Role of Singlish in the work of foreign healthcare professionals

Healthcare is a key concern for countries with an ageing population, and Singapore is no exception. The projected spike in demand for healthcare services and manpower in Singapore has thus prompted the Singapore government to hire more foreign healthcare professionals to complement the resident heal...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chao, Jasmine Shun Xian
Other Authors: School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Format: Final Year Project (FYP)
Language:English
Published: 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10356/69670
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author Chao, Jasmine Shun Xian
author2 School of Humanities and Social Sciences
author_facet School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Chao, Jasmine Shun Xian
author_sort Chao, Jasmine Shun Xian
collection NTU
description Healthcare is a key concern for countries with an ageing population, and Singapore is no exception. The projected spike in demand for healthcare services and manpower in Singapore has thus prompted the Singapore government to hire more foreign healthcare professionals to complement the resident healthcare workforce. This paper explores the attitudes and behaviours that foreign healthcare professionals have towards Singapore Colloquial English or ‘Singlish’ in their work, in relation to the significance of Singlish in cultural adaptation. Interviews with twelve non-Singaporean healthcare professionals show that Singlish is used to accomplish three main functions: to enhance understanding, build rapport and facilitate convergence. These communicative roles of Singlish make it a useful tool in helping foreign healthcare professionals integrate into their workplace more smoothly, while fostering a sense of connection between foreign healthcare professionals and Singaporeans. However, the study also reveals that while there is a practical use for Singlish in intercultural communication, it is still perceived as a less prestigious code compared to Singapore Standard English. In addition, local languages such as Malay and Mandarin are viewed as more beneficial to communication within the healthcare sector in Singapore.
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spelling ntu-10356/696702019-12-10T13:52:05Z Role of Singlish in the work of foreign healthcare professionals Chao, Jasmine Shun Xian School of Humanities and Social Sciences Stefanie Stadler DRNTU::Social sciences::Communication::Intercultural communication DRNTU::Social sciences::Communication::Intercultural communication Healthcare is a key concern for countries with an ageing population, and Singapore is no exception. The projected spike in demand for healthcare services and manpower in Singapore has thus prompted the Singapore government to hire more foreign healthcare professionals to complement the resident healthcare workforce. This paper explores the attitudes and behaviours that foreign healthcare professionals have towards Singapore Colloquial English or ‘Singlish’ in their work, in relation to the significance of Singlish in cultural adaptation. Interviews with twelve non-Singaporean healthcare professionals show that Singlish is used to accomplish three main functions: to enhance understanding, build rapport and facilitate convergence. These communicative roles of Singlish make it a useful tool in helping foreign healthcare professionals integrate into their workplace more smoothly, while fostering a sense of connection between foreign healthcare professionals and Singaporeans. However, the study also reveals that while there is a practical use for Singlish in intercultural communication, it is still perceived as a less prestigious code compared to Singapore Standard English. In addition, local languages such as Malay and Mandarin are viewed as more beneficial to communication within the healthcare sector in Singapore. Bachelor of Arts 2017-03-17T07:58:04Z 2017-03-17T07:58:04Z 2017 Final Year Project (FYP) http://hdl.handle.net/10356/69670 en Nanyang Technological University 86 p. application/pdf
spellingShingle DRNTU::Social sciences::Communication::Intercultural communication
DRNTU::Social sciences::Communication::Intercultural communication
Chao, Jasmine Shun Xian
Role of Singlish in the work of foreign healthcare professionals
title Role of Singlish in the work of foreign healthcare professionals
title_full Role of Singlish in the work of foreign healthcare professionals
title_fullStr Role of Singlish in the work of foreign healthcare professionals
title_full_unstemmed Role of Singlish in the work of foreign healthcare professionals
title_short Role of Singlish in the work of foreign healthcare professionals
title_sort role of singlish in the work of foreign healthcare professionals
topic DRNTU::Social sciences::Communication::Intercultural communication
DRNTU::Social sciences::Communication::Intercultural communication
url http://hdl.handle.net/10356/69670
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