In Singapore’s multilingual society, what is the language of the future? Singapore’s national language is Malay, which is also one of four official languages, along with two other Mother Tongues — Mandarin and Tamil — and English. However, it is English that remains the common language of business and government. But more recently, Singlish has come into its own as a powerful cultural marker of identity while heritage languages remain a force.
When a Singaporean MP recently chose to speak in Cantonese in Parliament, it wasn’t just about language — it was about identity — and shows the sensitive role language plays.
Singapore’s policymakers face complex challenges in ensuring that language is used as a bridge to the future rather than a barrier to social cohesion and national unity.
Researchers at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy’s (LKYSPP) Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Social Lab who studied language use in Singapore between 2013 and 2018 argue that inherent tension remains.
Singlish as a cultural marker
Social Lab researchers — comprising Dr Mathew Mathews, Head of the IPS Social Lab and Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies; Dr Teo Kay Key, Research Fellow at IPS Social Lab at the Institute of Policy Studies; and Melvin Tay, Research Associate at IPS Social Lab at the Institute of Policy Studies — believe that Singlish, with its hybrid features, is a strong marker of local identity yet it can still be divisive.
Their study found that nearly half of the respondents agreed that Singlish gives Singaporeans a sense of identity and functions as a unifying cultural marker.
Being an organic development that is uniquely Singaporean, separate from the colonial past, and the official emphasis on English and Mother Tongue languages by policy makers, Singlish is home-grown and generates pride in younger sections of the community.
Younger generations are not only proud of Singlish but believe the patois helps bond Singaporeans together.
Revisiting their research for Global-is-Asian, the LKYSPP study team said Singlish is also used to distinguish locals from newcomers — as the range of languages heard in public places increases — affecting perceptions of belonging.
The role of Singlish is complicated and while approval is increasing over time, there are still large sections of the community who are either ambivalent about it or do not agree about the role of Singlish giving Singaporeans a sense of identity.
Inclusive signage and customer service standards
The Social Lab team makes the case for policy measures like more inclusive signage and customer service standards that emphasise language accessibility to help bridge the gap, ensuring there is not an open choice about what is appropriate in what circumstance.
“Policymakers may need to ensure that language remains a bridge, not a barrier — whether through inclusive signage, service standards, or community engagement efforts that promote shared norms without erasing diversity,” the Social Lab team said.
The trick for policymakers is to successfully support English proficiency for global engagement, preserve Mother Tongue and heritage languages and not hinder home-grown movements like Singlish.
“The key is to create enabling environments … high quality bilingual education, support for heritage language transmission, and appropriate recognition of informal local varieties like Singlish.”
Younger Singaporeans, in particular, have shown they are highly adept at navigating this balance by code-switching, moving fluidly between English, Singlish and their ethnic languages depending on the context.
“They are highly proficient in English, but many also express affinity with ethnic languages and Singlish as part of their identity,” the team said.
Improving Mother Tongue education is an important improvement needed in today’s language policy environment.
“Lower proficiency in Mother Tongues among youth (especially Chinese and Indian youth, while Malay respondents demonstrate similar proficiency levels in Malay across all age groups) suggests that more support may be needed to sustain linguistic diversity. Making Mother Tongue learning more engaging and relevant in today’s context will be key.”
Technology and language learning
The advent of AI tools within language learning may already be helping to achieve better outcomes.
Singapore has prioritised AI-supported language learning, particularly in Mother Tongue languages, since 2022.
Singapore’s Ministry of Education has incorporated AI learning tools into their online platform called the Student Learning Space, in particular, a speech evaluation tool for primary school students. The government has also built an AI-powered Mother Tongue conversation tool for Primary 5 and 6 students to practice their Mother Tongue languages orally.
The Social Lab research team said translation tools were helpful in guiding language practice but could not fully replace the cognitive, cultural, and relational benefits of language education.
“While technology may help bridge communication gaps, language learning goes beyond translation, it cultivates cultural understanding, strengthens identity, and enables emotional connection,” the team said.
Achieving linguistic inclusivity
“Many Singaporeans support the right to speak their preferred language in public, provided communication is not obstructed. At the same time, our study found that some feel disadvantaged if they cannot understand public speeches in an official language, or if service staff cannot communicate in English,” the team said.
“The emphasis on English, while pragmatic, may inadvertently reinforce class and access divides, especially for those less proficient. As such, equitable language policies should consider both functionality and inclusivity.”
The language of the future may not be a choice of one. Singlish has a strong future as part of Singaporean culture, given its place in the hearts of young Singaporeans. English and Mother Tongue languages remain important. The development of multilingual code-switching by younger generations and, in more recent times, AI tools to support learning would suggest that policies to encourage bilingual learning at a minimum are working.