A language is a systematic means of communication by the use of
sounds or conventional symbols. It is the code we all use to express
ourselves and communicate to others. It is a communication by word
of mouth. It is the mental faculty or power of vocal communication.
It is a system for communicating ideas and feelings using sounds,
gestures, signs or marks. Any means of communicating ideas,
specifically, human speech, the expression of ideas by the voice and
sounds articulated by the organs of the throat and mouth is a
language. This is a system for communication. A language is the
written and spoken methods of combining words to create meaning used
by a particular group of people.
Language, so far as we know, is something specific to humans, that
is to say it is the basic capacity that distinguishes humans from
all other living beings. Language therefore remains potentially a
communicative medium capable of expressing ideas and concepts as
well as moods, feelings and attitudes.
A set of linguists who based their assumptions of language on
psychology made claims that language is nothing but ‘habit
formation’. According to them, language is learnt through use,
through practice. In their view, ‘the more one is exposed to the use
of language, the better one learns’.
Written languages use symbols (characters) to build words. The
entire set of words is the language’s vocabulary. The ways in which
the words can be meaningfully combined is defined by the language’s
syntax and grammar. The actual meaning of words and combinations of
words is defined by the language’s semantics.
The latest and the most advanced discoveries and inventions in
science and technology are being made in the universities located in
the United States of America where English language is the means of
scientific discourse.
The historical circumstances of India (having been ruled by the
British for over two centuries) have given the Indians an easy
access to mastering English language, and innumerable opportunities
for advancement in the field of science and technology. Many Indians
have become so skilled in English language and have won many
international awards for creative and comparative literatures during
the last few years. Sometime ago, an Indian author, Arundhati Roy,
won the prestigious booker prize for her book “The God of Small
Things”. Her book sold lakhs of copies all over the globe.
Over the years, English language has become one of our principal
assets in getting a global leadership for books written by Indian
authors and for films made by Indians in English language. A famous
Indian movie maker Shekhar Kapoor’s film “Elizabeth” has got several
nominations for Oscar Awards. It does not require any further
argument to establish the advantage English language has brought to
us at the international level.
English language comes to our aid in our commercial transactions
throughout the globe. English is the language of the latest business
management in the world and Indian proficiency in English has
brought laurels to many Indian business managers. English is a means
not only for international commerce; it has become increasingly
essential for inter-state commerce and communication.
In India, people going from North to South for education or business
mostly communicate in English, which has become a link language.
Keeping this in mind, the Parliament has also recognized English as
an official language in addition to Hindi. All the facts of history
and developments in present day India underline the continued
importance of learning English in addition to vernaculars.
Some of the states of India are witnessing popular increase in
public demand for teaching of English language from the primary
classes. Realizing the importance, recently, the Minister of Indian
Railways, Laloo Prasad Yadav, demands teaching of English language
in schools. The great demand for admission in English medium schools
throughout the country is a testimony to the attraction of English
to the people of India. Many of the leaders, who denounce English,
send their own children to English medium schools. Many of the
schools in the country have English as the sole or additional medium
of instruction.
A language attracts people because of the wealth of literature and
knowledge enshrined in it. English poses no danger to Indian
languages. The Indian languages are vibrant and are developing by
the contributions of great minds using them as their vehicle of
expression. English is available to us as a historical heritage in
addition to our own language. We must make the best use of English
to develop ourselves culturally and materially so that we can
compete with the best in the world of mind and matter. English
language is our window to the world.
English language is one tool to establish our viewpoint. We can
learn from others experience. We can check the theories of
foreigners against our experience. We can reject the untenable and
accept the tenable. We can also propagate our theories among the
international audience and readers.
We can make use of English to promote our worldview and spiritual
heritage throughout the globe. Swami Vivekananda established the
greatness of Indian view of religion at the world conference of
religions in Chicago in 1893. He addressed the gathering in
impressive English. Many spiritual gurus have since converted
thousands of English people to our spirituality by expressing their
thought and ideas in masterful English. English has thus become an
effective means of promoting Indian view of life, and strengthening
our cultural identity in the world.
When William Caxton set up his printing press in London (1477) the
new hybrid language (vernacular English mixed with courtly French
and scholarly Latin) became increasingly standardized, and by 1611,
when the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible was published,
the educated English of London had become the core of what is now
called Standard English. By the time of Johnson’s dictionary (1755)
and the American Declaration of Independence (1776), English was
international and recognizable as the language we use today. The
Orthography of English was more or less established by 1650 and, in
England in particular, a form of standard educated speech, known as
Received Pronunciation (RP) spread from the major public schools in
the 19th century. This accent was adopted in the early 20th century
by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for its announcers and
readers, and is variously known as RP, BBC English, Oxford English,
and the King’s or Queen’s English.
Generally, Standard English today does not depend on accent but
rather on shared educational experience, mainly of the printed
language. Present-day English is an immensely varied language,
having absorbed material from many other tongues. It is spoken by
more than 300 million native speakers, and between 400 and 800
million foreign users. It is the official language of air transport
and shipping; the leading language of science, technology,
computers, and commerce; and a major medium of education,
publishing, and international negotiation. For this reason, scholars
frequently refer to its latest phase as World English.
