Peranakan English in Singapore

Variation and change in English /r/ among Tamil Indian Singaporeans

“…While the behavior of postvocalic /r/ (as in park ) is one of the most common variables studied in English sociolinguistics (Feagin, ; Labov, ; Stuart‐Smith, ), variation in English prevocalic /r/ has received more limited attention (Foulkes & Docherty, ; Schützler, ). SgE is no exception to this pattern; rising postvocalic rhoticity in SgE has been the subject of several detailed quantitative studies (Starr, forthcoming b; Tan, ; Tan & Gupta, ), but prevocalic /r/ has received only brief notes in previous work (Lim, , ; Sng, ).…”

“…Similarly, Lim (, p. 31) observes the variable tapped realization of /r/ among Malay Singaporeans in environments that extend beyond those observed for tap in RP. She also notes a variable tap occurring intervocalically among Peranakan Chinese speakers, whose heritage language is Baba Malay (Lim, , p. 339). More broadly, we have observed instances of variable intervocalic tap use among older, educated Singaporeans of all ethnicities; we propose that this is not necessarily due to direct transfer from a heritage language in all cases, but rather may result from the indexical associations of the tap, in an earlier era, with English‐educated elites, the prestigious Peranakan Chinese community, and RP.…”

“…At the same time, scholars have explored the question of ethnic differences within Singapore English (SgE), adopting both production and perception perspectives (Deterding & Poedjosoedarmo, ; Lim, , ; Lim & Tan, 2001; Tan, ). While the majority of this work focuses on distinctions among the three major ethnic groups of Singapore (Chinese, Malay, and Indian Singaporeans), other research examines the language patterns of minority communities, such as Peranakans and Eurasians (Lim, ; Wee, ); another variant of this line of research has framed these differences as primarily a matter of native or heritage language, dividing speakers more finely by ethnolinguistic background (for example, Hokkien) (Ng, ).…”

Research in applied linguistics and language teaching and learning in Singapore (2000–2007)

“…The volume makes a commendable attempt to relate aspects of microlingusitc description to broader macrolinguistic issues. Articles dealing with microlinguistic features include L. S. L. Lim (2001) and Bao (2001) on the phonetics and phonology of SE, respectively, Alsagoff (2001) on tense and aspect, C. Y. Lim & Wee (2001) on the semantics of reduplication, and C. L. Ho (2001) on the cultural pragmatics of SE. C. L. Ho, for instance, maintains that while the use of SE in Singapore's cosmopolitan and multi-cultural context can be characterized as reflecting certain Western influences, it also allows for the expression of Singapore's own cultural and experiential realities.…”

Mergers and acquisitions: on the ages and origins of Singapore English particles1

“…It was also the dominant language of the Eurasians (Braga‐Blake, 1992: 12–13), though theirs would be a particular Eurasian English (Gupta, 1994: 37, 44). An English‐dominant repertoire was also increasingly the case for the Babas, who (as mentioned in 3.1.1) held a high regard for English‐medium education and sent their children to English‐medium schools; their variety may similarly be seen as a particular Peranakan English (Lim, forthcoming). English would have been acquired by the other ethnic groups as a school language, but not to a high level of proficiency, and would not be considered a dominant language for them (see e.g.…”