"I say 'to-MAR-to' you say 'to-MAY-to' ..." so the song goes. Does pronunciation and accent really make a difference in communication?
"Paper" and "pepper" - 2 entirely different things. Yet, if pronounced poorly, you will end up with something you didn't ask for.
The average foreigner's complaint about Singlish (short for Singapore English, or English as it is mangled by Singaporeans) is the poor pronunciation and phrases that don't exist in proper English. Here's an example:
Mr Tan (Singaporean): "Sir, wat you tink about gahment policy on wages ah?"
Mr Smith (white foreigner): "Well, to be a seamstress would be considered semi-skilled labour, so an increase in wages for this group would be appropriate, I think."
Mr Tan: "Eh, I not talking about clothing, leh. I asked you about gahmet policy."
Problem: Mr Tan speaks Singlish. "Gahment" = "government". Poor pronunciation = miscommunication.
You don't have to speak Queen's English, but you should speak clearly and simply.
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