I REFER to Wednesday's report, 'Who will represent Singapore now?'. I am pleased the matter is finally coming to an end. The problems of beauty queen Ris Low, who gave up her crown, started when a video of her speaking poor English was aired.

Unfortunately, the way she speaks English is similar to how many young people speak the language nowadays. I have been practising as a family doctor for more than 35 years and have noticed a gradual decline in the way English is spoken.

Thirty years ago, educated young people spoke better English, while the less educated spoke mainly dialects. With the emphasis on Mandarin firmly entrenched in the school curriculum, Mandarin has become the lingua franca of Chinese youth living in the heartland. Is it any wonder that the level of spoken English is deteriorating?

I am not against the teaching of Mandarin. The sad truth is that youth now speak Mandarin with some English words thrown in, or English with a curious mix of both Mandarin and dialect and some Malay. Some define the latter as 'Singlish'.

More emphasis should be given in schools to speaking proper English and perhaps active discouragement of contaminating it with other languages. Modifying the syllabus to emphasise oral English with greater weightage in marks scored may help. Teachers who teach other subjects should also speak good English. All this will help nurture an environment where the language is spoken correctly.

I am sad when I come across patients in upper secondary school who cannot carry on a simple conversation in English. This poor grasp of the language will surely be a severe handicap in the future.

Something positive must be done before the level of spoken English deteriorates further. Meanwhile, it is only fair not to criticise, condemn or poke fun at someone who speaks the language the same way many others do.

Dr Winston Lee

This article was first published in The Straits Times.