Table of Contents
What are the 4 official languages of Singapore?
In Singapore four languages — Malay,Chinese, Tamil and English — are official and equal languages. Malay is our common language and it is our National Language.
How many dialects are there in Singapore?
In 2009, more than 20 languages were identified as being spoken in Singapore, reflecting a rich linguistic diversity in the city….
| Languages of Singapore | |
|---|---|
| Official | English, Standard Chinese (Mandarin), Malay, Tamil |
| National | Malay |
| Main | English (de facto) Malay (de jure) |
How many types of Chinese languages are there?
Officially, there are ten different varieties of Chinese, although some sources only list eight because the last two are only spoken by less than 1\% of the population. These variants are written using Chinese characters and do not have their own written form.
Is Tamil an official language in Singapore?
Tamil language in Singapore Singapore is one of the three countries in the world to make Tamil an official language, the others being India and Sri Lanka. As part of Singapore’s bilingual education policy, Tamil is offered as a second language option in most public schools.
Why is Tamil an official language in Singapore?
Tamil was chosen as the official Indian language in Singapore, as settlers from the Tamil Nadu region in southern India make up more than half of the local Indian diaspora.
What is the national language of Singapore?
The national language of Singapore is Malay while English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil are the four official languages in Singapore. English is the most widely spoken language (primarily by the population below the age of 50), and the medium of instructions in school.
What percentage of Singaporeans speak Chinese?
Around 34.9\% of Singaporeans use it as their primary language at home. However, if you add the other variations of Chinese used in Singapore, it is used by about 12.2\% of the population. Chinese becomes the most predominant language at 47.1\%.
How many Singaporeans are bilingual or multilingual?
As a result of heritage languages and educational system, 73\% of Singaporeans identify as bilingual or multilingual. Mandarin is the ‘Mother Tongue’ assigned to students of Chinese background. Even though it is entirely possible the student’s family might use a different Chinese language (or English) at home.
How many varieties of Mandarin are there in Singapore?
In particular, Singapore has its own lect of Mandarin; Singaporean Mandarin, itself with two varieties, Standard and Colloquial or spoken. While Tamil is one of Singapore’s official languages, other Indian languages are also frequently used.