There are four official languages in Singapore: English, Mandarin (Chinese), Malay and Tamil, but English is widely spoken and understood by the majority of the population because it is taught in all schools with the other languages taught as a second language. Although English is not the "mother-language" for all three major ethnic groups, it was chosen as a common language when Singapore was founded as a nation because it is a way to unify the entire country and because English is widely used in international commerce.
Most Singaporeans can speak more than one of the four languages, and many (if not most) can also speak more than one dialect.
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