom/belief/language is unique. And speaking Queen's English doesn't entitle you to superiority. It is just to flaunt to others that you have mastered the English which was once spoken by the colonials... So what? To me, queen's English sounds classy. So does French. American English is casual. Mandarin is beautiful. Mathematics is a terse language. Manglish and Singlish has many accurate jargons that describe our culture. No language should be considered low class, unless it fails to create a harmony and serve its purpose as a tool of communication to send your message across accurately.

[calibre2001]

Interesting. Do Malaysians attach class and language together? I think to an extent we do....

[ElansarGelmir]

Interesting. Do Malaysians attach class and language together? I think to an extent we do....

Perhaps for Malaysians like you...

hmm... basically, you do not need to speak queen's English to be a successful person... Especially in some society in Malaysia; they will view you as a snobbish pig.

what's so wrong with speaking with people in the language that everyone understands and is comfortable with? i think if you speak queen's english in a coffee shop, chances are, either the ppl there will view you as a kwai lou born in England or you are trying to show off... No offense though. you need to know whom you are speaking with... Masuk kandang lembu menguak, masuk kandang kambing mengembek

[iQing]

there was an episode of phua chu kang where PCK and rosie speak proper queen English (with strong accent)... they look really fake...

have u seen it? hahaha...

it would be awkward to see normal malaysian speak exactly like the english... even europeans like the germans and spanish can?t speak like english people.

[ElansarGelmir]

my American Cultural Studies teacher, Mrs. Ranee (ring any bells, ATUs?) told us that she can speak the queen's english anytime she wants to... She even demonstrated it to us... We were awed by how well she speaks... but she said she will still speak the normal English that Malaysians speak because it is her... If she speaks queen english everyday, it would be like a fake version of her, so says she... hmm... i agree with that... i mean, if she keeps speaking the queens english everyday, i think we would eventually be bored of it and pass her off as trying to be someone whom she isn't...

[WantChair]

if I speak like this ler, you can understand me or not? can mar, correct or not? if I speak Queen's English, and you cannot understand ler, wat is the use?

Would you be able to understand me if I speak in this manner? I'm sure you will be able to, am I right? What is the point of speaking in Queen's English if you are unable to convey your message?

Frankly, the purpose of language is to enable us to communicate with one another. and manglish suits this purpose well enough in Malaysia,
Some "apek" would be able to bargain with a Malaysian Indian customer in fluent Manglish.. and yet face problems communicating in the same language with a British tourist... in this ankward situation, both parties have to make sure they understand each other, the "apek" could be more industrial and attempt to speak in proper English, and the Brit could start mimicing our local dialect, the "apek" would be able to filter through the heavy English accent while the Englishman needn't have to filter through a forest of jargon (lah, lor, waa,....)
Manglish is in no way less worthy than other languages in terms of communicative power here in Malaysia. The trick is to know when to use Manglish, and when not to use Manglish

[iQing]

this issue is analogious to BM as well...
we use bahasa baku and bahasa biasa depends on situation.
Of course we don?t write karangan with the malay we see in majalah gempak or utopia... but thier existance is well accepted and there?s no problem with it...

same as english...

x tau korang setuju dgn cek tak? rase bose...

[ElansarGelmir]

Glad to find that not all Malaysians are trying to curb the prevalence of Manglish in this country, like what Singaporeans are doing to Singlish. Sometimes, we must be proud of ourselves, as Asians. We should respect other cultures as well, but never be disdained of our own very unique culture/language... Maybe those who oppose manglish are struggling hard to improve their english. If that so, then it's better for them not to be exposed to Manglish. Else, they will have problems in their grammar and sentence structure/phrasing.

[kevinkhoo1986]

Personally i think it doesnt matter as long as you know how to switch to English or Manglish depending on the circumstances

[jiinjoo]

He was speaking English, heavily accented with a Carribean flavour (think Bob Marley rasta talk) and using alot of foreign terms in his talk.
Jamaican English ROCKS!! I actually liked that more than the beaches etc. when I visited that place last year. Still remember the quote from someone in Bob Marley's mauselom:

"Here in Jamaica you don't drink and drive... you Smoke and Fly!"

It's pretty easy to start, first switch all your 'a's to our bahasa baku 'a' and you're pretty much there. Try these phrases in baku: Yaman, de hotel rum is redy man.

