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| Tuesday, 3 February 2004 |
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The other tongue by Lionel Wijesiri "Want growth? Learn English." The common denominator of the countries that have best in this age of dashed expectations is that they are the countries where English is spoken -Paul Krugman: Economist When the Cold War ended in 1989, it brought victories for both democracy and capitalism, making them the favoured organising principles for the world's political and economic systems. As we look back over the past one and half decades, it's clear there has been a third victory as well - the emergence of English as the world's primary language. There is nothing special about the English language, to my knowledge. But it is becoming increasingly important in the world today. It has long been the main language of diplomacy as well as international commerce and communication, but now, in the information age, it is also the predominant language, by far, of the Internet, the world of computers and so on. This means that not only to communicate and do business in the world, but also to acquire current information and access to the global system, you need English. According to a research done by the British Council, "English has official or special status in at least seventy-five countries with a total population of over two billion. English is spoken as a native language by around 375 million and as a second language by another 375 million speakers in the world. Speakers of English as a second language will soon outnumber those who speak it as a first language. Around 750 million people are believed to speak English as a foreign language. One out of four of the world's population speaks English to some level of competence. Demand from the other three-quarters is increasing. Even in Asia, English has become the common language of business, diplomacy, and the media. Go to Singapore or Hong Kong or Bangkok, and professionals share common information sources - not just the local press written in English, but also CNN and CNBC-Asia; the International Herald Tribune and the Asian Wall Street Journal; Time, Newsweek, the Economist, and the Far Eastern Economic Review. Maybe, except the Sri Lankan, that is. With limited English (or limited interest), many Sri Lankan professionals have no direct access to this information. Instead, they depend on "filters" - namely the local press, TV and Radio - to tell them what was happening in the world. And as with all filters, some things get left out and other things get distorted. What happened? So, what should we do? I believe what is needed today is an understanding of why the Sri Lankans have fallen behind the rest of the world in learning and using English. We have a number of TV and Radio channels that broadcast enough good English programs daily. Bookstores are filled with row after row of English language dictionaries, grammar books, and test preparation kits. English classes are mandatory from late primary. There are many private schools throughout the country that teach English, and the government has special programs. English words permeate the local languages (often in ways that native English speakers don't understand), and good English movies are shown on cinema regularly. Yet despite all these, why haven't our efforts produced the same result as other countries? Of course one of the chief problems here is that our public schools have English teachers who often can barely teach, let alone effectively communicate the language. They are not about to do a good job of planting a love of, and ability in English in the minds of their students. Ministries of education will complain that they lack the funds to train and pay skilled teachers, and rightly so. There simply is not enough attention given to this matter by governments. For decades most Sri Lankan students studied English because they had to, not because they saw any value in learning it. The focus of instruction was not how to communicate. Instead, English was "taught to the test," helping students acquire the knowledge they needed to pass the written examinations. And it is time we take a serious look at the state of English teaching inside our own borders. Serious study Does our English language curriculum emphasize the communications skills that we need for our future? How many schools have facilities to teach English or language labs that students can use to get the virtual equivalent of one-on-one instruction? How good are our English language teachers and what kind of in-service training do they need to strengthen their skills? How many schools still follow the age-old pattern of group teaching, with the teacher standing in front of the classroom, overanalysing grammar and talking about English rather than speaking it? Are there enough English language instruction programs on our Radio and Television? If so, how effective are they? Who is the audience, and do the programs focus on their needs? How can we obtain the services of foreign agencies like the American Peace Corps and British, Australian and Canadian NGOs and other voluntary organisations which might offer their services free to teach English in schools in rural areas which cannot attract local English teachers? As it might be sometimes very difficult to provide rural schools with English teachers, can we implement a scheme of awarding scholarships to bright students to learn English in schools where there are adequate facilities? I remember once a writer recommended the introduction of a scheme where a set of textbooks with Sinhala or Tamil on one page and English on the opposite page to facilitate the understanding of the text by teachers and students. It is not a difficult operation and worthwhile giving further consideration. Business community Strengthening our English-language capabilities is not the responsibility only of the educational system. Our companies also have a key role to play. They need to recognize the importance of international communications skills to their future. This means encouraging employees to strengthen their English language skills through a variety of incentives and rewards. Companies could pay for English classes in private outside schools and also offer in-house classes in professional English. Whichever direction we look at it, the present state of English teaching and learning in the country is very depressing, though everybody feels that English is essential for our own survival. Whatever the needs, the learning outcome presents a sorry sight at the moment. Our graduates, with some exceptions, cannot speak and write English for effective communication despite many years of teaching and learning at school and university. It is now seen that the products of the present system of education are having problems with English when they want to develop their outlook. This being the situation, policy planners, intellectuals and the conscious section of our population, and also our civil society should start rethinking seriously the role of English in the country. |
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