I REFER to the ongoing debate on whether English proficiency should be a requirement for foreign workers who want to work in the service industry here.
Looking at the situation superficially, the answer seems obvious at first - English is our lingua franca and basic English should be a must.
However, casual conversations with business owners in the food and beverage and retail industry convince me that the problem is less clear cut.
There is indeed a dearth of affordable workers and getting any worker now is difficult, much less English-speaking ones. All businesses want are workers who can cater to the needs of their customers.
Having said that, we cannot ignore the genuine concerns of English-speaking Singaporeans who are not able to communicate effectively with non-English speaking foreign workers, especially those from China.
I would like to propose a win-win solution: Continue to allow foreign service workers into Singapore, but they must pass an English proficiency test to renew their work permit.
I am certain that within one year, or any stipulated period, these foreign workers would have upgraded themselves - at their own expense or their employer's.
The result will satisfy everyone: English-speaking service staff contributing to our economy and being understood by English-speaking customers, the continued access to affordable workers for businesses, and growing demand for English language courses.
