Illiterate in Singapore: When you can’t read or write English in one of Asia’s most English-literate countries

SINGAPORE: At first look, 33-year-old Stephen Chng appears to be like like some other skilled you’d meet on the road – he works as a marine engineer, owns a automotive and is fortunately married to Faith, his spouse of almost 5 years.

But there’s an element of his life he’s guarded about: He struggles to read or write English.

Assessed to have the studying stage of an eight-year-old, Chng has hassle making out the indicators and labels so prevalent in every day life: Road indicators, meals labels and even textual content messages. When he first began relationship his spouse, he would ship her texts like “repple massage”, when he really meant “reply message", he remembers with a sheepish grin.

He has hidden his wrestle properly: In his job, which requires primarily sensible work, he will get his spouse to assist him the few occasions he has to kind out experiences. When he drives, he depends on Google Maps to read the indicators aloud for him. The few highway indicators he can read are those which are names of MRT stations he frequents, after seeing them repeatedly on his commutes. 

Chng is one of the contributors in the series Write of Passage, which options grownup Singaporeans who've gone by way of life with out figuring out tips on how to read or write English.

Earlier this 12 months, CNA put out a casting name for folks in 12 weeks of intensive one-to-one teaching to affix the programme. Chng was one of virtually 100 individuals who responded.

A HIDDEN PROBLEM

Singapore is understood to be one of the most English-literate countries in Asia. But grownup illiteracy could also be more frequent than anticipated: According to the Department of Statistics, in 2020, there have been about 284,000 Singapore residents beneath the age of 65 who can't read or write English.

Who are they?

Some are faculty dropouts like 60-year-old Jimmy Tan, who left faculty in Primary Two. A former gang member who was in and out of jail for greater than 20 years, he was decided to show over a brand new leaf when he was launched virtually two years in the past.

But he realised the world had handed him by. “All Singapore, a lot of places, all changed,” he stated. “The signboards all English.”

In his earlier life as a gangland “big boss”, everybody spoke in Mandarin or Cantonese – by no means English.

“When you talk in English, people would say, ‘Wah, what a show-off. Arrogant',” he stated. “Now in Singapore, you talk to people, open the mouth… all in English.”