Singapore is a diverse place. It has four official languages and whilst Malay is the national language, English is the most common working language in Singapore.
Why study in Singapore? Widely-spread usage of English and high academic standards make Singapore a great place to study or practise English. You will hear English spoken all over the place in Singapore and whilst many Singaporeans like to use their own local slang (Singlish) when talking to each other, when talking to foreigners a the Singaporean accent is easy to understand.
Safety and getting around: For safety and convenience, Singapore is fantastic. It’s a transportation hub with direct flights in from all over the world and only a short flight away for students in the Asia-Pacific region. I’ve spent a lot of time in Singapore and I’m always amazed at how clean and safe it is. The pubic transport system is reliable, too so it’s very easy to get around.
Lifestyle: When it comes to food, few places can beat Singapore. You can choose from Indian, Malay, Chinese, European or food from pretty much anywhere else in the world. It’s cheap, too. A meal from a food stall will only cost you a few dollars.
The nightlife in Singapore is buzzing and whether you like superclubs like Zouk or smaller bars and pubs, there are places in Singapore to suit you.
Singapore has an interesting history, too and you can explore it in the museums or beautiful historic buildings like Raffles Hotel.
Academic standards: The leading English learning organisation in Singapore is probably the British Council who organise everything from lessons to testing to homestay programs. As I’ve mentioned before, the British Council is widely-respected by teachers from all over the world because of their high academic standards.
Summary: A lot of people don’t realise what a great place Singapore is to learn English. There are lots of positive points about it, especially for students coming from other parts of Asia. I guess the only negative point is that it is far away for students from Europe or the Americas.
Today’s image is by Timo Balk.