Linh
The interview was conducted at the manicure shop that Linh works at in Orchard
Road. Due to personal reasons, she declined to have her image or voice recorded
down. Linh approved this transcript before she signed the consent form.
1. Tell me about yourself. What was your life before Singapore like?
I’m from Nha Trang. My family has stayed there for years. It’s a beautiful city. A
bit like Singapore because near the ocean. But bigger... And older. Quite normal,
nothing big happened. The biggest will be when I moved to Singapore. When I
was twenty-three, I came to Singapore with my husband. He has relatives here.
2. Tell me about moving to Singapore. What was it like to come to Singapore
as an adult?
A little scary. I didn’t know I was pregnant, but a few weeks after coming I found
out. Very messy, haha. My husband and I stayed in a rented flat in Jurong and
nothing was settled. The house has another woman staying, too. So suddenly my
life became very different. New baby, new country. Everything changed.
3. When you first arrived, which aspects of Singapore were friendly and
which were alienating?
Um… Sorry, pregnant is the main thing I remember. But…friendly I cannot tell at
the start because I stayed at home most of the time. Pregnant, so cannot move
around much. But when I go to buy food, sometimes, I feel a bit…um…like the
aunties and uncles there don’t really want me there. I was speaking English, but
they don’t understand me and the looks they gave were not very nice.
4. Oh, how was your English education in Vietnam like?
Haha very bad! There were not many English classes in school. And I also don’t
really care. My father speaks French, not English. My mother only Vietnamese.
Don’t really need to know? My friend working near the beach know more,
because got foreigners. But at that time there were not many foreigners anyway.
5. You said you “didn’t really care” about English when you were young,
were there any moments when you started to become more interested?
Er… One day, when I was watching a Hollywood movie with my friend. The
Vietnamese subtitles was very bad. It was pirated. So we just laugh at the
subtitles but don’t know the movie that well. A bit sad, and I wanted to know
English a little better. But, in school still nothing much. Too little chance to use it,
so in the end… Yeah, nothing much.
6. How did you find this English-speaking country then?
At first, a bit excited, a bit scared. Then, I feel more sorry for myself. My husband
is a cook, so don’t need to speak that much English, he say. But my accent very
strong and the sound sometimes make the people here laugh.
7. Can you share with me any particular miscommunication incidents that
were funny or impressionable in any way?
Um… Once, I heard some boys saying the ‘f-word’ at the bus-stop. I was trying to
learn more words so I was listening. I don’t know the meaning, but I know that
it’s something you say when you are very upset. Something like ‘Shit’, you know?
Then one day, when I cut myself with the penknife at work, I just said the f-word.
My boss and the customer all stare at me, it was really very bad.
8. We’ve talked about your first experiences in Singapore. Now let’s move on
to English. Which aspects of Singapore made you decide to better your
English in the first place? Did any specific events happen to make you
decide to improve your English?
My work. My husband’s relatives introduced me to the manicure shop and the
shop trained us. But when I started working, I didn’t really know exactly what
my customers wanted. Sometimes not too bad, because got samples to show
them. But some customers want special design, special colour, and I don’t know
what they are talking about. I was scared, didn’t want to lose my job because my
daughter was around and we need money. So, must learn English lor.
9. When did you start learning English?
In Vietnam? Ten plus. Here, about three years after I came I decided to learn
properly.
10. Hmm, what do you mean by “properly”, I mean, how did you start
learning English? For instances, did you take any classes? Or bought
textbooks?
No lah, classes so expensive. I also didn’t know got, at that time. Not real
textbook, but the ‘dummy’ kind at the library, I did borrow. And...magazines? My
boss buys magazine for the customers so sometimes I read. But not very useful,
because no one talks like that.
11. How did your friends, family or company help you learn English?
Friends, not much. She (referring to her co-worker) is also from Vietnam so we
don’t use English. The customers, yeah, help a lot. Because you must talk when
you do their nails, if not too quiet, not nice. So sometimes learn new words,
sometimes if they’re nice they help us also. They will tell us some phrases, or
explain some questions we have. Like the other day, this poly student was telling
me what it means by “raining cats and dogs”.
12. What is the first place that comes to your mind when you think about
learning English?
Um… my daughter’s school. She’s in secondary two now. Everything English!
Books, homework, exam, everything. When the report book comes back, I also
cannot really understand at first. Just know the…er…the “conduct grade”,
because the teacher will write “very good”, “excellent”.
13. Oh, yes, that’s right. Singapore schools focus quite a bit on English. Then,
about your daughter, what mother tongue does she learn? Does she have
any impact on your English-learning experience?
