The Benefits of Learning English
By Nahid Aslam
Learning a foreign language has often been seen as a ticket out of poverty if not a passport out into the world stage. India has long recognised this and as such has supported its Education Ministry to promote the teaching of English to its citizens, as far as economically possible, from the early years of schooling, onwards.
You may have seen in the news recently that the Israeli government had signed an agreement with the Indian government to issue work visas to 10,000 workers from India. Although this is a blow to the workers of Palestinian heritage, with the pro-Palestinan lobby understandably being outraged by this, yet on another level it can be said that this is exactly what Globalisation is all about.
English currently remains the lingua franca of the world. It has held this space since the days of the British Empire. However, this is slowly changing, as Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Spanish and other languages are vying for centre stage. Those countries that can afford to teach their citizens English and other the dominant languages of the world will prosper.
The reason Israel gives to opening its doors to Indian workers is that, it believes, workers from India are ‘diligent, experienced and fluent in English’. Israel has a growing demand for skilled labour, and workers from India are able and willing to fulfil this demand.
But it is not just Israel that is calling out for qualified personnel who can communicant effectively in English. The UK, USA, Canada, UAE, Australia, etc. are also on the lookout for such individuals. Countries like India have recognised this shortage in the supply chain and are actively working to fill the gap.
In a recent report by the British Council, it was recognised that the number of English learners around the globe would rise in the coming years, as English continues to be associated with prestige and economic success. As such the number of English medium schools opening up in the global South, mainly by Western Establishments such as The British Council, or the New American Institute, is rising. There is a market of Language acquisition, as well as a desire to give learners an advantage on the economic playing field.
English was always seen as an important marker for status in countries such as India, since the early days of The British Raj. With the call for equality, post-independence, the way the upper classes were able to distinguish themselves and so get further ahead in the social sphere was through speaking ‘proper’ English, one with a perfectly neutral accent as well as zero grammatical mistakes.
When in the 1990s a ‘new world order’ came into being, Western companies started to look for countries in the global South to set up business. Countries such as India and Nigeria were seen as fitting the bill as their workforce was already literate in the ‘3-Rs’ (Reading, Writing and Arithmetic), not just in their own languages but also, more importantly in English.
As the global language of Commerce, crucial for professional success, middle-class society in countries such as India recognised the importance of ensuring their future generations were able to speak English as well (if not better) than English-speaking natives. This meant that when companies such as the privatised British company – BT – was looking to outsource parts of its business, it turned to India to set up its Call Centres, in the belief that it would be hiring a competent, as well as an obedient, workforce. One who would be only too happy to spend their extra income on Western luxury goods, of course.
Globalised Capitalism is not going to end any time soon. To benefit from it, knowing the language of the major players is crucial. This is why, we, at Umran Green Academy, are trying to ensure that we offer language skills in all the major languages to those from underprivileged backgrounds, so that they too, are given opportunities to keep striving and thus thriving. We encourage all those who strive for social and economic justice to join our ranks.
