It is rightly said that ‘English is not an obsession; it is a door to get better opportunities’. The importance of the English language in India cannot be overstated. Everyone has gone through a phase in life when they might have faced embarrassment as they don’t know how to communicate in English. This is why English has become a more significant part of our lives.
In many surveys conducted by the Indian Government, it is found that the youth of today remain unemployed because they lack English speaking skills. This may be surprising, yet it is true.
In India, we learn English as a second language at all levels of the education system. We have accepted English as the primary medium of instruction and learning in higher education.
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Have you ever thought that despite Hindi being our mother tongue, why is it vital for us to learn English? Why is this language so crucial to us?
Looking back at history during the 17th century, the time when the English traders landed in India as ‘the East India Company’ to trade with Indians. In short, India’s first brush up with English was with the arrival of the East India Company.
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Gradually they started spreading themselves by taking active participation in politics. They were successful in expanding themselves across the Indian continent. This was the time when they began finding the potential Indian mediators who were able to play the roles of administration under the reign of British officials.
It did not take time to convert these mediators into high-class Indians, also known as ‘Babus’. The main motive of Britishers was to create a class of people who are Indians by skin but Britishers by mind and act.
This was when the realisation of the importance of English in education came to light. This made the Britishers invest in India and built various schools, colleges, and institutions. Today, in India, English is the only language favoured by many industries, including banking and legal systems, Commerce, trade, defence, etc.
It has been a common belief that the English language shapes how people see the world. English is undoubtedly here to stay in our country. Therefore, it is necessary to foster English language learning in the young minds of our country by introducing English at every level of education.
SGT University established the Faculty of Mass Communication and Media Technology (FMMT) to meet the demands of an increasing job market in the media industry in India and abroad. The Faculty has a dedicated Centre for Languages and Communication (CLC), which offers BA in English (Hons.), and MA in English (Hons.) courses. The Centre for Language and Communication is among the best university in Delhi NCR for BA in English Honours courses.
Written By:-
Miss Amita Bhati
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Mass Communication & Media Technology
SGT University