Chinese. Because everyone at her kindergarten and primary school speak
Chinese so she knows a bit already. Um… at the start, not really. But then, I got
worried that I will teach her bad English. We speak a bit of Vietnam and a bit of
English at home, but my accent very bad. Then, primary school got English oral
exam and at first, her marks very low. So for her, I must learn also.
14. Mothers have it hard! So, you and your daughter basically were learning
at the same time? What did you do to help?
My husband and I bought cable TV. Really expensive. But good. Because the
cartoon shows there all speak better English than me.
15. What was it like to learn a new language in adulthood? Was it particularly
easy or difficult? In what ways?
Yeah, difficult. Bad habits are hard to keep. My accent also hard to change. And
my customers use different slang every few months so I can’t really keep up.
Because at home and with my friends, English not that important. Memory also
not that good. So I always remember the wrong words. Like “scrub” and
“scratch”? So foot scrub I thought she wanted me to scratch her feet and I
thought, “so weird”. And “massage” and “message” I also pronounce wrong. Oh
and the forms! Singapore everywhere must fill forms, for everything. I can’t read
English well. Then Chinese, Malay also cannot. Need people to help me
sometimes so not easy. But now got my daughter, haha, she do everything now.
16. Were there any memorable episodes that happened as you learnt
English?
Television. That time there was a show about some foreigners trying to learn
English. Funny, and good. I still remember it even though it’s so long ago because
it seems to be exactly what is happening to me.
17. I think I know that show, is it ‘Mind Your Language’? It was from quite
long ago. So in which aspect of your life now is English most useful?
Work, and sometimes my daughter. But her English is much better than mine. A
bit sad, because I cannot teach her homework and cannot help her.
18. Is there any change in English’s role in your life now as compared to when
you first learnt it?
When I first learnt it I didn’t care, hahaha! No one speaks it. Now everyday, I
speak it. I hear it everywhere, also. And at least now, don’t have people look at
me and say I’m a “Vietnam bride” because I’m not. And my English is better now,
accent better also.
19. How did English help you connect with Singapore and your community,
like your neighbours?
Neighbours? My neighbours don’t talk to me, they don’t talk to anyone, actually…
Connect ah…what do you mean?
20. Like, do you feel more welcomed here now that you speak English better?
Does knowing English make Singapore more of a ‘home’ to you?
Oh… Yes…yes, yes. At least, when I go out now I don't have question marks all
over my head. And my Singlish quite good. I think my Singlish is better than my
English. Haha, I think my Singlish is better than your Singlish! Last time, when I
go to pick up my daughter from her tuition at the CC (community centre), I hear
all the Singlish and I don’t understand how come all the grammar – that’s what I
learnt in Vietnam – all gone. Yeah, what I learnt in Vietnam quite useless. So it’s
okay that I didn’t care, haha.
21. Hahaha, yeah, in terms of Singlish, I think you’re more of a Singaporean
than me. It’s my turn to learn! But okay, so your formal English education
in Vietnam didn’t really help you much, it seems?
Come here more and I can teach you, haha. Got help, definitely. Know the easy
words so at least I can still move around in Singapore. But…maybe I can do the
same even if I never learn before? Just maybe a little bit harder.
22. I see… Tell me about some short cuts in learning English that you found
over the years.
Watch English TV! Not the Singapore ones, haha. But because I don’t need to read
English, I still can’t read English well, so books not helpful to me lah. Listening is
better. Last time national library got tape, but now I think too old already. But if
still got then not bad also, listen more then can copy. Like singing.
23. Oh! I never thought of that, but yeah, I guess learning the sound of a
language is a little like learning a song. So is that how you will teach
English if you have to?
Haha! Then die, my student will fail everything. But ya-lah, teach the sound of the
words. So things like “pattern” and “parent” won’t confuse. That time, my
customer ask for “flower pattern” and I thought I heard “parent”. Ears must be
more sensitive.
24. So you said before that you still speak Vietnamese at home and to your
friends. Does learning English affect your Vietnamese in any way?
Mm not a lot. Still quite accurate, I think. Haven’t gone home for a while, so not
sure. I mean Nha Trang. But now I always add English into my Vietnamese. A bit
like Singlish. Got Malay, and Hokkien – Hokkien, right? – and everything. So
maybe my parents cannot understand me well anymore.
25. Let’s take a minute to imagine what your life will be like now if you didn’t
improve your English in Singapore. What will it be like?
Wah, too scary. Cannot imagine. Really cannot. Jobless? Maybe living with my
husband’s relatives because I’m so useless? And my daughter also. Cannot, really.