很多人以為自己懂得幾個英文字母或詞彙就是等於懂英文,或者掌握了英文。這些破爛英語人士自視甚高,持著自己一口破爛英語就胡亂指責中港台日韓的民眾不懂英文。殊不知自己只不過是將華語/粵語/閩南語的表達方式與句型逐個套上英文字。

這個表達方式當然可笑,更可笑的是,很多人以為靠破爛英文可以為小孩的英文程度打好基礎。孩子多認識幾個英文單字倒是可以,打好基礎就說不上了。英語為母語的社會如英美加紐澳,閣下可曾見過人家需要說破爛英語給小朋友建立語文基礎?

我拿新加坡課綱給朋友的小孩教英文的時候,一貫教學法都是堅持說標準英語。我不介意自己的廣東口音,我在意的是表達清晰、用字精準、文法正確。不懂英語的人可能認為這就是「說話很英格蘭」。但是人望高處,水向低流,英語表達能力不努力學習如何變得比較英格蘭/美國/澳洲,又應該如何進步呢?。

Many thought knowing several vocabularies or English alphabets means proficiency in English, or they thought they have already mastered the language. Broken English speakers see highly of themselves and often accused individuals from East Asia – mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea – for their poor English proficiency.

Little did they know, when they accused others, their level of ‘proficiency’ is merely inserting simple English words directly from sentence structure and expression of Mandarin / Cantonese / Hokkien.

Needless to say, this is a very hilarious style of expression. More hilarious is that they thought speaking broken English is the method to lay a good foundation for their children to master English. It is true that you can teach them some vocabularies; it is perhaps hard to build a foundation. Do native speakers in UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand speak broken English so that their children better master the language as they grow up?

I insist to speak standard English when I am teaching Singapore English to my friends’ children. I don’t mind my Cantonese accent; I care more about clear expression, accurate wording and correct grammar.

Those who don’t know English might accuse you of ‘speaking England’. Humans look forward to surpassing themselves, while water always flows downward, as the Chinese saying goes.

How do I improve myself, when I speak English and refuse to learn from the style of good speakers from England / US / Australia?