Choosing Your Singapore Voice Across Work and Daily Life.

In this capstone lesson, you bring everything together and design your own Singapore voice. You work with three linked scenarios: writing to a regional director, messaging your Singapore boss and chatting with a close colleague or hawker. For each one, you decide how formal to be, which local phrases feel comfortable for you and when to avoid Singlish completely. You review key expressions from the whole course for requests, small talk, feedback, apologies and festival greetings, and you recycle them in new combinations. You also reflect on your strengths and blind spots in listening, speaking, reading and writing here, and set simple goals for your next months in Singapore. By the end, you can shift style smoothly between international standard English, professional Singapore English and light Singlish, using each one intentionally so that you sound clear, respectful and still like yourself.

1. Choosing your Singapore voice for three people.

Welcome to your capstone lesson. In this last lesson, you are going to design your own Singapore voice. You are not trying to sound exactly like a local overnight. Instead, you are choosing how you want to sound with different people, in different channels. In this course description, we mentioned three situations. First, writing to a regional director, maybe sitting in Hong Kong or London, who expects very clear, standard English. Second, messaging your Singapore boss, probably on WhatsApp, Slack or Teams, where the style is shorter and a bit more local. And third, chatting with a close colleague or even a friendly hawker uncle, where a light Singlish touch might feel natural. In this block, I’ll show you three very short messages, each written for a different person. Your job is to notice the differences in tone and language. Then you’ll tell me which one matches which person and why. This will help you start seeing your own range of options in Singapore.

Your capstone: designing *your* Singapore voice.

In this final lesson, you are not learning a totally new situation. Instead, you are bringing everything together from the whole course and deciding how you want to sound in Singapore.

We will keep the same three people in mind throughout this lesson:

Regional Director (very senior, international)

Example: Ms Garcia, based in Hong Kong, leading APAC. You usually contact her by email.

Singapore Boss (local manager)

Example: Mr Tan, your direct manager in Singapore. You often use chat with him.

Close Colleague or Hawker

Example: Aisha from your team, or the chicken rice uncle near your office. You might use WhatsApp or talk face to face.

You already know that with different people, you change your style a bit. In Singapore, this style-shifting is even more important because people can move very fast between formal English, professional Singapore English and light Singlish.

Here is a simple way to imagine your options:

In the activity below, you will read three very short messages. Each one is meant for one of these people. Your task is to match message A, B and C to the right person, and explain which language clues helped you decide.

This is your first step in the capstone: noticing. Before you can choose your Singapore voice, you need to see the range of possible voices.

Practice & Feedback

Read the three short messages in the box carefully. Then:

1. Decide which message is for the regional director, which is for your Singapore boss, and which is for a close colleague or hawker.
2. Write 4–6 sentences explaining your choices. Mention specific words or phrases that feel formal, neutral or very casual to you.

You do not need to be perfect. I just want to see how you are reading the tone and style in Singapore-style messages. Be honest: if you are not sure, say so and explain your guess. This will help you become more aware of your own reactions to different styles.

Three short messages.

Message A

"Dear Ms Garcia,

I hope you are well. I would like to request one day of annual leave on 15 March to attend to a personal matter. I will ensure all client work is covered. Kindly let me know if this is acceptable.

Best regards,

Ravi"

Message B

"Hi boss, can I take leave next Fri 15 Mar? Got some personal errands to settle. Work for Project Phoenix should be ok, I’ll clear most by Thu. Can?"

Message C

"Eh later we go makan at the new chicken rice stall downstairs, can? Heard the uncle very friendly, food also super shiok lah."

2. Designing a formal email to a regional director.

Now let’s zoom in on the most formal end of your Singapore voice: writing to a regional director or very senior stakeholder. In this kind of message, your goal is to sound clear, respectful and professional, not stiff or old-fashioned. In Singapore, many people still like certain formal email formulas such as "Kindly see attached" or "Noted with thanks", but you can combine them with your own natural style. In this block, you’ll look at a sample email to a regional director. Notice the structure: a polite opening, one clear purpose, short supporting details, and a tidy closing. Also notice what is **not** there: no emojis, no heavy Singlish, no long story. After reading, you’ll write a short email of your own to a regional director. You’ll imagine that your director sits outside Singapore, so Singlish would probably confuse her. Use your strongest, clean international English, but it is still ok to keep the email concise, like people do here.

When you write to a regional director.

When you write to a regional director or very senior client, you usually want to keep your English very standard and international. This is where many learners say:

> "With clients I usually keep my English very standard."

That is a smart choice. You can still write in a Singapore way by being clear and efficient, but you avoid slang or Singlish particles.

