Most of my language, and the way I speak, has been dictated by the three main languages: cantonese, mandarin, and english. I feel like these three languages play a large part in how I speak, mostly due to the influence of my family. From a young age, my mum talked to me in english, while otherwise in Hong Kong I would typically speak in cantonese. After moving to Singapore, there has been a higher emphasis placed on speaking mandarin in our family, as my family and I feel as I need to improve my mandarin. This usually means there is a lot of crossover between the three languages, and words from each often end up in sentences of a different language. At home, it feels like as a family we have gotten used to using some terms only in one language. For example, my mum would never call me for dinner in english. Other than my family, another main influence of how I speak is from my friends. Usually, I feel more laid back and relaxed with my friends compared to with family or teachers. The atmosphere of just being able to relax usually means I would be a lot less careful with word choice, and use shorter sentences and get to the point. In addition, there is often friendly or humorous teasing or insults thrown around. I feel that language defines me by who I talk to, and how I speak, not only through the aforementioned mixing of languages within sentences, but also defines me as a person of my age based on the language I use. An example would be the use of larger, and more difficult vocabulary, which some people could see as being more mature or educated.
Recent Comments