Dialects spark new bonding.......
In the early 60's records showed Radio and TV stations telecast films and story telling in different dialects. We had Hokkiens, Cantonese, Teochews as prominent dialects. Of course, there are others. Private radio stations are also featuring dialects in their radio broadcast. Eventually it dies a natural death when " Speak Mandarin Campaign were popularised "
The elderly people in their 70's or 80's today, ( uneducated and dialect speaking ) many are in nursing homes and are being looked after by nurses and assistants from Phillippines, Sri Lanka, Rangoon, China and elsewhere who cannot communicate with them. ( What a sorry state of affair....they are sick, bed-ridden, on wheel-chair and even people who are supposed to nurse them cannot communicate with them ) What went wrong ??
How are we going to find people who can speak dialects to work as nurses and assistants to care for them ? Start training our own aunty ? Is it possible ? These are some of the things maybe our authorities overlooked.
Punggollians who had elders in nursing homes maybe will feel this is a problem which needs to be addressed.