B2 – Upper Intermediate
Singapore, a small island city-state in Southeast Asia, has grown to become one of the world’s most powerful economies. Despite its lack of natural resources, the country has managed to transform itself from a sleepy fishing village to a global financial hub in just a few decades.
Through its strategic location, business-friendly policies, and strong emphasis on education and innovation, the country has managed to become a global economic powerhouse. While challenges remain, Singapore is well-positioned to continue its economic success in the years to come.
Watch the video and learn how a small country grew into a prosperous one.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “knowledge-based economy” mean, “Singapore shifted emphasis to a knowledge-based economy that relies more on creativity and growing Singapore’s entrepreneurs.”? Make a sentence using this phrase.
- What does “land reclamation” mean, “It had embarked on an ambitious land reclamation project in the 1970’s.”? Make a sentence using this phrase.
- What does “politicking” mean, “There will be that politicking that will happen in much more intensely in the years to come than there was ever before.”? Make a sentence using this word.
Discussion Questions:
- What was Singapore’s formula for success?
- What are the respective economic policies of Singapore’s prime ministers? What are your thoughts on them?
- Tell the story on how your country’s economy grew to what it is now.
- What are your government’s current economic policies?
- What do you think your government should do and focus on economy-wise?
One reply on “How Singapore Got So Crazy Rich”
1. What does “knowledge-based economy” mean?
It is an economy based on knowledge. Thanks to the knowledge, the economy was better. It depends on creativity.
Thanks to the intellectual capital we can build a knowledge-based economy.
2. What does “land reclamation” mean?
Land reclamation project: It is a project based on recovering land.
Thanks to the land reclamation in a lot of villages in Spain, there are a lot of people who work in the agriculture.
3. What does “politicking” mean?
To do politic things.
I dont like politics, I hate when people start politicking when you are having food.
1. What was Singapore’s formula for success?
They could build up country manufcaturing industry thanks to their location. They have good location, thanks to his position in the sea.
2. What are the respective economic policies of Singapore’s prime ministers? What are your thoughts on them?
They liberalized the financial services. Low taxes. Attracting big business. Build the city in a place more attractive to live it.
I think that it is very inteligent to increase the country economy with this kind of concepts. Knowledge-base economy is very good idea to be able to get improvements in one of the thing most important in country live as economy.
3. Tell the story on how your country’s economy grew to what it is now.
One important thing for Spain regarding economy is the importance of the renowable energy. We have a lot of eolic energy and we use that to provide electricity. It is really important to be able to produce energy with renowable sources because it could be really helping gfor our environment and the climate change.
4. What are your government’s current economic policies?
I dont know this kind of policies, but I can notice that our government try to improve our economy as society. For example, they try to encourage people using non pollution vehicles, giving them some money to buy an electric car. They try to reduce people without work, …
5. What do you think your government should do and focus on economy-wise?
I agree with fighting against climate change, encouraging people to buy non pollution vehicles. I think that we should increase the minimum salary in our country or to change the kind of work used to gain this salary. I think that there are a lot of non valuable works that you earn few money and it is not fair.