English has emerged as one of the most important languages used for communication. However, since it is not our mother language, we all take time to learn it. As we grow up, a lot of us feel lagging behind in the understanding of the language as compared to others. In India, this is common for students who have not learned English as the first language during their school life.
Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan recently shared his dilemma while learning the language. He explained that it was a difficult subject for him and at times, he also felt inferior for not knowing the language as good as others.
“English was the tough nut to crack in my boards. Given rural background. When I joined college I was surprised to notice that people were not only talking in English but even listening to songs in English. Down the line, I found funny that those things once made me worried. Life,” he wrote.
English was the tough nut to crack in my boards. Given rural background. When joined college I was surprised to notice that people were not only talking in English but even listening songs in English. Down the line I found funny that those things once made me worried. Life.
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) July 14, 2020
The tweet soon turned into a meaningful conversation attracting around one thousand replies, with people sharing their struggles with the language.
A user mentioned, “This fear/love for English ruining many talents. People feel inferior to someone speaking English. We made English not a language but a symbol of intelligence. That's highly ridiculous.”
This fear/love for English ruining many talents. People feel inferior to someone speaking English. We made english not a language but a symbol of intelligence. That's highly ridiculous.
— Constant Nomad (@khurafatijaat) July 14, 2020
When a user revealed how his struggle with language, being a student of a Hindi Medium school, did not hinder his determination to work with reputed organizations. In reply, Kaswan mentioned that while he was a student of English medium school, it made no big difference.
Mine was English medium only. But small town English medium schools are like Hindi medium only. We don’t have exposure. Also all speak in local language.
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) July 14, 2020
Here’s what others mentioned:
सर, आपका तो फिर भी ठीक था। हमने तो पहली बार मसूरी अकादमी में एक साथ तीन घण्टे की कक्षा में लाइव अंग्रेजी सुनी थी। फिर धीरे धीरे समझ आने लगा।
— Ganga Singh (@Ganga_Singh_) July 14, 2020
I studied in a Convent but at home we spoke only Hindi. So it was tough in the beginning to become fluent in English. Still remember some hilarious moments from my college days. But now I can taak English and waak English.😎
— Vandana (@VandanaJayrajan) July 14, 2020
Same here Sir😅.. Schooling Gujarati medium se huyi aur college mei English medium mei shift kar complete kiya..!! Nd most of my classmates were frm English medium..Woh to hanste bhi english mei the😑.. Nd I was like..😳 मैं हूँ ही नहीं इस दुनिया की🎶.. 😭!!
— ✨Payal✨ (@payal_choksi) July 14, 2020
English alphabets - A,B,C.. were taught after std 6 in Government schools. When I had joined English medium school, I had to hold my toilet for 3 periods(3hours) because I couldn't say - May I go to Toilet, Madam.
— Pankaj (@PankajRamanujan) July 14, 2020
Somehow a mixture of English medium early on and then Bengali med and again English had made me proficient in both the languages. I use to help my class mates, removing their English phobia. A consultive reading of news paper actually did the trick. Some scored better than me
— Somendra Patranabis (@patranabis) July 14, 2020
In a subsequent tweet, Kaswan expressed his happiness as his single tweet started wholesome conservation around the language.
LIVE TV
