The second one is my own grand father who would tirelessly go the extra mile to inculcate the niceties of the language. He never compromised on grammar and handwriting. If you say, for example, "it is raining", he will not be convinced, only improve it : "It rains".
I trust these small, certainly significant events triggered in me a genuine fervour for the language. If you accuse me of bias for the English language, I shall only be too glad to accept it. The literary, global and career benefits apart, to put it simply, the language itself is simple and I love it.
While I often wondered what makes English so attractive to a large number of people, I am equally curious to know the current status and the future of the language. I met Prof. Ashwin Kumar, Dept. of Studies and Research in English & Coordinator, Centre for Education and Research ,Tumkur University, Tumkur at a lecture meeting held in National College, Basavangudi, Bengaluru. When I told him about my passion for the English language and understand his capitulation and that I would, for a change, "set the question paper for him", he was only too modest to come out with his responses.
Excerpts of my interaction with Prof. Ashwin Kumar:
How do you see the quality of English in the backdrop of the emergence of strong social media like Face Book/SMS/eMail… ?
I see that these are newer and more creative ways of using the English language today.
The syntax and grammar is changing. As there is American English, Queen’s English, there is now an Indian English. Indian English can be divided in regional dialects i.e., Tamil English, Malayalam English, Hindi English and so on. Does it dilute the quality of the language or it has to be accepted as a part of the change?
I think we all make some distinction between formal occasions for using a language and everyday conversations. In the formal variety, there is no great change in the way the language is used. In fact, it is getting more standardised and simple which is a good thing. Most native speakers of English in the US and UK use extremely idiosyncratic forms of the language to great advantage, in everyday speech. Therefore, there should be no problem when Indians start using it similarly with idiolect-level variation too.
States in India were created on linguistic base. With nearly 22 regional languages and multiple number of dialects thereof and Hindi as the major language, do you see there is slackening in the quality and progress of English?
English, like any other language, grows by passive historical processes. At any rate, we do not want pit Indian languages against English.
On the one hand there is craze of English medium schools all over India. The students learn in English medium, but most of them speak in their mother tongue or Hindi with their friends and class-mates. How do you explain it ?
English is a language of the marketplace. Mother tongues are the languages of the home and the neighborhood. This is the truth about languages in pretty much all cultures across all times in the past. There has been a language or two which are languages of the marketplace and many other languages which are native tongues.
English literature as a subject in our universities had undergone enormous change over the last two or three decades. Is it true? If so, do you see that over a period of time, big names like William Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens ….. all will be buried?
They will all be buried and for the better. Anyway most students learn Shakespeare and Milton without any sense of relevance or appreciation. Therefore it is better not to teach them such stuff. However, a new generation of Indians are emerging, who due to their literary and other aspirations are genuinely interested in world literature and they liberally draw from Shakespeare as much from many other sources. So, there is no fear on that count either.
Is it possible to achieve a hold on English, while keeping the state language as the medium of instruction?
Obviously, yes. Most of us are living, everyday, banal examples of that.
When do you think, on a broad perspective, Indians will realize that it is not possible for them to get by without English ?
They know it alright. That is why the craze to go to English schools.
What steps do you advocate in the educational institutions for the youth and the student community to interact in English?
I don’t think that is the priority. Students must first be equipped to think seriously, something our education does not do. Once there is occasion to think, we will also develop the tools to communicate the thinking, alongside. If not, we will only create call-centre-ready English speakers and not genuine students.
Do you believe that the growth of English will be competing with or complementing other languages?
No. They map onto two distinct domains of our social life by and large. So they cannotbe competitors. At least, not any time soon.
While English is an immensely valuable skill in its own right, we do not live in an English-speaking nation. Do you apprehend socio-political pressures if shown extra enthusiasm to promote English?
I guess no one in India is itching to promote English more than what people are already demanding. So such a question might not arise.
The foreign language internet is rapidly expanding. The number of Chinese-speakers, Spanish, Russian or Arabic are far more increasing than English. Do you see it as a threat to English?
No. It is just that internet is spreading to these language-speaking communities now. In fact, this only mirrors the fact that our world is not made up one major language, but something like 3 or 4 or 5 major languages, like it always was.
What, according to you, will be the global language of the future? Chinese, English or Spanish?
Too soon to tell. I don’t see an immediate dislocation of English from its place of pride.
Do you see any significant change regarding the English grammar employed by the media (print and electronic) in relation to a couple of decades ago?
Usage might have become more informal. But change in grammar? No. People cannot change the grammar of a language so easily like they change their clothes.
When someone speaks fluent English, many people silently slip away from the scene. Do you believe the fears are unfounded? What is your advice to get rid of the inferior mindset.
Well, that is because we have not instilled confidence in our youngsters about their capacity to think. And so, invariably they assume that these external indicators mark a powerful and intelligent person: good English, costly wardrobe and trendy accessories. Once we train students in genuine thinking, and they learn to distinguish between genuine intellectual power and mere verbiage, they will easily overcome all inferiority.
Mother-tongue, regional language, national language and English. What, according to you, is the most important option for survival?
More the merrier. A bigger skill set is better than a smaller skill set.
English as the second language classes are always in demand and non-native speakers are usually eager to find ways to improve their English. Why, unfortunately, the English-speakers don’t evince the same enthusiasm for learning other languages?
Most knowledge in the world today is available in English. Most experiences can be expressed in English. So what is the need to learn another language? However, wherever people find themselves in a context where they have to learn a new language for functioning better in their immediate world, they definitely learn it.
Are you satisfied with our educational sector in showing adequate progress of the English language?
No. We have to give up the farce of teaching English like a recipe book teaches a new recipe. We need to integrate learning a language with the immediate contexts of everyday and academic communication.
What hurdles you foresee for the future of English?
Since I am not on a mission mode to promote one or the other language, I do not see any hurdles for English.
Do you subscribe to the dream-theme “One World – One Language- Only English”?
God forbid ! Never.
Sir, anything else you wish to share?
As Indians, without English our window to the world is shut. And without our languages, the doors of rooms inside our house are shut.
Thank you very much, Sir, for sparing your precious time and offering your valuable impressions to our blog.
Prof. Ashwin Kumar is also the Editor, International Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities. The 32-year old scholar has, to his credit, presented Research Papers, lectures delivered, sessions chaired in various conferences and symposia. He is also a Doctoral student in cultural studies. He was also a Programme Coordinator in Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (2007-2011) and Screen Writer with Manipal Entertainment Private Ltd. (2004-2005). Mr. Ashwin Kumar is Research Coordinator at Higher Education Innovation and Research Applications (HEIRA). He has an MA from Bangalore University, and is completing his PhD at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society. His main interest is in Indian languages in higher education, and in faculty development. He is currently Assistant Professor in English at Tumkur University.
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Krishnamurthy this is a very interesting perspective on the English language. Particularly so the points regarding the lack of cultural relevance to many of some works that others consider to be important classics. Although I love these works I certainly see the point. Also I do not think we need to accept regional variances and not be complete purists in terms of correct grammar and spelling as surely the main purpose is to communicate.If others choose to judge based upon that it seems rather narrow and in many cases they themselves speak no other language. Although even the Chinese seem comfortable with English becoming essentially the worlds pre eminent language I believe there is much to be said for those who do not have it as their mother tongue perpetuating their mother language. More difficult grammar ( even if more consistent !)in most languages sharpens the mind and one can even make a case for some concepts being more readily understood in languages that have more precise nuances for them.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do appreciate your perspective, personally I believe in "grammar" as a vital segment of the language, as it lends the discipline it deserved in cherishing the linguistic niceties.
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