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Arw03 Unit 07 Reading 01

1) The document discusses the importance of learning the English language in India. English serves as a lingua franca and official language in India, helping connect people across its many states and languages. 2) It outlines how English became established in India during British rule and how it now permeates many aspects of daily life and society, including education, government, business and technology. 3) The document argues that proficiency in English is essential for Indians to access good jobs, help their children with schoolwork, and fully participate in the country's social and cultural life.

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Veronica Llata Hipolito
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48 views3 pages

Arw03 Unit 07 Reading 01

1) The document discusses the importance of learning the English language in India. English serves as a lingua franca and official language in India, helping connect people across its many states and languages. 2) It outlines how English became established in India during British rule and how it now permeates many aspects of daily life and society, including education, government, business and technology. 3) The document argues that proficiency in English is essential for Indians to access good jobs, help their children with schoolwork, and fully participate in the country's social and cultural life.

Uploaded by

Veronica Llata Hipolito
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING A LANGUAGE

01) 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.

02) 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.

03) 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.

04) 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.

05) 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.

06) 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.

07) 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.

08) 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.

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