I met her at a friend’s birthday gathering in town, the kind where everyone is trying a little too hard to look chill. The moment she opened her mouth, I nearly choked on my drink. Full-on American accent, you know — the kind you hear on Netflix dramas. Every sentence got that drawn-out “R” sound, like she just flew in from Los Angeles yesterday.
But the funny thing? Her grammar completely cannot make it.
She kept saying things like, “I very love this vibes” and “He don’t even knows what he doing.” The accent strong until can power a Hollywood audition, but the sentence structure? Gone case. I was sitting there wondering how someone can have so much ang moh juice but still mix up basic tenses.
Honestly, I don’t judge people for trying to improve their English. In Singapore, we all grow up with a mix of Singlish, British spelling and American pop culture. It’s normal to code-switch. But when you purposely twist your tongue into a fake accent, then the grammar all over the place, a bit hard not to cringe.
Accent So Strong, Grammar So Weak
She told us she “only consumes American media” and that’s why her accent naturally changed. But when my friend asked her about her job, she replied, “I currently working in a marketing agency and my boss very strict but she like me.” The confidence level was 100, but the sentence formation was zero.
The irony is that in Singapore, nobody expects you to sound American. Our education system already teaches standard English. You can speak clearly, professionally, and still keep your local identity. There’s no need to put on that California vibe if your basics aren’t solid.
It reminded me how some people think sounding Western automatically equals better. But real fluency isn’t about rolling your R’s or dragging your vowels. It’s about clarity, grammar and confidence in what you’re saying.
Trying Too Hard Is The Real Cringe
After a while, even she couldn’t maintain the act. When she got excited, the Singlish slipped out. “Eh serious ah?” suddenly became her default mode. That’s when everyone relaxed. The fake accent disappeared and she sounded normal — actually more natural and likeable.
In Singapore, authenticity goes a long way. You can speak proper English without pretending to be someone you’re not. If you want to improve your pronunciation, go ahead. But don’t forget the basics like subject-verb agreement first.
End of the day, no need so extra. Speak properly, speak confidently, can already. Don’t need so much ang moh juice until grammar also drown inside. Kim jio sia.