I should point out that not everybody has the privilege of knowing the difference between Manglish and proper English when speaking.
?

You mean some people watch TV, hear the English spoken by our news reporter and think that's the correct English, then learn that? Or you mean people have no TV, only have friends that speak broken Manglish to converse to, hence thinking that's the correct English?

You wouldn't wanna see a Malaysian speaking Manglish with a Jamaican who speaks Jamaican English would you?
Oh we did just That! :) The Jamaicans that we met have been lingering around touristy areas for some time, so they have heard many accents, but not our accent! (4 M'sians and 2 S'poreans went on the trip). But they manage to catch most of it, especially when we were conversing among ourselves about how to get the car key out of the van we rented, locals did rush over to help and give oponions. Interesting how the first thing that they say when they see us is "Yo! JJ! You from Japan? Japan friend! Japan Jamaica JJ! Come I show your my backyard." and when they started hearing our conversation, they stopped all their stereotype and started asking "Where you come from"... etc.

Thus American English has been elevated from yankee-pariah state to uber coolness. Let us not forget money-scam Hollywood and American pop culture which has spread its tentacles round the globe.
Let's don't forget that US is a pretty big place with no single accent. If you study here you'll notice that the accent they have in Hollywood movies are different from news reporting. In fact the cool kids these days don't speak that much of a black tongue anymore, and slowly the Irish tune of phrasing (with the last word or two in the sentence turning back up to the higher tone after a descent) is getting more and more popular. Dude, 'Yo mama' is so nineties dude. These days, you need a Dell.

[kevinkhoo1986]

there was an episode of phua chu kang where PCK and rosie speak proper queen English (with strong accent)... they look really fake...

have u seen it? hahaha...

it would be awkward to see normal malaysian speak exactly like the english... even europeans like the germans and spanish can?t speak like english people.

Aha... i saw that before. I am quite admire the PCK, he could converse in english so fluently. Few weeks ago, i saw he also could converse so well in Bahasa too( of coz on TV3 )

[ElansarGelmir]

there was an episode of phua chu kang where PCK and rosie speak proper queen English (with strong accent)... they look really fake...

have u seen it? hahaha...

it would be awkward to see normal malaysian speak exactly like the english... even europeans like the germans and spanish can?t speak like english people.

Aha... i saw that before. I am quite admire the PCK, he could converse in english so fluently. Few weeks ago, i saw he also could converse so well in Bahasa too( of coz on TV3 )

Lah... i think u can see Gurmeet Singh's appearance a lot in Singapore's channel. Anyone still catch Kid's Central? I think my hostelmates and i used to watch that, when there's nothing else to do in the hostel.

[iQing]

I think gurmit sighn has done a movie on football or something... can?t recall the title of the movie...

it says lim ah huat football team on his tee shirt...

what do u think of frankie foo? hehe

[pandaboy]

I think gurmit sighn has done a movie on football or something... can?t recall the title of the movie...

it says lim ah huat football team on his tee shirt...

what do u think of frankie foo? hehe

yeah..i watched tha show too...
it's so funny....
shown in astro some time ago....
cant remember the title too..
there's one show by gurmit singh...i think he is a salesman in that show..he speak good english.... and im not used to it..hehe ^_^

[darkhorse_86]

The title of the show is ' One Leg Kicking', if i'm not mistaken

btw that show is funny but it has didactic values too...see i'm digressing a bit here

anyways manglish should not be much of a hassel here. It makes our Malaysia society unique in our own way, but like most things, it shouldn't be overdone and moderation plays an important role here.

The moderate use of 'manglish' phrases like lah one mah etc etc.... should be permitted and acceptable in soceity lah ( :) ) but i think i understand why some people ( mostly eng teachers ) object to manglish is because everything is 'rojaked' inside.

So instead of one language, manglish combines 2 languages ( possibly others too, not very good @<hidden> manglish ) Hey, if we know more than more one language, we have the tendency to cakap campur campur you know....and i think that's how this comes about... I understand the reasons why some people condemn this, but we are just human beings. We need to communicate in our own unique way, not following the footsteps of others..

