Originally published in Goa Today August 2016 edition.
The Oxford dictionary
defines language as a means of human communication, consisting of the use of spoken or written words in a structured way.
Most of us Goans will know at-least 2-3 languages, those being Konkani, Hindi,
English and Marathi. Some may also know Portuguese. Among these languages,
Konkani may be considered by all, to be their mother tongue. But this does not
have to be the case. As per the book ‘Language’ by Leonard Bloomfield an American Linguist who carried out studies on
Sanskrit, among other languages has written that mother tongue, is a language that a person has learnt from
birth or within the critical period during
childhood, or that a person speaks the best. If one looks at that definition for a person like me my mother tongue is
English, since even though I also learnt Konkani and Hindi at almost the same
time as English, I speak English much better
than Konkani and this has the case since my childhood and this also is my
personal choice even though legal documents may say so otherwise.
Language aside from
reflecting once sociolinguistic identity has no other such connection with
one’s culture as one may expect so otherwise. It does however reflect on ones
cast and social standard by means of grammar or words used for communication. Language
is used for the sole purpose of expression and thus to ensure clear means of
communication the choice of language a person uses, should be his or her choice
with which he feels most comfortable and not forced on an individual.
The medium of instruction is a language
used in teaching it may not be the same language, as the official language of
the territory or the official language of the country. It is it beneficial to
have schools that have the local language and also to have schools that have English as the
medium of instruction. This allows parents to choose which ever school they
feel is the best for their child.
In my opinion it is best in an Indian
scenario where English is not the mother tongue for most individuals be put in
an English medium school. This is so because later on when they have to face
the outside world they are in a better position to do so. We in the 21st
century India. An age of
technology, urbanization and globalization. An age,
where now even our taxes are paid online on an English website. In such an era
it is essential to have excellent command over the English language. Never the
less a non-english medium schools
may also achieve this goal. However, most students may find English easier to
write over other scripts speaking from experience. Aside from this, students
also have an extremely hard time when transitioning from one language as a
medium of instruction to another suddenly when moving from one grade to
another. This creates profound stress on the student physically and mentally.
In today’s dog eat dog world only a student in that situation can understand
this kind of pressure and thus such a situation must be avoided. Then there is
the fact that all high schools and professional colleges use English as a
medium of instruction. Studying in a private university I have seen many
individuals put up a pathetic struggle and fail to express themselves in
English during presentations and also otherwise while communicating at a professional level,
since they have no command what so ever over English. Also they can have a hard
time while answering entrance exams which are all in English. This is because
they have been taught in their local language throughout. Keeping these facts in mind and
thinking with a clear foresight a parent would make the right choice by
admitting their child in a school with English as medium of instruction.
One needs to realize that fact just because
a child is educated in a language other than his mother tongue or territorial
language this does not mean that he or she won’t learn the local language.
The truth is the child has already learnt it as a kid in his household. A child’s
brain has the capacity to absorb anything like a sponge absorbs liquids.
Therefore, a child normally learns more than one language during the critical
years of development as happened in my case as I mentioned earlier and the same
happens to most Goan children that’s the reason most of us know more than 2
languages here as mentioned earlier.
Of course the child needs to know his
local language but that’s not the matter here. The matter of importance is
which language will be more important to him in the future and thus needs to
focus on the same. He will learn how to speak and write Konkani, Hindi,
Marathi. But will he answer his exams later in life in these languages? will he
give presentations in these languages? or will he fill important documents with
those languages? Then what’s the use?
Keeping these facts of the future in mind one can learn these languages
as second and third languages and focus on English as a first language. Wherein
he gets more exposure to the same and attains professional competence and
fluency with this language.
Some individuals may still feel that
this is not necessary and may wish to enroll
their children where the medium of instruction is something other than English.
One should not deny them this. India is a democratic country. Education is
every Child's right. We need all the
schools that we have to be in good numbers and be in functioning condition. Aids must be
continued to all schools irrespective of their medium of instruction. If aid to
any school is denied than this may cause it to be shut down and this will be a
grave violation of a Child's
right to education. Given the perpetual rise in population of this country we
need as many educational institutes as we can at all levels of academia and as
such all the ones currently in existence must be kept functional and not reduced in number as it may happen if aid id
denied.
Then there is the matter where in it is
claimed that the use of English as a language is causing the loss of our
cultural heritage with children moving more towards western culture. This tends
to raise the question as how a child in the 4th grade can grasp any
matter that is to do with culture. The true change of culture is influenced by
the more ‘thoughtful’ and radical teenagers
and youth that are beyond the reach of the preliminary educational system. One
also needs to realize
that the cultural change is a perpetual process that will happen no matter what
like the movement of an unstoppable force. This has happened over the years and
will continue to happen no matter what,
whether we want it or not. To add to this our educational system has become so
pathetic and syllabus oriented that teachers utilize the periods allocated for
the new subject called ‘value education’ to complete the syllabus. This subject
was specifically introduced, I hope the readers are aware, for the cultural,
spiritual and personality development of the student. Which is not being done.
In such a situation it is futile to rely on the educational system to help in
any cultural or value education of the child
as is being attempted abut the use of the local languages as a medium of
instruction. Instead this must be done at home by
the parents, siblings and must happen
through maturity and exposure. Patriotism, culture and values are not developed
in the classroom today.
Politicians and other individuals should
be made aware of the fact that people don’t leave the country because they have
become westernized. They leave the
country for better opportunities which our government is not providing. They
leave the country because they are fed up and disgusted with every issue which is being politicized
for votes brings nothing but
frustration common man. If you want people to stay, then improve the system as
people have repeatedly said. And
give the whole education system an overhaul don’t try to make changes to the
existing system because you only end up making it worse. There is no saving it. We need a system
that educates our students ‘hands on’,
a system that causes students to question what we
have been taught rather than just making them blindly believe what they have been taught.
If one wishes to preserve any part of
our culture and heritage one must divert our resources to the preservation of
our historical monuments and our texts, such as Vedas and Upanishads which are in need of translation
into all possible languages,
so that they may reach every individual which will make aware to everyone the
vast knowledge and cultural source which they
are. Aside from this it all comes down to every
individuals’ personal choice how he wants to be, a modernist or a
traditionalist or a mix. A change of a language is not going to make any
difference to the matter at hand
but rather will only backfire.
By Raghuvir Keni
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