Look at this sample email to a regional director based in Hong Kong:

> Subject: Request for annual leave on 15 March

>

> Dear Ms Garcia,

>

> I hope you are well. I would like to request one day of annual leave on Friday, 15 March to attend to a personal matter. I have already aligned with my manager, Mr Tan, and ensured that all client deliverables due that week will be completed in advance.

>

> Grateful if you could kindly approve this request.

>

> Best regards,

> Ravi

Notice a few things:

• The subject line is specific.
• The greeting uses Dear + title + surname.
• The purpose is clear in the first two sentences.
• There is a short reassurance about work being covered.
• The closing is polite, not dramatic.

There is no Singlish, no "can or not", no emoji, no contractions like "I’ll". This is a conscious choice: "This message is for my director, so I’ll make it very formal."

Later in the lesson, you will relax your style for your Singapore boss and your close colleagues. For now, practise staying on the formal side while still sounding human and not robotic.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine you are writing to a regional director outside Singapore (for example, in Hong Kong or London). You want to request one day of leave next month for a personal reason.

Using the sample email above as a guide, write a short formal email of about 5–8 sentences. Include:

• a clear subject line,
• a polite greeting,
• one main request with the exact date,
• 1–2 short details showing you planned your work,
• a polite closing line and sign-off.

Avoid Singlish and emojis. Keep the style standard and professional, but don’t overdo it. You can use simple, direct sentences. This exercise is about choosing a suitable formal voice, not about using big words.

You can look again at this structure while you write:

1. Subject: Clear and specific
2. Greeting: Dear + title + surname
3. Opening: One sentence to greet, one to state your request
4. Details: 1–2 sentences about dates and how work is covered
5. Closing: One polite sentence asking for approval
6. Sign-off: Best regards / Kind regards + your name

3. Messaging your Singapore boss in chat.

Let’s move one step down the formality scale and think about how you message your Singapore boss on WhatsApp, Teams or Slack. Here, people in Singapore often write much more quickly and casually than in email. You will see short sentences, no subject line, sometimes missing subjects like "Can send by 3pm?" and local abbreviations such as "wfh" or "OT". At the same time, you still need to sound respectful. You normally would not use heavy Singlish with your boss, but a bit of local style, like "Can, I’ll update by 5", often sounds natural. In this block, you will first listen to a short message exchange between you and your boss, Mr Tan. Then you will see some key patterns on the screen. After that, you’ll write a few replies of your own, using a **professional but friendly chat style**. Listen carefully to the rhythm. Compared to the email in the previous block, this chat moves much faster and uses more sentence fragments. Your job is to keep the important information clear while still matching this local, efficient style.

Chatting with your Singapore boss.

In chats with your Singapore boss, the style is usually:

• short and fast,
• sometimes missing subjects,
• polite but not very formal,
• occasionally using local words like "wfh" or "can".

You heard a short message exchange in the audio. Here is a possible transcript of something similar:

> Boss (Mr Tan): Hi, tomorrow you wfh or in office?

> You: Morning, I’ll be wfh in the morning, in office after lunch.

> Boss: Ok can. Can send the deck by 3pm? Need to brief director later.

> You: On it, should be ready by 2.30. I’ll WhatsApp you once done.

> Boss: Thanks, appreciate the fast reply.

Compare this with an email. There is no greeting line like "Dear Mr Tan", no sign-off like "Best regards". Instead, politeness comes from:

• a quick "Morning",
• using "please" or "thanks",
• fast and clear answers.

Many Singaporeans prefer this kind of efficient, polite chat. When you write, you can think:

> "With my Singapore team I use a bit of local style. In this chat I’ll follow how my colleagues write."

Be careful with Singlish particles like "lah" or "leh" here; some bosses are fine with them, some are not. As a safe default, keep your chat clean but relaxed: short sentences, maybe contractions, but no heavy Singlish.

In the activity, you will imagine that your boss messages you about a deadline and a quick meeting. You will write your chat replies so that they fit this Singapore office style.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to the short chat-style audio carefully. Imagine this situation:

• Your boss, Mr Tan, messages you on Teams.
• He asks if you can send a slide deck by 4pm and if you are free for a quick call at 4.30pm.

Your task is to write 3–5 chat replies you would send to Mr Tan during this conversation. Keep each message on its own line, like a real chat. Use a short, clear, respectful style. It’s ok to follow local patterns such as "Ok can" or "On it" if that feels comfortable to you, but avoid heavy Singlish. Focus on:

• confirming what you can do,
• suggesting another time politely if needed,
• ending with a simple thanks or acknowledgment.

Do not write a long email-style paragraph. Keep it as a realistic chat exchange.