[ElansarGelmir]

Hmm... the main reason why we are tempted to mix those languages together is because we are lazy to think of the right word, and the right word is usually found in other languages, which so happens that the one whom we are conversing with knows as well... so, we use it conveniently, and everyone's comfortable with that, and then voila! we have manglish... and i dun mind! :wink: in fact, i prefer speaking manglish to malaysians rather than queen's english. at least i'll feel malaysian. hehehe...

[janewai]

I think it doesn't matter for us to use manglish as long as you don't make it as a mistake in your english writing then it is ok lor...

Last year I did attend the Summer Universiade Game. I met a lot of foreigners here in Daegu, Korea. There is no problem for my friends and I communicate with others by using a normal Malaysian english slang.

I think the most important thing is try to present YOURSELF naturally when communicating with others. I dont think manglish that we use in daily life will really influent that much. We do speak manglish automatically when we are talking with Malaysian, so same with if we are talking with non-Malaysian, I believe that our manglish speaking will automatically be switched to a proper english speaking. :wink:

[ElansarGelmir]

LOL!! Glad to know that there is so many Manglish advocater. Manglish roqs! :D

[iQing]

Curbing Use Of Rojak Language

MELAKA, July 8 (Bernama) -- Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said today ways are being considered to curb the use of rojak language -- the admixture of English words and expressions with Malay that he fears can lead to the loss of cultural identity and status of the national language.

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=78506

[gatecrasher]

Well though the topic is Manglish, bahasa rojak is bahasa rojak whatever language is getting 'polluted'. IMHO the govt should devote its resources to more pressing issues.
Languages are not dead entities. They evolve according to the times. It is inevitable and happens everywhere.
On the other hand, the govt is worried Malay culture will be eroded. In what way and how - eg English words will replace Malay ones and thus somehow rob Malay culture or what? I don't think cultural elements that have existed for so long can disappear so easily. But then i'm probably not qualified to say that since i seldom use Malay (call me a bad Malaysian if you like) and can't think of any concrete examples. Maybe i'm just biased - rojak languages are fine by me - long live Manglish!
Anyway if we continue discussing other rojak languages, the title of this thread be changed right?

[The_Observer]

All this menteri-menteri...jiak pak eng one. Simply go talk cock to cover their behind only. I tell you ah, I am sure they also rojak rojak at home one! Our mouth is our mouth ma. So..we can talk whatever we want lor. Nothing to paiseh paiseh about. These people ah, one day must learn hor that we Malaysians hor...are Malaysians. We must be proud of our manglish! Our own invention!

Wish I could talk like that over here in Australia. Actually, we Malaysians here still do among ourselves. :D
Go Manglish Go!!! <cheers>

[ElansarGelmir]

I believe that the Malay language is a rojak by itself. Look up in Kamus Dewan edisi ketiga urself. Find pangsai, sekenhen, tuapekong, and etc... i bet there are lots more of bahasa pinjaman from other languages like famili, komprehensif, and the list never ends... And The-Observer is right. I believe most of the menteries use 'u' and 'i' and switch from Malay to English in a single sentence when they give public speech. And in what position do they have to curb this unique culture of ours?

[janewai]

That's really surprised that I get to know a Korean, who stayed in Penang for around 10 years and now he back to korea just for army service, can speak Manglish very well with those "lah, lor, mah, ler.... " at the end of the sentence. He knows hokkien and a bit mandarin too and he said that himself is a Malaysian. ^.^
haha.. his manglish even is better than his own mother language, korean! :P

[The_Observer]

See....Manglish also got international standing

[ElansarGelmir]

That's really surprised that I get to know a Korean, who stayed in Penang for around 10 years and now he back to korea just for army service, can speak Manglish very well with those "lah, lor, mah, ler.... " at the end of the sentence. He knows hokkien and a bit mandarin too and he said that himself is a Malaysian. ^.^
haha.. his manglish even is better than his own mother language, korean! :P

Huh? U mean he isn't a Malaysian after all? Aiyah... i tot u told me he was born in penang, then transfer to Korea... haha... cannot blame hime wert... Manglish is the most convenient language in the univest! There are no grammar mistakes... no rigid rules and regulations to follow... so can't blame him mah for getting acquainted with the language so senang... haiyah... like what the Observer said, we should be proud tat Mangliss is International..... Manglish Boleh!

