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I’m relearning my father’s dialect to preserve bonds and make new ones
Millennials keenly feel how loss of dialects equals loss of connection with older generations. Technology is showing us the way forward.
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Unsurprisingly, Singapore’s population census in 2020 found that English and Mandarin were the top two languages spoken at home.
PHOTO: PEXELS
Nicole Chan
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As I was listening in on a conversation among my older relatives at Christmas, one teasingly remarked, “Zung hai m sik gong gwong dong wah?” (translation: “Still can’t speak Cantonese?”).
In a futile attempt, I mustered a “Ngo sek teng, tong mai sek gong xiu xiu” (translation: “I understand but can only speak a little”), accompanied by a sheepish smile. Swiftly coming to my defence, my partner explained in fluent Cantonese that I have been improving, and am currently relearning my dialect.
