Abstract

This thesis seeks to shed light on the issue of sociolinguistic variation withinthe English spoken in Singapore. The variable usage of the co-existing Standard English and the localised vernacular, often called ‘Singlish’, has been explained in two major ways. The continuum hypothesis first formulated by Platt (1975) describes it as a seamless succession of sociolects, ranging from the standard to the basilect, Singlish. Speakers have at their disposal a given span of this continuum, depending on their position on a scale of educational attainment. In contrast to this approach, Gupta (1989, 1994, 2006b) views the situation as one of classic diglossia, where Standard English is H and Singlish is L. Alternative models have been proposed, usually based on either of these two approaches. The empirical part of this thesis aims to provide quantitative data with which to select the model most appropriate for the Singaporean case. Thirty-six informants (average age 17.5 years) were drawn from three post-secondary schools stratified by academic requirements, and came in equal numbers from the country’s three majority ethnic groups (Chinese, Malays, Indians). The