It is not the first time I ran into foreign-speaking serviceworkers. And I certainly am guilty of lapsing into my Mandarin with friends when I want to keep my casual conversations exclusive to my select audience.

But this morning, the reality finally hits me that it is extremely disrespectful when you are working in a country whose primary language is English, you don't speak English. Likewise, if I were in China, I would expect my serviceworkes to speak Mandarin to one another; or Singapore, Singlish (yes, my American friends, we concocted a slang in Singapore called the Singlish. It's really a hoot to be engaging in that with my Singapore expats and family.)

I was in Micky Ds getting its run-and-go breakfast and as I waited, the cashier was speaking Spanish to her trainee and via the microphone on separate occasions. Suddenly, I felt like I was in a strange land. Transported even. And I began to panic at the prospect of future America, where Spanish becomes the primary language, what with all the mass migration (legal and illegal) and the mentality that we all better start learning Spanish to compete with the economy. Of course, I am also miffed at the influx of ATMs and touch-tone operations providing Spanish as an option.

Can you imagine countries in Europe and Asia expecting their citizens to learn a particular foreign language just because their land is slowly being populated by a different racial group? France by Algerians, Canada by Asians, Singapore by migrant workers from all over the world.

Now, I am all for learning different languages. There certainly is merit in that - Singaporeans know that from birth since we have been living in diversity, not adversity, all our lives. But in no way, did we ever thought of ceding our primary language, which is English, to another language just because there are increasingly more of them in our country now. In fact, you can expect diversity in our signage, public announcements, and commercials to cater to the primary racial groups.

Here, in the States, when you call an automated line, read a brochure (save manuals), or go to the ATM, you gotta to wonder where is the Vietnamese, the Korean, the Mandarin, the Tamil. Afterall, where I am now, in Chicagoland, there are a fair share of these other races' services.

I am annoyed at the liberties we are giving the Hispanics who refuse to abide by the standards of the country they are residing in. Worse yet, I am no in position to change the system.
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Patrick: Here in New York, there are entire areas of the city (and even pockets of the suburbs) where English is the second language. It's disorienting as hell when you're there (I know, I had to write a profile of the Latino-heavy Jackson Heights), but I've never thought of it as being disrespectful. If you want to succeed in business beyond your little ethnic pocket, you have to speak English, period. If not, that's your perogative too. As for the liberties we "give" to Hispanics via automated lines and such, I'm sorry, but you're out numbered. Latinos are now a bigger minority than even blacks, and there's strength in numbers.

I wouldn't worry about Spanish ever becoming the primary language of the U.S. English is the language of business all around the world, and as we all know, money talks.

Bob: Maybe Singapore NOW isn't Singapore that you knew then. Singapore is now a country full of migrant workers who earn more than locals. Foreign talent as they are called here are given first class privilege wherever they go in Singapore.

Road signs, MRT signs are now in Chinese and Tamil, to cater to the Chinese and Indians here.

Foreign talents are given jobs ahead of Singaporeans and no effort is spared in making Singaporeans KNOW their place in Singapore.

Retailers give Foreign talents (not the ang moh only now), first class service, because most service workers are foreigners anyway. They disdain serving locals.

Gone are the days where indian and chinese immigrants are cleaners, construction workers and prostitutes.

Now 60, 70 year olds clean up after foreigners and locals.

Indian and Chinese migrants are now programmers, bankers, economists, accountants, lawyers, doctors, engineers...etc.

A 26 year old local gets paid maybe $3,000 because he has only 2 years of working experience as he serves his country for 2 years. A similar foreigner would be earning at least DOUBLE that.

Most of the new private condominiums in Singapore are bought by foreigners.

Landed property previously exclusive to locals are now available to be bought by foreigners too.

Also, Singapore's first language is MALAY.

Locals here speak dialect. Mandarin is an official chinese language.

English is / was NEVER the primary language.

As foreigners find it hard to communicate with locals, they substitute locals at their work place with their own countrymen. This will eradicate the problem of mis-communication.

English spoken by an Indian national is different in accent and in "presentation". It is easy to mis-interprete an Indian's words.

I also disagree that English is the language of business and therefore English will "rule".

In China, if you can't speak Chinese, you can forget about doing business in China.

English is the main medium for communication especially on the internet, that I do agree. But we have to understand that as businessmen, language is an easy barrier to overcome.

Singapore has lost its edge in the international business world, because, English is no longer a "premium" language spoken by yellow coloured people.

Singaporeans are now regarded as pariahs. Because they are neither fluent in English nor in Mandarin. Singaporeans are also lacking in knowing the culture of the west and east. No matter how well versed one is in Chinese studies and English literature and history, there is nothing more important than in-depth knowledge of a culture.

Singaporeans are spiritless and cultureless beings created by the government to be drones working in factories, to be never heard and be counted. Thus, Singapore is paying the price for it.

For my take on the American situation, it is just a simple business decision to tap on the "spanish" dollar. There is nothing sinister or unnerving about it.

Me: I disagree English WAS never the primary language. Granted, there's been a lot of Mandarin and Hokkien spoken alongside but at least in school, English and second languages are stressed. And you always can find someone who's able to speak English, no matter how mangled. But you've eben lviing there all your life and is better versed in the current state than I am. And is the condition really that depressing and second-class to our natives? You gotta wonder if the government has given up on reeling back the braindrain they were so afraid of.

Bob: Brain drain is NO LONGER an issue in Singapore. Yearly, they grant citizenships (thousands of them) and hundred of thousands of PR (Permanent residents). Do not believe me?

Singapore's population today is about 4.5M, only 2-3M are locals. What the government does now is to merge the PR and Citizens stats together to mask any "problem" areas like unemployment, wage levels...etc.

Our government is efficient and has countered lack of new babies and brain drain by importing "talents" from abroad.

Recent survey shows that foreigners will never give up their citizenships for a Singapore pink IC. That goes for the Chinese, Indians, Malaysians...etc. But they will continue to "milk" Singapore for what it is worth.

Our government now consist of numerous "foreign talents".

In fact in parliament, we have a couple of ex-Malaysian, ex-Indoneisan MPs and one NMP who is I believe Indian. Our policies have therefore NOT strangely been skewed towards making foreign talents "special" in Singapore.

Like I said, Mark would NOT have ANY problems getting a top job in Singapore.

This is the toned down version as it is a national day speech.

You can read more here: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/s2006/english5.htm

But you get the whole picture.