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Notes -
PMC Singaporeans can code-switch between Standard Singapore English (which is British English with a few Malay loanwords, and worryingly many uncles) and Singlish, and speak SSE with a broadly similar accent to other people whose first language is Mandarin. (The same is true of PMC Brits whose native tongue is one of the barely-comprehensible regional dialects like Geordie or Scouse).
My understanding is that Singlish is what happens if you take 90-105 IQ Hokkien-speakers and educate them bilingually in English and Mandarin, neither of which their parents speak.
What distinguishes Singapore English from other organic expressions of english as second language is in fact the multiculturalism in the population. Because everyone ended up thinking in their native tongue first before speaking in english there is a corresponding emphasis placement in the register and enunciation. However since an indian and a chinese have different emphasis points they both become information points for the other party to internalize and consider this is what english SHOULD sound like, and variation ends up being flattened. Maybe a similar case exists for penn/iowa/ohio/illinois accent convergence.
As an example, look at how Chin Han who played Lau in The Dark Knight speaks https://youtube.com/watch?v=os2EZeGlw7k&pp=ygUKYmF0bWFuIGxhdQ%3D%3D
versus a Singaporean Indian politician https://youtube.com/watch?v=JsXdBMV5zkY&pp=ygUHdGhhcm1uYQ%3D%3D
The tonal exaggerations and musicality of either mainland or subcontinent are absent. Chin Hans entire career was basically due to the golden period when there was a need for Chinese actors that didn't sound retarded or american when speaking english. Benedict Wong occupies that role now but he suppresses his British accent heavily.
Finally, SINGLISH is distinctly different from Singapore Accented English. Singlish is perversely abstract in its grammatical rules and expressive flexibility. Elite Singaporeans code switch as identity markers as mentioned, but also just to fuck with white people when funny.
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Sure, and I mean there are degrees of Singlish. By Singlish accent I mean more “fluent English” (as in your former example), with few loanwords, but a very pronounced accent. It’s not about grammar. You have as I was saying above that type of very well educated upper middle (or indeed upper) class English person who speaks fluent French with the most hideous pronunciation because they simply don’t care to put on a French accent when speaking French.
PMC Brits whose native tongue is a strong regional working class dialect (is there another kind? I guess the posh Edinburgh accent still sounds a little Scottish) probably used to hide it, although less often now (they don’t in government or media, I suspect some still do in finance and corporate law). Still I respect them for having accomplished something far more impressive than being just another upper middle class striver.
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