SINGAPORE — With many Singaporeans observed to have a poor command of the English language, especially when they speak, this year’s Speak Good English Movement will focus on correcting common grammar mistakes to improve people’s ability to communicate clearly.

A series of six videos, one to be released each week, will highlight the importance of grammar rules through light-hearted skits, featuring comedian Kumar as the “Queen of Grammar” dishing out grammar rules on her “subjects”.

“If you just eavesdrop at coffeeshops or on buses and trains, you will see that the English is not strong. I have seen many signs with bad grammar too,” said Mr Goh Eck Kheng, Chairman of the Speak Good English Movement. “This is because people are not consciously speaking standard English.”

Committee member Adrian Tan, Director of Stamford Law Corporation, added: “I am a lawyer and I have seen Singlish being used in the courtrooms. Sometimes, I feel that the judge should punish those who speak bad English in court because it is so frustrating.”

Mr Goh said: “It is not a matter of abolishing Singlish. Some of us tend to code-switch but others do not have the ability to do so. Those who speak well have a responsibility to raise the standard of English, and the way to do that is to create a stronger environment of English.”

Apart from the videos, six Grammar Rules notebooks will also be given to the public. They include grammar gaffes — such as “Can you borrow me $2?” instead of “May I borrow $2?”, and “I am staying in Jurong” instead of “I live in Jurong” — among tenses, subject-verb agreement, prepositions and more.

To help spread awareness, students from the Institute of Technical Education colleges — Central, East and West — will put on a slow march-and-dance performance on May 31, at Ngee Ann City walkway, Plaza Singapura, Junction 8 and Westgate, from 3pm to 4pm. The notebooks will be given out then.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/speakgoodenglishmovement.