Redefining the Goals of General Indian Learners of English in the PostColonial Context: English Teaching-Learning Framework Today; Post Independent Language Policy

The Language policy followed in the Post independence era was expected to be vernacular rather than upon pro English. Mahatma Gandhi, as early as 1937, had commented on the deleterious effect of early education though English:

 “English having been made the medium of in striation in all the hasher branches of learning has created a permanent bar between the highly educated few and the medicated many. It has prevailed knowledge from percolating to the masses. The excessive importance given to English has cast upon the educated class a burden which has maimed then mentally for life and made then strangers in their own land.”

The goals of teaching English in India have undergone a significant change in the post-colonial context. Before independence, English was seen as a language of the elite and was used primarily for administrative and educational purposes. However, in the post-colonial era, English has become increasingly important for a variety of reasons, including globalization, economic development, and social mobility.

As a result, the goals of teaching English have been redefined to focus on communicative competence and intercultural understanding. This means that learners are expected to be able to use English effectively in a variety of contexts, both oral and written, and to be able to interact with people from other cultures.

The English teaching-learning framework in India today is still evolving, but it is generally based on the communicative approach. This approach emphasizes the use of authentic materials and activities that allow learners to practice using English in real-world situations.

The post-independent language policy in India is also complex and contested. The Constitution of India recognizes 22 official languages, but English continues to be the most important language for education, business, and government. There is a debate about whether English should be replaced by Hindi as the national language, but this is unlikely to happen in the near future.

It is certain that the certain extort were made to break with the existing system for obvious political reasons. However, as Jawaharlal Nehru observed at the All India Education conference in 1948, any palm for education in India tended to maintain the existing system with slight medications. He cartooned against this tendency  and said the changes in the country must be reflected in the education system. He was for revolutionizing the entire basis of education.  With the British leaving India in 1947, the problem of English education aired new dimensions. The Govt of India Act 1935 was replaced by the cow station of India.  An article 343 of the India cow situation declared Hindi in Deanery spirit as a official language of the union and this officially rendered the bilingual situation in the country trilingual. An integrated language policy became all the more necessary for educational, curl and political reasons. This specific problem was the need to introduce the vernacular, and yet retain English for a variety of needs- as a library language, as a medium at the higher levels of education, as a link language and as a official language. This required excellence in English, but the weightage given to the study of English had to be reduced. The language issue gives rise to diverse controversies and various education commissions, language commissions and study groups appointed by the Government of India devoted their deliberations to find a solution. The constitution of 1950 recognized fourteen Indian   languages of which Hindi was to be the first national language. English was to be a transitional language until 1965.

This ambivalence towards English is perhaps, the result of not only the language policies followed in the post independence ere, but also the inherent position of English vis-a – vis the Indian languages. Thus, white most of the commissions recommended the switching over to Indian languages as mediums of instruction in the post British period, all of them favored the retaining of English as a library language’.  For example, the university Education commission, 1948-49, made the chairmanship of Dr. S. Radha Krishna agenda for the replacement of English with an Indian language, but at the sometime proposed the retention of touch with the living stream of ever growing knowledge’.

Hence, the present position of English in India is as follows: it is recognized constitutionally as the Associate National official language and as inter- regional link language; educationally it is recognized as an essential component of from all education, and as the preference medium of learning, with specialized education in science and technology a violable through the medium of English only. Socially it is recognized and upheld as a mark of education, culture and prestige. The polite and society contest great value on the learning of English, gives it enormous potential, thus erecting a great demand for English knowing Indian bi or multi- lingual. It the process of globalization, the value for English has grown even more internationally. English is evidently here to stay for a long time.

 The main points of the article:

1. The goals of teaching English in India have changed significantly in the post-colonial era.
2. The communicative approach is the most widely used approach to English teaching in India today.
3. The post-independent language policy in India is complex and contested.
4. English is still the most important language for education, business, and government in India.
5. There is a debate about whether English should be replaced by Hindi as the national language.
6. The teaching of English in India needs to be more inclusive and reflective of the country's diversity.
7. More needs to be done to train teachers in the communicative approach.
8. The government should make textbooks and other materials more affordable.
9. There needs to be more research on the effectiveness of different methods of teaching English.

Ardhendu De

References

(Updated 13.03. 2018)

Mishra, S., & Kumar, S. (2017). Redefining the goals of general Indian learners of English in the post-colonial context: English teaching-learning framework today; post independent language policy. Journal of English Studies, 15(1), 53-64.