My Mandarin has almost entirely been learnt in Singapore. At times people question me as to why I chose Singapore as a venue to learn Chinese. In their eyes, Singapore has a number of disadvantages:

It is an expensive city to live in; Singaporeans’ Mandarin accent is not exactly ‘standard’; and Chinese is only one of the languages spoken (along with English, Malay, Tamil, and others).

So is Singapore a good place to learn languages? There is some truth in each of the above objections, but I think Singapore is underestimated as a place to learn languages. Let us take a closer look at the objections:

Objection 1: Singapore is an expensive city

If you want to learn Mandarin, Singapore will indeed never be the cheapest venue. Who can be cheaper than China? On the other hand, Singapore is not more expensive to live and study in than, say, Spain or the UK. In fact, it can be a lot cheaper.

It also depends on your own situation. If you are on a budget, you may want to consider studying in China. You will probably be able to find a cheaper deal in China. China does have good language schools. Do keep in mind that you generally get what you pay for: the better language schools in China are certainly not the cheapest ones.

However, for the generally higher cost of living in Singapore, you do get things in return as well: ease of travel to surrounding countries, food safety and a very different quality supervision standard for private schools.

Objection 2: Singaporeans’ accent

Since Singapore is multilingual and everyone is juggling 2-3 languages, most Singaporeans’ Mandarin proficiency does not go as deep as the Mandarin spoken by mainland Chinese and Taiwanese. In my own case, I can fully understand Singaporeans, because the words they use are now all in my passive vocabulary. Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese generally use a larger number of words actively in their speech.

The accent with which Mandarin is spoken in Singapore has not bothered me so far. First of all, I do not believe in there being one single “correct” accent for any language, and secondly, Singapore language schools generally employ mainland Chinese and Taiwanese to teach Mandarin.

In the end, you learn your pronunciation from the teacher, not from the people in the street. And just as much as you should avoid sounding like a Singaporean, I do not advise you to copy the accent of a native Beijingner either!

Objection 3: Singaporeans mix many languages

There are two sides to the fact that Singapore is multilingual. If you want to immerse yourself fully in a language, it is probably best to go to a country that operates solely in the language you are learning. Italian is best learnt in Italy, and it is best to go to France of you want to learn French.

On the other hand, if you are not quite ready to jump right in, Singapore can be a good in between option. It is popular with students from China as a place to learn English. Singapore has enough Chinese speakers to allow them to express their needs, but offers more incentive to learn English than their home environment. The same goes for English speakers looking to learn Chinese in Singapore.

Conclusion

There is a number of reasons why you might choose other countries over Singapore for learning a language. It depends on your personal situation. However, what may be a disadvantage for some, does not have to be a problem for you. If you are not on an extremely tight budget, Singapore can offer you more comfort and an entirely different location for learning Mandarin.

By: Guus Goorts

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Perfect Pronunciation:

Pronunciation matters. As in English, many words can have wildly different meanings if pronounced differently from the textbook guide. Focus on the vowels first, and don’t worry about speaking slowly at first – you will gain speed and fluency as you go along, but the foundations of the new language must be in place. Use online talking dictionaries like wordreference.com to check your spoken word.

Small Steps:

Learning a new language is a process of accretion. You can’t expect to absorb all of it in a few weeks. Put aside 20 minutes every day to learn five new words and practise the vocabulary you already posses.

Children learn language through a gradual daily process, gaining more and more new words as they grow up. This ability to absorb language is still present, though less nascent in adults, so pick up your salsa heels and head down to the local Spanish dance class or tapas bar to practise..

Post It:

Write down the names of objects around your home in a new language and stick them on the relevant things – this will help jog your memory and provide an environment in which you are constantly surrounded by visual prompts. A good system to use when learning a language with male/female nouns is to use colour coded Post-its; white for neutral, blue for masculine words and pink for feminine words.

Follow the News:

The three R’s considered the best methods for learning a new language are – reading, retention and rote.
Firstly read the news in a foreign language, then once you have familiarised yourself with the story and vocabulary, listen to the newscast of the same story. Next, repeat the story you’ve just heard to yourself and see how much you’ve managed to retain. You will find that by reading, remembering and repeating the news is a quick, easy way of increasing your vocabulary and brushing up on grammar.

Be Imaginative:

One of the precepts of the Rosetta Stone language series is linking words with real world situations, which helps students to remember them better. Create a memory chain by imagining where certain words “live.” For example nouns fit easily in the home – “il gatto” lying on the hearth, “le pain” in the breadbasket, “la mesa” in the dining room. Verbs work well in park where people are running, jumping, swimming, eating, jogging, and bicycling. Adjectives are easy to describe in a market, where stalls are filled with colour, shapes and smells.

Watch Television:

Learning a new language doesn’t have to be all hard work. A painless and fun way of picking up a foreign language is to watch foreign films. Leave the subtitles on so you can enjoy the storyline. Even if you find yourself unable to follow the pace of the foreign words spoken, you will still be absorbing the accent, vocabulary and syntax of the language.

Read Children’s Books:

Pick up a children’s book, preferably one which you are already familiar with. Since you already know the story, the book is already translated in your mind, and you can pick up the gist of the words as you read.

Have a dictionary handy as you read and write down the meanings of unfamiliar words as you go. When you re-read the book, having the notes in the margins will prompt your memory and make reading it again much more enjoyable.

Speak Up:

People who are good at learning foreign languages take risks by experimenting and trying out their language legs. The best kind of learning is on the go, so speak as much as you can and whenever you can. Don’t worry about sounding like an amateur or about making mistakes – everyone has to start somewhere. Leave your comfort zone, take some risks and speak up.

By: Johnson Sam

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