I work for a leading IT co. which employs close to 200,000 people... I have seen many of them communicating with customers in US , Europe ... but most (may be 25%) of them are not so good at English... but they have confidence... and the key is "listen well" and "speak to the point" and with experience may be half of them overcome this challenge... basically most of the times we assume that we cannot talk and we dont try to talk ... or whatever we say is not clear to other person... so we keep talking ... and we don't give other person a chance to speak or even confirm if he understood or not.... third most important thing is we all learnt by practice... no one is 100% right... so when someone tries to correct please take it as learning and don't get offended... if someone does so he/she looses a good learning opportunity.... and one most imp thing... don't worry about your accent... gujjus, maharashatrian, biharis will hv different accents... but same is the case with europian, American, Russians.... people may make fun... but try to ignore such people...
Please look carefully at the sentence, "Like Mirza, English was part of his school curriculum". The comparison is between Mirza and English,while it should be between Mirza's learning of English at school, and Durga's learning of English at school.The sentene should be recast as, "Like Mirza, Durga studied English as a compulsory subject at school" or as "As IN Mirza's case, English was a compulsory subject at school for Durga too". I am pointing out not a point of grammar a la Miss Grundy the grumpy school teacher with a cane in one hand and a red pen in the other. Here it is a case of logical inelegance.
Many Indians suffer from an inferiority complex and feel that their own mother tongues are inferior to English. Indians confuse knowledge with a language. No wonder Indians have failed to develop a single new idea/invention/innovation for the last several decades. as are they are too busy wasting time,money and energy in learning a foreign language as a first language rather then developing knowledge/ideas in their own mother tongues which they can then share with their linguistic compatriots.
First of all your mother tongue Next a north Indian if you are a southie and a south Indian language if you are a norhtie Next any foregn language -English being one of them
Language should always be considered as a tool for learning, working, earning. If under certain circumstances ( most office circumstances, today ), English is necessary to be used, learn it well right from beginning of education and use the language skill to be better than others. Incidentally many students after completing School in local language coming from villages studying and conversing in local language and entering English medium colleges ( particularly medicine, Engineering and others) find it difficult to cope with the new environment and takes time to adjust. They are not confident in first year and tend to fail in subjects. Many students don't even get up to ask questions because of the language constraints. They always end up with inferiority complex. Please take up Language seriously as a tool for improvement cutting down all emotions.
Re: Language is always a Tool
by S on Jan 11, 2015 02:37 PM
You can see how language is a tool. Go to Shops in Andhra, Tamilnadu, etc. Most shop owners from Marwadis, Sindis, pujabis, etc doing business learn the local language to converse and do business. Same way many people from Tamilnadu migrating to Mumbai, Delhi and other northern parts of India learn Hindi thru practice and manage well. Hence Language is only a tool. In case of English you need level of higher proficiency to manage through your work life or college life. In case any student wish to go for higher studies abroad, English proficiency level is tested through TOFEL, IELTS, etc. There is no point in crying why German, French, Japan, etc are not forward countries with their local language. Presently most foreign countries go thru Learning English as they have to do business across globe.
Re: Re: Language is always a Tool
by S on Jan 11, 2015 02:40 PM
Please correct ... "There is no point in crying why German, French, Japan, etc are forward....."
Is criteria for good development , why many countries in africa (eg. somalia,etc..) and many parts of world which have only one common language are most backward. ?? Many europeans and also chinese have realised now the folly of not learning english and are now doing it . Moreover, hindi speaking states like UP and bihar can definitely develop their own state very well by learning hindi only. what prevents them ? but , infact they are the most backward states and only recently started developing . And how UP Bihar will develop , if someone one from outside UP or south is made to learn hindi? this is strange ! The propagation of hindi by centre all over india is to pander to the pride of the hindi speaking people and give a sense of supriority . That is why they hate non-hindi languages. Also countries like japan had only one language from beginning and infact many countries are one language based. It is not that they had 25 languages initially and developed one common language by spreading one widely spoken language. Moreover making a language compulsory will never help in spreading that language. It is only individuals requirements that will determine the spread of the language.In that way if english helps many in their individual life , so be it !
Hindi should be restricted to only Hindi speaking states. Regional languages should be given more weight and preference. Otherwise one fine day they will be in extinction.
Re: English and Hindi should be banned in India, Only Regional
by franklin wilson on Feb 21, 2014 09:22 PM
if Hindi is restricted, no one will understand each other. If you cannot speak the common language, no point in living in India.
Travel outside India & see people speaking in their own languages & more prosperous than us. Remember Germans, French, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Spanish, Arabs etc. Even if they learn English, its not to look down upon their fellow citizens (which is why Indians learn english in the first place)
Success has no linear co-relation with fluency in English.
A nation will prosper only when it has pride in itself which will translate into confidence & yield results.
Being dependent on foreign language, culture, will always result put you at a lower point & lead to your stagnation.
Learn English by all means but learn it well. It will not make you any superior but it will give you confidence. Do not forget, however, the most industrious, creative, proud and progressive people have studied in their mother tongue. Look around, they are Germans,French, Japanese, Chinese and Scandinavians. In spite of an envious life style of well spoken Indian English speakers, just ask yourself how many of them can fix a flat tire in their car or lay a brick to build their house. Also ask yourself, how many of these learned Gentlemen won an award for their creativity or originality. Any Noble prizes for India won by them? Learning a new language is growth as a person. But it is not the means to an end. That will have to be your competence through hard work in what you are doing.