[PeiWen]

Manglish....yea, indeed very unique from other languages..haha, our Malaysian very own identity...however, since I live at JB, so I am kinda influenced by Singlish...aiks...actually, I don't quite differentiate between Manglish and Singlish, perhaps Singaporeans like to use more Hokkien+English? Something like "walao", "wah piang", "the meaning very chim leh" etc....just to name a few...I might be wrong about these differences....:P

[wyeoh]

LOL. I am loving this forum by the minute. The use of Manglish, is definitely a bridge between Malaysians abroad. Nothing feels more like home when you are speaking broken English with a Chinese accent about how much you miss the roti canais and mee goreng at home.. in front of Americans who are wondering what the hell you are talking about. Love to see their reactions when you start to speak slower and they are able to catch and figure out the words that are coming out of your mouth. The sense of eureka is definitely one of my most memorable moments and a sense of proudness being Malaysian.

But all in all, I for one definitely supports the use of Manglish, be it at home or school or even with govt officials while making your passport. Language is after all only a medium of conversation, and as long as the message gets across, why fret over the method. Though, one has to keep in mind that the constraints with coming with common use of this new language of ours. Our dear British, German or Australian friends wouldn't be able to comprehend us. I suppose we have much difficulty decoding their accents too, but that is definitely way easier than filtering out the language of non-English phrases, and performing cross references to Malaysian culture, plus word replacements when used in wrong contexts. As long as one is able to have a mental switch between both of them, I believe it is all good!

[phantom]

see,manglish is fine.

but imagine this,if someone doesnt talk in manglish but prefer to speak in standard english instead,they would be viewed with negative looks.that for me is an idiotic judgement.like the observer said," ur mouth,ur mouth lah".if u prefer to speak in manglish,it's ur choice.but if u prefer to converse in English,it is ur choice too.putting anyone down becoz they speak differently compare to you make you wonder ," why ppl love imposing their rules and their ethics on others?".

i speak manglish but i hate it when ppl keep putting chinese,indian words to them.i dont mind bm word becoz e'body for Heaven sake in m'sia knows a bit of malay.not all know the chinese words or the indian words.

plus,manglish doesnt represent the malaysian culture per se.did u notice something,not all ppl prefer adding lah at the back of their sentence.

true but sad,i have said lah many times i spoke to the mat salleh.i have to resaid e'thing becoz of the "lah" the back of the sentence.

[PeiWen]

Hey, don't be surprised that there are Malaysian Chinese that who don't know at all the "lah", "lor"...haha, I think they really have the proper brought-up especially in their English education. I think Manglish is fine too, it's really a unique identity for Malaysians. However, we must always remember that, we have to use proper English when it comes to official letters and in our studies. I guess, the teachers are just worrying that we might get used to the Manglish and apply it in our studies as well without our realization.

[bp_ffei]

Hm... no one brought up this topic for awhile...

When I was in Singapore, I made friends from Vietnam, Laos, India etc. I had Indian friends trying to immitate us by putting the Manglish/Singlish "lah"/"loh" when they spoke. They failed horribly (at first), and it sounded really wierd! Makes me think that after all there must be a certain language structure in Manglish/ Singlish...

My Vietnamese and Lao friends however, could put the "lah"s etc. in the right places as they've stayed in Singapore for 2 years before... But take note, it's the "minimal" type of Singlish.

I think Manglish can also be separated into a few types. There's the type where you use normal English+ "lah" etc. (eg. like that cannot one lah...). Then there's the type where you add other languages in (Eh, you must belanja us lah...).

[jackfook]

Speaking Manglish should not be encouraged.We learn English in order to communicate with foreigners and keep updating with daily information from internet and newspaper.If we are not speaking proper English,what point of learning English as foreigners cannot understand what are we talking about.

[okaywhy]

Speaking Manglish should not be encouraged.We learn English in order to communicate with foreigners and keep updating with daily information from internet and newspaper.If we are not speaking proper English,what point of learning English as foreigners cannot understand what are we talking about.
I agree with you. Although Manglish is fun, but it shouldn't be encouraged.

manglish doesnt represent the malaysian culture per se
Absolutely.

We do speak manglish automatically when we are talking with Malaysian
I speak either Malay or Chinese(Mandrin and other dialects) when I'm talking with Malaysian.

