A plea for English

The language is here to stay, and we need to master it to do well

August 24, 2014 02:14 am | Updated April 21, 2016 04:54 am IST

It was disheartening to learn that English has been unceremoniously forked out of the Civil Services preliminary examination, at a time when academia is moving heaven and earth to help students acquire better English language skills. It is time we realised that English is here to stay, even if like a bride from another community who has moved into her husband’s home awaiting acceptance by his family.

I met a research scholar from Poland and wondered how he had managed to collect data for his thesis from homes in Kerala. He said he did not face any problem: all those he met spoke English.

In India, English is here to stay with us and amongst us, not as a migrant or friend, but as one of our own. It has survived in spite of political pressures and regional language loyalties. With globalisation, industrialisation, and advancement of science and technology, English has only acquired more importance.

English studies specialist and former British Council Board member Professor David Crystal observes that to be worthy of the designation ‘global’ a language needs to be present, in some sense, in every country of the world. English has probably achieved the position. It is used as a first language by some 400 million people mainly in the U.S., Canada, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It has achieved special status as a second language in over 70 countries, including India (“English in the New World”). It is said China will soon emerge as the largest English-speaking nation, closely followed by India.

The momentum of its expansion in the last few decades following the advent of the digital era has been impressive. Terms such as International English, Global English, World English, English for Specific Purposes, have emerged due to the vital role it plays in trade, travel, science, research, communication. Technology has made it more indispensable. Bureaucrats ought to prove their proficiency in the language.

We need to help students acquire the language considering its importance. English as a second language still poses serious difficulties for students. Syllabi in both schools and colleges are adequate for language acquisition, but there is no major change in the level of skills acquired. I was astonished upon being told by a neighbour that her son was going to marry a “call girl” in Bangalore. What she meant was that the bride-to-be was employed with a call centre. Then there was the leave letter of an employee in the IT sector who requested that he be granted leave to go to his hometown to sell his property along with his wife!

ojjoycee@gmail.com

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