MARKERS OF REGIONAL AND ETHNIC IDENTITY IN DIALOGUE IN SINGAPOREAN FICTION

Abstract

This study looks at the different ways in which Singaporean authors capture local ethnic and linguistic diversity in their writings, especially in dialogue representation. Chapter One gives an overview of the issues involved in the use of institutionalized varieties of English in creative writing. In the next chapter, English language variation in the Singaporean context is described in relation to characterizations of language user and language use. Stylistic devices marking this variation are used by Singaporean authors to represent the local linguistic diversity. Chapters Three and Four discuss the use of lexical borrowing and contrasts in formality in differentiating representations of English and non English speech. This differentiation is then related to certain features of the characters like their ethnicity. Chapter Five analyses the variation in representations of English speech and the implications of this variation on the author's character portrayal. The findings of this academic exercise are summarized in the conclusion.