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Unit 2: Using a Foreign Language

India, but it is spoken and widely understood in all urban centers of India. In the southern notes
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
cohesiveness 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. It 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 every day 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.
Contd...

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