I believe that no one should look down on one's culture or language. Every culture/custom/belief/language is unique. And speaking Queen's English doesn't entitle you to superiority.
What's wrong to practice english in a proper way?

but imagine this,if someone doesnt talk in manglish but prefer to speak in standard english instead,they would be viewed with negative looks.that for me is an idiotic judgement.like the observer said," ur mouth,ur mouth lah".if u prefer to speak in manglish,it's ur choice.but if u prefer to converse in English,it is ur choice too.putting anyone down becoz they speak differently compare to you make you wonder ," why ppl love imposing their rules and their ethics on others?".
Yes.

Interesting. Do Malaysians attach class and language together? I think to an extent we do....
Yes, sometimes speaking english(to be more accurate, Manglish) itself is an act of showing-off.

Perhaps for Malaysians like you...

hmm... basically, you do not need to speak queen's English to be a successful person... Especially in some society in Malaysia; they will view you as a snobbish pig.

what's so wrong with speaking with people in the language that everyone understands and is comfortable with? i think if you speak queen's english in a coffee shop, chances are, either the ppl there will view you as a kwai lou born in England or you are trying to show off... No offense though. you need to know whom you are speaking with... Masuk kandang lembu menguak, masuk kandang kambing mengembek
I think people would be more comfortable if we speak malay or our mother tongues. Don't you think so?

In my humble opinion, we should use english for the sake of practise instead of long term communication. It's just unnecessary to speak english or manglish since every Malaysian know either Malay or Chinese(Mandrin and other dialects).

[jackfook]

ElansarGelmir wrote:
Perhaps for Malaysians like you...

hmm... basically, you do not need to speak queen's English to be a successful person... Especially in some society in Malaysia; they will view you as a snobbish pig.

what's so wrong with speaking with people in the language that everyone understands and is comfortable with? i think if you speak queen's english in a coffee shop, chances are, either the ppl there will view you as a kwai lou born in England or you are trying to show off... No offense though. you need to know whom you are speaking with... Masuk kandang lembu menguak, masuk kandang kambing mengembek

We should respect a language as it represents the culture of a race.If you want to speak manglish in coffee shop,it is better to speak your mother tongue rather than speaking English.Speaking Manglish is abusing usage of English.If you speak manglish in your oral test or whatever situation which face the foreigners,what they will think about Malaysian?Some Malaysian think that speaking manglish is like speaking English,at least they can speak.They claim that they have higher standard comparing with those who cannot speak English.This is the problem existing among Malaysian especially the Chinese.I am a Chinese.I know some Chinese shame of speaking Mandarin as they are looked down by the foreigners.You will not be respected if you shame of being yourself although you speak manglish.Learning proper English is the right way of proving that you have intense to improve your foreign language but not show off in front of your relatives and friends.

[Tab]

We should respect a language as it represents the culture of a race.If you want to speak manglish in coffee shop,it is better to speak your mother tongue rather than speaking English.Speaking Manglish is abusing usage of English.If you speak manglish in your oral test or whatever situation which face the foreigners,what they will think about Malaysian?Some Malaysian think that speaking manglish is like speaking English,at least they can speak.They claim that they have higher standard comparing with those who cannot speak English.This is the problem existing among Malaysian especially the Chinese.I am a Chinese.I know some Chinese shame of speaking Mandarin as they are looked down by the foreigners.You will not be respected if you shame of being yourself although you speak manglish.Learning proper English is the right way of proving that you have intense to improve your foreign language but not show off in front of your relatives and friends.

I know a language represents the culture of a society.
But, English has become such a widespread language that it doesn't belong to the English people anymore. It's the language of the world.

As a student in the UK, I observe that the way english is spoken varies VERY greatly even amongst the Brits themselves. People from different regions of the UK speak English in a distinctive manner, and they're proud of it coz it shows their roots.

The french see it as acceptable to speak English in a french-y accent, interspersing their speech with bits of french words.

I don't see why Malaysians shouldn't do the same when we speak among ourselves.

I've to be careful not to add all the lah and mah behind every sentence that comes out of my mouth when I speak to the brits.

