The document discusses the importance of the English language in India, highlighting its role in education, commerce, and social mobility. English serves as a common medium for communication in a multilingual society and is essential for employment opportunities. The focus is on improving English speaking and listening skills, which are viewed as critical competencies for integrating into global communication.

1. ROLEOFENGLISHLANGUAGEININDIA
Languagesareimportantinthelifeofanynation.Themembersofasocialgroupneedlanguageto
communicatewitheachother,forallsocialpurposes,forpublicadministration,forcommerceandindustry,
foreducationandsoon.OursisacountrywithMultilingual,Multicultural,andpluralisticmilieu.Social
aspirationscanbestbefulfilledwhentheyareallowedtofunctionthroughthemothertongue.Therefore,it
isnaturaltothinkofyourmothertongueforthepurposeofeducation.Butthenecessitytohaveacommon
languageforinteractionhasledtothelearningofEnglish.
TheEnglishlanguageisapowerfulforcenotjustforeconomics,business,andtrade,butformutual
respectandprogress.Itisalsobecomingthecommonfutureofhumancommerceandcommunication.
Englishisthebesttooltoprovidegoodopportunityforthelearnertolearn.Thisisalsothelanguageof
instructioninalltheUniversitiesandcollegesacrossthecountry.Thescenarioissuchthatoneneedsto
polishtheskillsofEnglishtoobtainajob.Mereknowledgeofsubjectsisnolongertheonlycriteriato
secureajobintoday’stime.Withthegrowingglobalization,onemustbeabletocommunicateinEnglish
andshouldhaveagoodEnglishvocabulary,ifonewantstogoacrossthecountryforeducationalorjob
purposes.
Thus,thoughaforeignlanguage,EnglishoccupiesauniquepositionintheIndianeducationalsystem.Even
afterindependence,itcontinuestobeamajorlanguagehavingaprestigiouspositioninoursociety.This
chapterattemptstofocusattentionontheroleoftheEnglishlanguageandthechangingneedsofEnglish
LanguageTeachingandLearninginIndia.EnglishspeakingandEnglishlisteningaregivenaveryhigh
priorityintheIndianeducationalsystem.TheelitesocietyinIndiasendstheirchildrentoEnglish-medium
schoolsandeventhepoorestofthepooraspiretosendtheirchildrentothesamesinceEnglishisseenasa
languagethatprovidesupwardeconomicandsocialmobility.

2. Speakingisoneofthemostdifficultskillslanguagelearnerswouldface.Despitethis,ithastraditionally
beenforcedintothebackgroundwhileteachersofEnglish,havespentalltheclassroomtimetryingto
teachstudentshowtowrite,toreadandsometimeseventolisten.Englishspeakingisgenerallythoughtto
bethemostimportantofthefourskills.Thisskillisthemostcomplicatedbecausenon-nativespeakers
mustinterpretnotonlythemessagethatotherspeakerstrytoexpress,butalsoconsiderotherpossibilities.
Contrarytowhateverybodythinksaboutforeignlanguagelearning,listeningcompetenceiswiderthan
speakingcompetence.Ithastakenmanyyearstogivethelisteningskilltheimportanceitdeservesin
secondandforeignlanguagelearningamongtheteachingprofession.Thisisthereasonwhyrecently;the
languageteachingprofessionhasbroughtintofocusonEnglishlisteningcomprehension.Englishistheonly
languagewhichisunderstoodbyeducatedpeoplealloverthecountry.EnglishspeakingandEnglish
listeningareneedednotjustforoperationalpurposesbutalsoforidentifyingoneselfwiththosewhouse
thelanguageinIndiaandabroad.
AccordingtoDr.S.RadhaKrishnanCommissiononEducation“Englishistheonlymeansofpreventingour
isolationfromtheworldandwewillactunwiselyifweallowourselvestobeenvelopedinthefoldsofa
darkcurtainofignorance”.
byEnglishLanguageLab