English as a Life Skill - an opportunity

Ravi Perera

The recently launched Presidential initiative termed "English as a Life Skill" brings in to focus the eminence this international language has gained in the modern world.

Global economic realities are such that all our fervent efforts to forge a prosperous future may flounder if we are unable to connect with other nations meaningfully. As a means of communication its position is so vital that no nation can ignore the English language and hope to be a part of the larger global family today.

While several other languages such as Mandarin and Hindustani may claim an equally large user base, they don't come even close to the universality of English in vital areas such as international commerce, law and communication.

As much as it has become part and parcel of daily life in almost every corner of the world, in the process, it seems English has ceased to be the language of any particular country. There are too many people using this language today for one to claim exclusive rights of ownership or authenticity now.

Presently almost every racial group in the world speaks English, to some degree. Whether it is a commentator at a game of Cricket in the steaming Calcutta Stadium or a developer launching of a multi-million project in Dubai or a party official describing an impressive opening ceremony at the Chinese Olympics, they will invariably choose English when the intended audience is global.

The accent and the choice of words of the different commentators at these events would be so diverse as to sound almost like another language. Sometimes these differences are so marked that it is now recognized by scholars that there are different versions of the language such as the British, American, Indian, Caribbean, Singaporean, to name only a few.

However, while the differences between these versions are growing, the larger language thrives, accommodating and encouraging this dynamic diversity. This delightful adaptability is perhaps one of the reasons, which has made English an almost universal feature of human inter-action.

Of course, like good Wine needs no bush, English needs no promoters. Each person may decide the necessity and the degree of the language knowledge he requires. A given society may even decide to close its doors on English without the slightest impact on the universal progress of the language. But the effect of such a decision on that society, as we so dearly found out, may be severe.

It is a pity that English came to us as the language of a conqueror. In time those who were collaborating closely with the British rulers then, learnt their language, and realised its usefulness as a definition of elitism.

It mattered not that they lacked the pith and substance of the conquerors that in the first place made the English what they were. The users and abusers of the conquerors language by an imitative native elite were bound to create a backlash, which our subsequent leaders obviously lacked the wisdom to resist.

This great language towers above both, the mindless abuse of its privileged knowledge by one set of puerile natives, as well as the visceral reaction to this by the other set. It seems clear now that both groups failed to appreciate the true meaning as well as the potential of what was essentially a foreign phenomenon to them.

If the efficacy of a language can be judged from the variety and range of ideas it has given birth to, the English language has an unsurpassable record. From the theory of gravity to flying, from the telephone to fast foods, from software development such as the windows application to an incredible range of medical advances, from banking concepts to accounting principles and to an incredible output in literature, we owe a very heavy debt to human minds working in this language.

The much spoken of Parliamentary system is a uniquely English creation. That elected representatives debate public policies openly at one forum and their implementation is given to a government answerable to the parliament and the people, is an idea, which would have startled other less confident civilizations.

That in parliament sat a group of representatives called the opposition whose basic function was to oppose government policies was an idea that was met with incredulity by people whose concept of government was based on the rule by autocratic monarchs and their secretive courts.

In every country with a predominantly English culture, from the United States to New Zealand, this instinctive inclination towards a democratic way of life is a discerning feature. Even their most trenchant critics will not deny that, relatively, these countries are bastions of democratic values and individual freedom. It is to be expected that any system run by humans would have faults and weaknesses.

But in a democratic system these problems are addressed openly. They can take particular pride in the creation of an independent judiciary and a vibrant media, which highlight and attempt to address problems.

These institutions perform their vital functions comfortable in the knowledge that they enjoy the support of a well-informed public sharing a core value system. The English-speaking countries are also blessed with public service systems, which are efficient and more or less free of corruption. All the predominantly English-speaking countries in the world are within the first 20 least corrupt countries.

The United States, the melting pot of every race in the world, fares the worse, at a still respectable 20 in the ranking by the Transparency International. The United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are all within the first 12. In Asia, the highest rankings are enjoyed by Singapore (4) and Hong Kong (14), which are again countries that have English as their primary official language.

When it comes to prosperity all these English-speaking countries are in the leading ranks.

Measured in terms of per capita income citizens of these countries enjoy some of the best living standards in the world.

It is obvious that the English language has not failed its speakers. In almost every sphere of human activity they are among the best in the world.

We too can perhaps aspire for a greater quality of life if only we make the commitment.

This initiative of the President has given some of us an opportunity to learn English. Let us take full advantage of it.