However, among Malaysians, man..... all the lahs and mahs come into action! :lol:

I, for one, am an ardent supporter of Manglish (which is subtly different from Singlish, mind you!) :D

[jackfook]

I am not criticising Malaysian of speaking English in Malay,Mandarin or Indian slang.I understand a language can be suited by local slang.What I mean is speaking manglish with using wrong grammar or translate mother tongue directly into English cannot be allowed.This will causing broken English.If we speak proper English without saying lah,mah or neeh,why not continue speaking English with local slang?It does not affect English if tenses and grammar are correct.

[lolilo]

If you want to speak manglish in coffee shop,it is better to speak your mother tongue rather than speaking English.Speaking Manglish is abusing usage of English.If you speak manglish in your oral test or whatever situation which face the foreigners,what they will think about Malaysian?


aww, come on... who cares what they think about how we speak?

Manglish is a way of life mah, and i have gotten so used to it that my conversations with friends will have at least 3 languages. Haven't you ever do that ? honestly wor?

but, of course, try to speak in a sentence that is understandable lah. some people just go using sign language and mumble words incoherently as if others can read his mind. susah lo!

loosen up jackfook:)

[PiK]

manglish. don't lose it. screw waht the others say. speak as you wish. if they don't like the way you talk, too bad!

[Anduril]

Well, speak Manglish only when you see fit. Among family, friends... never mind la. But during a meeting or an interview, using Manglish might be disastrous. People might not take you seriously.

[youngyew]

Have Australian government ever rallied to abolish Australian Colloquailism? No, they endorse it, because it's a culture unique to the down under, and they are proud of it. A child would come to a doctor and tell the doctor, "my noggin hurts!" :P

In what context can Australian English be more rightfully used, in comparison to Malaysian English which is always villified in the media? There is something which I can hardly figure out.

Yeah, I know there are valid reasons like it would affect your academic writing, you can't speak proper english when you go overseas, you can't write in proper syntax etc... But hey, do loosen up a bit when you are only speaking among your peers, okay? Of course we have to master proper english, but then speaking the English with some local flavour is not something we should be ashamed of. It's all unique, keep that in mind. It's like when KFC introduces its satay flavour chicken in Malaysian branch, you won't go and tell the company, "hey, you are KFC, you know... originally created by Colonel Harland Sanders using 11 herbs and spices, you can't provide satay gravy, lest you are not KFC anymore!" (anyway satay + KFC is a failure in my opinion)

My point is, Manglish, while can't be used to express your ideas in formal occasion as it's incoherent with other english, should never be viewed as a faulty or even "bad" language. Yeah, I know people may be comparing Manglish to the "proper English", but then, think again, what is "proper English"??

Queen's English? American English? Australian English? Don't forget they are all localized English.

The only reason we should not speak Manglish in formal occasion is that it is a pidgin that can't be understood by most other cultural groups. Some people maintain that Manglish should not be spoken as it's a manifest of underachievement or bad aptitude, to which I don't agree. While it's true that people tend to have a lower view of you if you speak Manglish in a formal occasion, but that's because of the inherent prejudice to the language, not because of the "second-class nature" of the language itself.

Note:
1. By Manglish I refer to the unconscious addition of interjection like "lah", "meh", "loh", "leh", "like", "err", "boh", "beh", "liao", etc. I didn't include totally messed-up grammars, because they should not be endorsed under all circumstances.

2. By Australian English I refer to the unique colloquailism which is found no where else in the world, for example "noggin".

[youngyew]

I am not criticising Malaysian of speaking English in Malay,Mandarin or Indian slang.I understand a language can be suited by local slang.What I mean is speaking manglish with using wrong grammar or translate mother tongue directly into English cannot be allowed.This will causing broken English.If we speak proper English without saying lah,mah or neeh,why not continue speaking English with local slang?It does not affect English if tenses and grammar are correct.
A minor clarification here:

Slang refers to "informal language consisting of words and expressions that are not considered appropriate for formal occasions; often vituperative or vulgar".

I think you mean accent, which means
A characteristic pronunciation, especially:

1. One determined by the regional or social background of the speaker.
2. One determined by the phonetic habits of the speaker's native language carried over to his or her use of another language.

I used to say "slang" when I mean accent, until someone corrected me last year.

