ENGLISH LEARNING IN INDIA:
Although initially the aim of English learning in
India was to
produce cheap clerks for the administration, yet the credit of starting English learning in
India goes to the British government . In the course of time, English has been playing a pivotal role in the national lives of India. In the
pre independence period English was a unifying force of nationalism and in the
post independence scenario Indian writing in English influences the world
literature. In the post independence scenario different commissions and
dignitaries of India envisaged their views on English as the storehouse of
knowledge. THE EDUCATION COMMISSION OF 1964-66 said that student opting for
university degree should acquire some proficiency in English.
The term English as a
language is very vast than what we ordinarily may mean by the term. English has
numerous varities in terms of region, education and social standing, subject
matter, medium and attitude. There is a common core among all these varities
which we understand in actual hearing or reading. This common core is the
grammatical and other common characteristics that run through these varities
and helps to convey meaning in interaction with
different people. Apart from
having informative, expressive, directive and ceremonial function, language as
a means of communication symbolizes the cultures in our societies where
individuals interact with each other. People need methods of visual
symbolization of speech to perform different purposeful activities such as to interact
and to share common interests. The development of globalization and
transportation has influenced global relation to a great extent and demand from us a more
practical attitude towards teaching language so as to bring people all over the
world into close contact with modern civilization. In this respect Communication
is the key power not only to facilitate interactions but to build stronger
relationships among individuals. To build a strong relationship with individuals
of the world the importance of English language learning becomes pertinent. English as a language has
great reach and influence; it is taught all over the world. Today’s
world considers English as a global language. It is widely spread or spoken by
people around the world. It makes news daily in many countries and is adopted
by many countries. It has a special role to play in the countries where it has
been accepted as the official language and is being used as a medium of
communication. English is the international
language of business and opens up many opportunities to non-native speakers.
Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) instructors provide a valuable
service to immigrants in English-speaking countries. English is no longer
language of the colonizers.
When we refer to English as a second language we focus on
the order in which the language is learnt. It never weighs down the importance
of the language. Teaching English as a second language is a high demand subject
of instruction that continues to experience growth in schools across the
country. The demand for English has been sweeping almost all the fields of
national life like politics, international relations, media, Communication,
travel and education. As most of the innovations of the world come down from
the English-speaking countries, those who wish to update their knowledge and
learn about new inventions need to learn English well. This need has resulted
in a dramatic increase of the expository material in the English language.
Besides all the dictionaries, encyclopedias and books of knowledge are written
and printed in English. Hence, the access to new knowledge is only through the
English language The English language has been an important medium of the press
too. To trace the history we will have to peep back nearly 400 years from now.
Right from the Weekly News (l622) and the London Gazette (1666), there has been
a continuous rise of newspapers and Journals in English. According to the data
compiled by the Encyclopedia Britannica (1994), about a third of the world’s
newspapers are being published in the countries where the English language has
a special status. In 1995-96, over 4, 00,000 candidates worldwide took English
language examination. Keeping in view such importance of the language, here an
attempt has been made to locate problems of English language learning and need
of teacher’s training to solve the same.
