English as a National Foreign Language
India has two
national languages for central administrative purposes: Hindi and English. Hindi
is the national, official, and main link language of India. English is an
associate official language. The Indian Constitution also officially approves
twenty-two regional languages for official purposes.
Dozens of
distinctly different regional languages are spoken in India, which share many
characteristics such as grammatical structure and vocabulary. Apart from these
languages, Hindi is used for communication in India. The homeland of Hindi is
mainly in the north of India, but it is spoken and widely understood in all
urban centers of India. In the southern states of India, where people speak many
different languages that are not much related to Hindi, there is more resistance
to Hindi, which has allowed English to remain a lingua franca to a greater
degree.
Since the early 1600s, the English language has had a
toehold on the Indian subcontinent, when the East India Company established
settlements in Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai, formerly Madras, Calcutta, and
Bombay respectively. The historical background of India is never far away from
everyday usage of English. India has had a longer exposure to English than any
other country which uses it as a second language, its distinctive words, idioms,
grammar and rhetoric spreading gradually to affect all places, habits and
culture.
In India, English serves two purposes. First, it
provides a linguistic tool for the administrative cohesive- ness of the country,
causing people who speak different languages to become united. Secondly, it
serves as a language of wider communication, including a large variety of
different people covering a vast area. It overlaps with local languages in
certain spheres of influence and in public domains.
Generally,
English is used among Indians as a "link" language and it is the first language
for many well-educated Indians. It is also the second language for many who
speak more than one language in India. The English language is a tie that helps
bind the many segments of our society together. Also, it is a linguistic bridge
between the major countries of the world and India.
English has
special national status in India. R has a special place in the parliament,
judiciary, broadcasting, journalism, and in the education system. One can see a
Hindi-speaking teacher giving their students instructions during an educational
tour about where to meet and when their bus would leave, but all in English. It
means that the language permeates daily life. It is unavoidable and is always
expected, especially in the cities.
The importance of the
ability to speak or write English has recently increased significantly because
English has become the de facto standard. Learning English language has become
popular for business, commerce and cultural reasons and especially for Internet
communications throughout the world. English is a language that has become a
standard not because it has been approved by any "standards" organization but
because it is widely used by many information and technology industries and
recognized as being standard. The call centre phenomenon has stimulated a huge
expansion of Internet-related activity, establishing the future of India as a
cyber-technological super-power. Modern communications, videos, journals and
newspapers on the Internet use English and have made ’knowing English
indispensable.
The prevailing view seems to be that unless
students learn English, they can, only work in limited jobs. Those who do not
have basic knowledge of English cannot obtain good quality jobs. They cannot
communicate efficiently with others, and cannot have the benefit of India’s rich
social and cultural life. Men and women who cannot comprehend and interpret
instructions in English, even if educated, are unemployable. They cannot help
with their children’s school homework everyday or decide their revenue options
of the future.
A positive attitude to English as a national
language is essential to the integration of people into Indian society. There
would appear to be virtually no disagreement in the community about the
importance of English language skills. Using English you will become a citizen
of the world almost naturally. English plays a dominant role in the media. It
has been used as a medium for inter-state communication and broadcasting both
before and since India’s independence. India is, without a doubt, committed to
English as a national language. The impact of English is not only continuing but
increasing. |
