Learning English in Singapore

What do you do when you find yourself in the midst of the most populated country in the world with the most number of religions, the most diverse cultures and just as many number of languages? Well, you learn the most common one and learn the rest as you go along. 

That was what I did in my first year in Singapore. It was intimidating enough to learn about a new job and a new place, I figured it would be quite impractical to learn the many customs, beliefs and ways of life in the City-state. So the firth thing I did was learn English. 

Singapore English Classes and Courses 

Anybody familiar with learning any language knows how difficult it can be to learn any language. It doesn’t matter whether it is a major or minor dialect, language has to be used. Like most anything else, when you cannot apply what you have learned, you are bound to forget or lose what you’ve learned. So what I did was enroll in an English class in Singapore. 

I knew the basics of the language. It was taught to me as a child growing up in Korea. However, most of the population in area and rarely used English in conversations. It was more of a special language used for light talks with foreigners or polite talk with an English speaking company. But it was rarely used in school or work and more les sin the household. And it was very rarely used in serious, extended discourses. Thus, I soon lost competence of my English. 

The good thing about learning English in Singapore is the many options you have. There are numerous modes of instruction and special courses, called English tuition for secondary and primary language leaners, that offered alternatives of learning. There are regular short courses that you may take in a week or so. There are after office hour classes that it a bit linger but allows you to work and study at the same time with a regular schedule which is good for routine and discipline. There are also special home classes that are more flexible in terms of time, schedule and curricula that can fit both learning, work and lifestyle of the student. 

Different Learning Modes 

Regardless of mode, these learning classes involved some of the most competent English tutors in Singapore and in Asia. These teachers do not only have the language and aptitude but are also trained in various language teaching pedagogy from large-group classroom management to individualized curricula. In my case, I experienced the advantage and disadvantage of both. 

In my first year, as a very new resident of Singapore, I knew very few people and knew very little of Singapore. I thought at the time that adjusting to work and place would be difficult enough and would become even more difficult when I add learning English to the task. So I opted to contract a personal home tutor. It was convenient to say the least as I was able to regularly adjust my schedule of my sessions depending on sudden changes in work schedule. It also helped boost my confidence since I only had to deal with one person to see my mistake. However, I found it challenging precisely because I still had very little opportunity to talk to other people. 

After a few months, I decided to enroll in regular classes as I was now adjusted to my work and in Singapore. It also gave me the chance to meet new people and apply my English there. In retrospect, I believe that the home tutorial strengthened my basics while the classroom interaction enhanced my practice.