[jackfook]

Youngyew,thanks for correcting me the using of accent.However,I insist the usage of speaking proper English.Proper English does not mean language spoke by using British accent.It means the right tenses,grammar and vocabulary we use.Local accent does not affect English as English has been localize all over the world.Manglish with lah,mah,neh and whaever are not words of English.This is why I never encourage the usage of it.It will become a habit when you speak to foreigners or work oversea.Don't you feel shame if they do not understand what are you talking about.What are the benefits if you speak such language?

[youngyew]

Youngyew,thanks for correcting me the using of accent.However,I insist the usage of speaking proper English.Proper English does not mean language spoke by using British accent.It means the right tenses,grammar and vocabulary we use.Local accent does not affect English as English has been localize all over the world.Manglish with lah,mah,neh and whaever are not words of English.This is why I never encourage the usage of it.It will become a habit when you speak to foreigners or work oversea.Don't you feel shame if they do not understand what are you talking about.What are the benefits if you speak such language?
This is exactly what I meant... My stand is:

1. I disagree with the usage of bad grammar when you talk to foreigners.

2. I am neutral with "lah", "mah" etc. If you think that what disqualifies "lah" and "mah" is that "it's not english", please look up the word "kampong" and "wok" in English.

3. If you just talk among Malaysians, then go for "lah", "mah", it is the communication tool that works. If the conscious effort of translating everything into "perfect English" becomes the barrier of accurate conveyance, then we are actually beating the purpose of communication itself. What's the point then? Having said that, I would say that we should speak Manglish while reminding ourselves of proper grammar. In case anyone doubts it, most people who can speak fluent "proper" english, actually speaks in "lah" and "mah" in daily communication with peer Malaysians. It's not the peer pressure but it's more due to the rapport and camaraderie that builds up from our shared culture.

4. If my Malaysian friends tell me that, "hey, you are now in a foreign country, don't include 'lah' and 'mah' anymore when you talk to me", I will just tell him, "I know when to cut them out when I need to. And it's not now."

[littlebigone]

well, i know that grammar is important but have you guys noticed that manglish pronunciations can sometimes be confusing? We stress syllables differently than they would in American or Queen's english. This would also sometimes cause confusion in my opinion.

For example the word "record", pronounced a certain way would mean the noun and a certain way would mean the verb.

[okaywhy]

well, i know that grammar is important but have you guys noticed that manglish pronunciations can sometimes be confusing? We stress syllables differently than they would in American or Queen's english. This would also sometimes cause confusion in my opinion.

For example the word "record", pronounced a certain way would mean the noun and a certain way would mean the verb.
I think it's impossible to pronounce english words correctly with malaysian accent. That's the problem.

[Byron]

I think its not right to speak manglish in formal events, so we should at least know how to speak proper english in correct grammar. Accent is not important. Dont expect us to learn a foreign accent just to look like we could fit into a foreign soceity.

During informal events, its ok to speak manglish. We have manglish because we have been using English for a long time in Malaysia, so the language changes and mixes with other languages. Its a unique language created by Malaysians. So try using it with people from other countries. If they dont understand what you'r saying, teach them until they do. Lets make the world speak manglish.

[jackfook]

Our leaders do not encourage us to speak Manglish.What type of English we should speak?You got zero in your oral test if you speak pua chu kang 's English according to my teacher.

[zAiTsEv]

Our leaders do not encourage us to speak Manglish.What type of English we should speak?You got zero in your oral test if you speak pua chu kang 's English according to my teacher.

aya, other than formal occassions, speak manglsih can die meh? :lol:

[USSDefiantNX74205]

If you're telling me that I should either speak perfect English or not speak it at all, I'd have to tell you to stop being ridiculous. Even our Cantonese and other local Chinese dialects are not 'perfect' but are peppered with words borrowed from other languages. I suppose we shouldn't speak that too, huh?

[topdog]

try to write reasonably well first la.

[lolilo]

Our leaders do not encourage us to speak Manglish.What type of English we should speak?You got zero in your oral test if you speak pua chu kang 's English according to my teacher.

The leaders do speak manglish. Some can't even speak proper English. :P

Who ask you to go speak like PCK during aural tests? if i were your teacher, i would fail that student too.

haiyaya, speak whatever as long as people can understand you lah.

[bush]

..............oral...........

[ElansarGelmir]

Our leaders do not encourage us to speak Manglish.
Do you think our Mulut Besar(s) speak perfect Malay or English?


