Language is a vital part of human behaviour and culture as it is our most common mode of communication. It helps us connect with each other and to share our thoughts , ideas and feelings .
Our cultural mores, our values , our beliefs, in fact, all that we hold dear, is passed on through the written and spoken word. While the national language of a country is important to its people and the mother tongue to a family, what has emerged very clearly in recent times is the importance of the English language to the world.
English is the language of choice of around 360 million people across roughly 118 countries. It therefore makes eminent sense for us, as Indians, to be fluent in English which has taken on the role of the glue that binds the people of diverse lands, cultures and traditions together.
The ability to communicate fluently in English with people in other countries is almost like the magical ‘Open Sesame’ to the world of employment in global companies and overseas business.
As the world continues to shrink, opportunities for education, livelihoods in international business, healthcare, travel, tourism, information technology , academic workspaces, creative endeavours, and a host of related ventures, all open up to the English speaker. The single most important enabler is the ability to communicate fluently and comfortably in the world’s first ‘lingua franca’ .
From the above , it is clear that it is of primary importance that our schools are equipped to nurture our children to become global citizens. If our children are to become excellent communicators in the global arena, both home and school must work together to make certain that books are made available in this most relevant of languages...whether it be in a physical space or in the digital.
Besides nurturing language skills through reading with understanding, it is imperative to teach children the importance of easy correspondence in the written word, to speak with clarity of articulation and thought and to appreciate with empathy and grace the world view of the other.
Only then will the average Indian get the opportunity to take his place on the world stage.
(The author is the former Dean & CEO, presently the senior advisor to Cathedral & John Connon School)
