ENGLISH AS A MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION

 

Assignment written on behalf of Chaitra Rao

For her participation in Speech competition

ENGLISH AS A MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION 

Today   I  wish  to  speak  on  the   subject   "Importance   of  English  as  a   medium  of  communication".

Communication has assumed significance in the present era of globalisation. With the world being vast and the population constantly growing, there arises a need for communication. People living in various countries have come closer, mainly due to the rapid growth in communication channels.

People in various nations have their own languages to communicate with one another. For example, people in France speak French. In Germany, people communicate with each other in German. India has various languages in different states. Again, each state has two or three languages of its own.

It would be a herculean task for a person in one state or country to have contacts with other states or nations if there were no common language to communicate. Thanks to the British for giving the world a beautiful and simple language: English. Whatever the British intentions may have been in seeking political control over various nations across the world, they deserve thanks for encouraging the use of English wherever they ruled. Although these nations initially resisted a foreign language, they are now able to communicate worldwide. Our nation is no exception to this.

Nations gained freedom, and the British rulers returned to England, but they left behind the English language as a gift to these nations. Apart from ruling many countries in Asia and Africa, the British also migrated to America and Australia. Thus, we see that English is used as a primary medium of communication on all continents.

Today, Information Technology has assumed utmost importance. The main language used in the IT industry is English. Today, India is a pioneer nation in Information Technology, mainly due to the fact that English is widely used.

Look at China. China has become a very strong nation today, but it is still facing an acute communication problem with other nations. The reason is the lack of English usage in that country. China has realised this, and now the Chinese government is promoting English in the country to capture the Information Technology business worldwide.

This  is  one of the  examples  I  have given, in order to highlight, the  importance of English, as a medium of communication.

There are only 26 letters in English. Compared to other languages, it is relatively easy to learn. Look at our own regional languages; they are difficult to learn, as the alphabets are more than double in number, apart from other complications in sentence construction.

We are living in the communication era. Due to the industrial revolution, goods are manufactured in large quantities by machines, resulting in intensive marketing of products. Transportation facilitates the movement of products, but without proper communication, these products would not have been sold or purchased. Hence, there is a need for a common medium of communication worldwide. No other language except English can fill this communication gap. Almost all nations have adopted English.

That's why we see that, despite the world's vastness, it has become smaller. Thanks to English being the medium of communication. Long live the English language.

I  am sure by now you might have been  convinced  about the importance of having knowledge of English in  one's life.  Now  the  question  arises,  as  to  how  this   simple  language, is to be popularised in the world ?

Let us now examine the existing education system. Governments in Russia, China, and East European nations have not made English a compulsory subject, but rather an optional one. That is why many people in these nations remain averse to English. The reason might be that the governments have been reluctant to acknowledge the reality and importance of English in communication. However, the people of these nations have now realised the significance of English and are encouraging its study in schools. China is a classic example.

Now let us examine the scenario in our country. In most states, learning English is compulsory, starting from the fifth standard. In some states, like Bihar, English education begins in the eighth standard. Yet, education in rural India is pathetic. The illiteracy rate is high, not to mention the difficulties in learning English.

The Central Government has taken the initiative to ensure free education up to the 10th standard. However, there is a strong need for effective teaching personnel, especially in the English subject, in rural India.

Let us now examine the question, why English  knowledge  is a must ?

When we look at subjects such as science, mathematics, engineering, commerce, or medicine, the origin of study has come from England and America. Many books are written in English, incorporating new technical words. These technical words are accepted globally in most countries. New theories, technical, and scientific English words are more commonly used by the public at large. Difficulty arises when translating these words correctly into various languages, and students find it difficult to remember these technical words in any language other than English.

Hence, I strongly feel that technical subjects such as science, engineering, accountancy, and medicine should only be taught or learned in English, due to their simplicity in English. This would not only facilitate wider usage of English but also enable the exchange of thoughts at international levels.

We are living in the communication era. Due to the industrial revolution, goods are manufactured in large quantities by machines, resulting in intensive marketing of products. Transportation facilitates the movement of products from one place to another. However, without proper communication, products are difficult to sell or purchase. Hence, there is a need for a common medium of communication worldwide. No other language except English can fulfill this communication gap. Almost all nations have adopted English.

That's why we see that, despite the world's vastness, it has become smaller. Thanks to English being the medium of communication. Long live the English language.

***

end- documented ಸಂಟೈಂ ಇನ್ August 2018

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