You got zero in your oral test if you speak pua chu kang 's English according to my teacher.

I call this 'bodoh'.

3. If you just talk among Malaysians, then go for "lah", "mah", it is the communication tool that works. If the conscious effort of translating everything into "perfect English" becomes the barrier of accurate conveyance, then we are actually beating the purpose of communication itself. What's the point then?

Ditto. The point of a language is to communicate effectively and at ease with people. As long as the other guy understands you perfectly, why bother going for perfect English? You speak good English to those who do not understand Manglish, or when you are required to.

In case anyone doubts it, most people who can speak fluent "proper" english, actually speaks in "lah" and "mah" in daily communication with peer Malaysians.
But I do not agree with putting the "lah"s and "mah"s after every "grammatically perfect" English. You can't speak English perfectly and at the same time, Manglish. And even if you do, it's super awkward. It will sound like a "guai lou" trying hard to speak Manglish (even though if s/he don't have the accent). After all, Manglish is more than just the "lah"s and "mah"s. Correct or not?


Local accent does not affect English as English has been localized all over the world.

I would really appreciate it if you use the space bar more often.

Let me clarify something about English... Most Americans (that's what my English professors and friends told me) speak proper English because it's their native language, and not because they understand well the usage of grammar. Try asking some people Americans why do we have to have some gerunds after inifinitives, most of them will tell you that it has been a tradition to do so. And surprisingly, some guys do not know what is a modal verb. And we say that these guys "speak" proper English because their local language has been made international. Like what Byron says, when Manglish is made an international language (which would be eons and eons later), we would be speaking in perfect Manglish :wink:

Jackfook, I'm not saying that EVERYONE should speak MANGLISH with all Malaysians. Just speak in any languages that you want to, as long as the other guy understand you. If you think speaking in proper English in your daily conversation will help your English communication skills, by all means, go ahead. If you speak in English to me, I might just Manglish back at you. I bet you understand Manglish well enough, yes?

[ElansarGelmir]

In case anyone doubts it, most people who can speak fluent "proper" english, actually speaks in "lah" and "mah" in daily communication with peer Malaysians.

But I do not agree with putting the "lah"s and "mah"s after every "grammatically perfect" English. You can't speak English perfectly and at the same time, Manglish. And even if you do, it's super awkward. It will sound like a "guai lou" trying hard to speak Manglish (even though if s/he don't have the accent). After all, Manglish is more than just the "lah"s and "mah"s. Correct or not?



On the second thought, I think we can speak in correct grammar and Manglish at the same time :oops: . The "distorted" phrases and structures are, however, indispensable for the "uhhm" of Manglish.

[whatever]

We have many forums about speaking English, Malay, and Mandarin. How about the unique language which has crept into our society due to the daily interaction among the multi-racial nation in Malaysia? What do you think of this language? Should it be curbed, or should we let it nurture by itself? Who's proud of this Bahasa Rojak?please do not end up like the s'poreans....

[ElansarGelmir]

please do not end up like the s'poreans....

Care to be more specific?

And what's so bad about the Singaporeans and their culture?

[whatever]

please do not end up like the s'poreans....

Care to be more specific?

And what's so bad about the Singaporeans and their culture?i was referring to their singlish, that was all....who said anything about their culture? unless you consider singlish as part of it, something not all s'poreans would agree, i bet....

[whatever]

try to write reasonably well first la.absolutely!!

[ElansarGelmir]

Excuse me, if language is not part of a culture, then what's it?

[hungwei]

Ah...lazy to read from the beginning.

But manglish is not really a good "language" to follow. It's bad enough that someone might not understand your language. You're only making it worse but using a mixture of two badly spoken language.

Have to admit i'm a manglish speaker myself, but i try to stick to one language whenever i can. Right now i'm using english most of the time, even with some chinese students here. Hopefully i wont forget my mandarin soon =(.

PS: sher!!! coming to chicago???

[ElansarGelmir]

But manglish is not really a good "language" to follow. It's bad enough that someone might not understand your language.

Any language is not a good language if no one understands you at all... :(

If Malaysians understand your Manglish, it's ok rite?

PS: sher!!! coming to chicago???

I will, when i have the money and time :wink:
juz spent $300 last week (could have earned $250 in that week) touring Cape Cod, and NYC... Total economic cost: $550