Place of English in Today's Education

With the advent of Globalization leading to India’s integration with the world economy, English as a language of international communication has become more important than ever before. The Sanskrit lovers of our ancient heritage may not appreciate the scenario, but it is the stark reality. It is obviously agreed that other Indian languages are beautiful and unique in their own right; however, English has emerged as the most prominent tool of global communication in today's cut throat competitive world. According to noted educationist Bhalchandra Mungekar, "Jobs create vertical and horizontal social mobility. With English comes important new skills and thus, the system is fast becoming achievement-oriented."

What does the emergence of English mean for education -especially education aimed at employment? The answer is that students need to be adept in the language to survive and prosper. For students from the middle and lower classes, English is of ever increasing importance, and promises to be an equaliser of sorts. “If some people have to join the process of modernity, they have to learn the tricks of the trade. English is one of them," says Vivek Kumar, a prominent faculty member in JNU.

One look at the statistics will leave you stunned. With a literacy rate of 66%, at least half of that number encounters grave problems while grappling for jobs, for the singular deficiency of being incompetent in the knowledge of the English language.

For example, a majority of F&B (food and beverage) outlets, a sector that employ large numbers of young people, insist that employees speak to customers in fluent and correct English. According to Manpreet Gulri, development agent for Subway, a popular fast food chain "If an employee speaks good English he/she can communicate far better with our customers. We are an international brand, and our customers come from cross-sections of society. Communicating in English becomes necessary." This unfortunate fact is not very well recognized by Indian Universities. Only a few such as Osmania University (recently ranked No. 10 in India by esteemed publication India Today) have taken innovative measures to include English in their curriculum. Their Vice Chancellor Professor Rao has been instrumental in introducing the basics of the language into the syllabus of most courses.

Looking at it from a student's perspective, it behoves the students to recognize that a working knowledge of English is critical in today's job environment. Students should make it an individual goal to learn English. While the Veta's and Inlingua's of the world exist, they end up being mostly ineffective, and certainly not contextual. Also, unfortunately, a language cannot be learnt in a day or even a few months. The best way is to seek programs where English is baked into the product. Such products are rare in the current scenario, but seem to be steadily growing. Apart from Osmania University, there are some work sectors that provide English language training as well.

For example, Vipul Gupta, executive director at The Metropolitan Hotel in New Delhi, says, "The management conducts regular English classes for employees whose communications skills are weak. English is the most used language in the Indian hospitality sector. Therefore, applicants with a sound knowledge of the language stand a better chance of being selected."

Career counsellor Usha Albuquerque explains the importance of being able to communicate in English in both personal and professional spheres. "English," she says, "is the language of the work-force. Anyone who wants to express himself/herself at a national or international level has to be well-versed in the language. Practically every job that requires written and verbal skills will demand knowledge of English. Moreover, in a culturally diverse subcontinent like ours, where every state and region has its own regional language, communicating in a powerful common language like English becomes imperative."