Languages

The Singapore government recognises four official languages: English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil.


English is the most dominant language in Singapore, unlike neighbouring countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, where Malay is the dominant. The form of English spoken in Singapore ranges from Standard English to an English-based creole known as Singlish. Amongst Singaporeans, English has the largest number of speakers. This is followed by Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The English is primarily based in British English. However, certain naming conventions in Singapore are a mixture of American and British spellings. The use of English became widespread in Singapore after 1965 when it was implemented as a first language medium in the educational system. At school, children are required to learn English and one of the three other official languages as a mother tongue.

Mandarin (Chinese) is also spoken widely in Singapore. Mandarin has spread largely as a result of government-sponsored public campaigns and efforts to support its adoption and use over other Chinese languages.

Tamil is spoken by about 60% of Singapore Indian community or 5% of all Singaporean. Indian languages such as Malayalam and Hindi are also spoken by small group of Singaporean Indians in Singapore