4. Light Singlish with close colleagues and hawkers.

We’ve looked at your most formal side and your professional chat side. Now let’s explore the most relaxed end of your Singapore voice: talking with close colleagues or with a friendly hawker. Here, a **bit** of Singlish can help you sound warmer and more local. But the key word is "bit". You don’t need to copy very heavy Singlish to build rapport. In this block, you will see two short dialogues. One is with a close colleague arranging lunch. The other is with a hawker uncle when you are ordering food. We’ll highlight some light Singlish features, like "makan", "shiok" and particles such as "lah" and "ah". Then you’ll create a mini chat of your own, choosing **only the phrases you feel comfortable with**. Remember, your Singapore voice should still feel like you. You can say things like "Later we go makan together?" or "Tapao can" if that feels natural. But you can also keep your own international English and just recognise Singlish when you hear it. This is your decision. Use this block to experiment in a safe way.

Relaxing your voice with close colleagues and hawkers.

With close colleagues and hawkers, the style is usually much more casual. People may mix English with local words, Chinese dialect, Malay, or Tamil. You are not required to copy all of this. Instead, you can choose 2–3 light Singlish expressions that feel ok for you.

Look at these two dialogues.

1. Chat with a close colleague.

> Aisha: Later we go makan together?

> You: Can! I still haven’t tried the laksa downstairs.

> Aisha: Shiok one, but quite spicy ah. You can take or not?

> You: I’m still getting used to the chilli, but ok lah, I try.

Light Singlish features:

• makan = eat (casual, very common)
• shiok = very nice, satisfying
• ah / lah = sentence particles, friendly tone
• can take or not? = casual yes/no question pattern

2. At the hawker centre.

> You: Uncle, one chicken rice, eat here.

> Uncle: Ok, want roast or steamed?

> You: Roast, less chilli can?

> Uncle: Can. Drink?

> You: One kopi o siew dai, please.

Here the English is simple, but the food vocabulary and short patterns are local. You don’t need to add "lah" to be polite. A smile and a clear "thank you, uncle" already show respect.

When you decide on your Singapore voice, you might say:

• "With the hawker I can just say tapao can."
• "For close colleagues, sometimes I add a small lah."
• "For email I’ll avoid heavy Singlish."

In the activity, you will write a short, playful WhatsApp-style chat with a close colleague about lunch. You can try 2–3 local words or particles if you like, but you do not have to. The important thing is to feel in control of your own choices.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine you and your close colleague Aisha are messaging about lunch.

• Aisha invites you to go makan at a nearby hawker centre.
• You discuss what to eat and how spicy.
• You agree on a time and maybe make a small joke.

Write a mini WhatsApp chat with 6–8 lines. Use the format:

• Aisha: [her message]
• You: [your reply]

and so on.

You may use 2–3 light Singlish expressions from the examples above (for example, makan, shiok, can take spicy?, ok lah). Only use what you feel comfortable with. Do not try to write heavy Singlish. Focus on sounding friendly, relaxed and still understandable. This is your chance to practise your most casual Singapore voice in a safe space.

Useful casual phrases you can use:

• Later we go makan together?
• Can, I’m quite hungry already.
• This stall very shiok one.
• You can take spicy or not?
• I’m still getting used to the chilli.
• Ok lah, I try.
• Next time you must show me your favourite stall.

5. Switching style across email, chat and small talk.

You’ve now practised three different styles in isolation: a formal email to a regional director, a fast but respectful chat with your Singapore boss, and relaxed talk with a close colleague or hawker. In real life, the same **situation** often touches all three. Imagine this: your parents are visiting Singapore next month. You want to take one day of leave, coordinate work with your boss, and then ask a colleague for food recommendations. The topic is the same visit, but your style will change with each person and channel. In this block, you will design three connected messages: 1. A formal email to your regional director requesting leave. 2. A short chat with your Singapore boss about how you will cover your tasks. 3. A friendly message or short face-to-face line to a colleague asking for makan ideas with your parents. This is your **mini capstone performance**: can you keep the key information consistent while adjusting your tone and local flavour? Use what you liked from earlier blocks. Remember, you don’t have to use Singlish if you are not comfortable. Your main goal is to be clear, polite and intentional about your style choices.

One situation, three styles.

Let’s connect everything with one simple scenario.

> Your parents are visiting Singapore for a long weekend next month. You want to take one day of annual leave to show them around. You also want to make sure your work is covered and get some food recommendations for them.

