English Medium Superiority: Fact or Fabrication?

Language is an important instrument, which plays a significant role in deciding on how and what we want to become as a Nation. In India it is often debated more politically then logically at all levels of society, maybe because of this reason we haven’t been able to design a national structural framework around it. Over the years people have built prejudice without even knowing the science of it.

Let’s try and understand this in a systematic manner as how English medium has played a dominant role and deprived the masses from education:

Background

English education was introduced to India by Thomas Babington Macaulay and the order on the subject was given by Lord William Bentinck the governor general of India on 7th march 1835, with a sole purpose to indoctrinate Indians through textbooks and curricula and to achieve a cultural transmission among the educated Indians.

The British had to learn various languages to do trade in India, which was very hard for them to do so in a diverse country like India closely knitted in cultural fabric of oneness. Thus, British sent the Macaulay on 4 years study tour to India to research on its culture and develop a proper English education system to communicate and expand their trade in India.

The Myth

■ English as a primary medium education is being commonly regarded as a main contributor in India recent economic progress.

■ India’s software success is due to the knowledge of English language.

■ English Literate or English schooled people are always assumed to be more talented than non-English speakers.

■ English language is natural to Maths, Science, Computer Science and Business.

■ English speaking is the way to “emancipation” for underprivileged.

Social Impact

■ Accent of spoken English has become a key indicator in social hierarchy. Elite class looks down upon person who speaks in their native language.

■ People who are uncomfortable with English language are easily condemned as uncivilized or illiterate.

■ Colonial education system have created inferiority complex among non-English speaking class, and they often hesitate and feel embarrass while conversing with English language speaking people.

■ Knowing English has been directly correlated with higher wages in India, which is quite discriminatory in nature.

■ Numerous bright students from poor, under-privileged and marginalized background have commit suicide in the forced switch to English medium.

■ Talented pool gets neglected because of the apartheid and hegemony of English education.

Facts

■ Child’s best cognitive development happens by education in the mother tongue. He learns more quickly through it than through an unfamiliar linguistic medium.

■ Concepts acquired through mother tongue are more stable and robust.

■ Sample IQ test were conducted in villages of Haryana, Rajsthan and Utrakhand. Results were quite astonishing; not only village students were talented but outscored both urban Indian and US children in IQ.

Statistics

■ Top richest 20 (GDP per Capita) countries in world use their native language as official language and primary medium of education at all levels.

■ Most of 20 poorest countries by GDP per capita use colonial language for official business and for higher education.

■ China with over 95% of literacy rate has only 0.73% people literate in English language with more than 40% internet user vis-a-vis India with around 74% literacy rate has 20% people literate in English language but only little over than 11% as internet users.

■ 91.5% of world population does not speak English as a primary or secondary language. The reality is multilingual.

■ Microsoft Windows supports more the 100 languages with Windows Vista.

Case study

Israel among one of the top economies and Technology County in the world uses Hebrew as their Primary language, even in higher education.

Hebrew was more “dead” than Sanskrit is today. But it was revived from a liturgical or sacred language to a literary and common spoken language. Later on was also chosen as a language of business, Engineering and Medicine in Israel.

In countries Like Japan, China, Korea, Germany, France etc. have always preferred their native language over English language. These are economic powers and technologically advanced countries hence, breaks the myth of English medium as major contributor towards economic growth and way to emancipation.

Way forward

■ Higher and professional education to be given to students without language discrimination. Spread English proficiency as a second and third language.

■ Judiciary, armed forces and all other administrative service institutions should also introduce Indian-language mediums learners.

■ Sanskrit language based on Devnagri script should serve as a technical vocabulary to strengthen all Indian languages. This will deepen the linkages among different languages and encourage interoperability and crosspollination between languages; hence reader base can be expanded.

■ English as compulsory spoken language at all competitive levels and in Govt/Private sectors should not be made mandatory. Talent to be encouraged over language to power up economic ecosystem.

■ Government and private publications, websites and other communication contents should be released in all 22 Indian languages.

Government should come up with comprehensive language policy both at state and center level to dismantle barriers to India’s Growth.

In this article I have tried my best to summarize my learning’s, people who are interested to know more can read “The English Medium Myth” by Sankrant Sanu. This book is my source of inspiration as well.

Disclaimer: This article is not against English, in fact it is great to learn English as a second and third language.