Proficiency in Standard English is essential for everyone. Use of standard English will certainly continue to be required for exams and also in many formal situations in Singapore. Anyone who is not able to use Standard English when required will be at a disadvantage. Teachers should encourage the use of Standard English in the classroom. To ensure that their pupils develop proficiency in standard English, teachers should encourage them to use it at all times in the classroom and when writing.
Teachers can be tolerant towards the use of Singlish outside the classroom.
While pupils should learn to use standard English in the classroom and when writing, teachers can adopt a tolerant attitude towards the use of colloquial English by their pupils in informal situations outside of the classroom. Pupils can be proud of their ability in the two varieties. Pupils can be given a sense of pride in their effective use of the two different varieties in suitable situations. Successful use of colloquial English in informal situations and standard English in the classroom and when writing demonstrates sophisticated linguistic behaviour. The Sociolinguistics of Society.