You will communicate with three people:

1. Regional director (email, very formal)
2. Singapore boss (chat, professional but relaxed)
3. Close colleague (chat or face to face, casual and friendly)

Here is a planning table to help you think about your style:

You can reuse phrases from earlier lessons:

• Formal: "I would like to request one day of annual leave…", "I have already aligned with my manager…", "Grateful if you could kindly approve this request."
• Boss chat: "Can, I’ll clear most by Thu.", "If needed I can dial in."
• Colleague: "Later we go makan together?", "Next time you must show us your favourite cafe."

In the activity, you will actually write all three messages. This is a realistic picture of your future Singapore work life: the same personal plan, but three different voices. Think of it as trying on three jackets. All are still you, but the cut and colour are a bit different.

Practice & Feedback

Use the parents-visiting scenario above. Write three separate texts in one answer:

1. Email to your regional director (5–8 sentences): request one day of leave, give the exact date, and reassure her that work is covered. Keep it formal and standard, no Singlish.
2. Chat messages to your Singapore boss (3–5 short lines): inform him about the leave, explain your plan to handle your tasks, and maybe offer to be contactable if really needed. Use a concise, respectful chat style.
3. Short message or lines to a close colleague (3–5 lines): tell them your parents are visiting, and ask for food or hawker recommendations. You may use 1–3 light Singlish expressions if you like.

Label each part clearly as Director email, Boss chat and Colleague so I can see your switching clearly.

Quick checklist while you write:

• Director email:
• Clear subject line
• Polite greeting and closing
• No emojis, no Singlish

• Boss chat:
• Short lines, like real chat
• Direct about tasks and timing
• Friendly but not too casual

• Colleague:
• Warm tone
• Simple sentences
• Optional light Singlish for rapport

6. Reflecting and setting your Singapore communication goals.

You’ve reached the final step of this capstone lesson, and actually, the final step of the whole course. You’ve seen how you can move between a very formal international style, a professional Singapore office style, and a lighter, more local style with colleagues and hawkers. Now it’s time to look at yourself and decide: what kind of Singapore voice do you want to build over the next few months? In this block, I’ll guide you through a short reflection. You’ll think about your strengths, your blind spots and your preferences. Maybe you realise that emails to senior people are already fine, but WhatsApp chats still feel stressful. Or maybe you love hawker small talk, but you want to be more confident disagreeing politely in meetings. On the screen, you’ll see some questions and sentence starters to help you. Your task is to write a short reflection and set two or three concrete communication goals for your life in Singapore. These goals should be realistic and personal. They will help you continue learning even after this course finishes. Take your time with this. Your Singapore voice will keep changing as you live and work here. What matters is that you choose your style intentionally and kindly, both to others and to yourself.

Looking back and looking forward.

You have done a lot in this course:

• understood MRT and cashier talk,
• joined office conversations,
• ordered local food,
• written emails and chats,
• handled feedback and misunderstandings.

In this lesson, you brought everything together and started choosing your Singapore voice. Remember these key ideas:

• You can keep your clear international English when needed.
• You can move to a professional Singapore style in internal chats and meetings.
• You may choose to add light Singlish with close colleagues or hawkers, if it feels comfortable and respectful.

Your Singapore voice should still feel like you:

> "My Singapore voice should still feel like me. I’m choosing a few local phrases I’m comfortable with. I know when Singlish is ok and when better not."

Now, let’s reflect.

Think about these questions:

• In which situations in Singapore do you already feel confident in English?
• Where do you still feel unsure: emails, chats, small talk, meetings, complaints?
• Which local phrases from this course do you actually like and want to keep using?
• Which Singlish features do you prefer to understand only, not use?

Then, think about the next 3–6 months. What is realistic for you? You don’t need huge goals; small, specific ones are more powerful.

In the activity, you will write a short reflection paragraph and then 2–3 clear goals. This is your personal plan for continuing to grow your Singapore communication style.

Practice & Feedback

Write in two parts.

Reflection paragraph (about 8–10 sentences): Describe how you feel about your English in Singapore now. Mention:

• at least two situations where you feel comfortable, and why;
• at least one area where you still feel unsure;
• which local or Singlish expressions you are happy to use, and which you prefer only to recognise.

Goals (2–3 bullet points): Write clear, realistic goals for the next 3–6 months. For example: "In meetings, I want to practise summarising key points in a Singapore style", or "I will try using one light Singlish particle like ‘lah’ only with close colleagues".

Be honest and specific. This is not a test; it is your personal roadmap for building a Singapore voice that feels authentic and professional for you.

You can use these sentence starters if helpful:

• "In Singapore, I already feel confident when…"
• "I still feel a bit unsure when…"
• "One local phrase I like using is… because…"
• "I prefer to avoid using…, but I want to understand it when I hear it."
• "In the next few months, I want to…"
• "My first small step will be to…"