Language

The national language of Singapore is Malay for historical reasons, and it is used in the national anthem, 'Majulah Singapura'. The official languages are English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.

English has been promoted as the country's language of administration since independence, and it is spoken by the majority of the population. Most public signs and official publications are in English although there are also translated versions in the other official languages. The English used is primarily British English, with some American English influences. The local colloquial dialect of English is Singlish, which has many creole-like characteristics, having incorporated vocabulary and grammar from various Chinese dialects, Malay, and Indian languages. Singlish is spoken commonly on the streets, but the government frowns upon its use in official contexts.

Mandarin Chinese is the second most commonly-spoken language among the Singaporean Chinese population. It became widespread after the start of Mandarin language campaign during 1980, which aims to make Mandarin the common speech tongue among the Chinese in Singapore. In 1990s, effort was taken to target the English-educated Chinese. Colloquially, the Mandarin in Singapore is spoken in a mixed way similar to Singlish, in which Mandarin is often mixed with other Chinese dialects, English or Malay words. The accent of Mandarin Chinese language spoken in Singapore is largely influenced by Chinese dialects such as Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew and so on, exhibiting a Chinese accent unique to Singapore.