Languages fundamentally serve as vehicles for people to communicate. Today, English language has been internationally recognized as a global language, which is highly correlated with the legacy of British colonization in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. India was colonized by the British from 1765 until its independence in 1947. (World English, 101) India, situated in South Asia, is geographically a huge territory with tremendously diverse ethnicities. Prior to the British colonization, India has multilingualism, in which each language is deeply rooted with its individual culture. In a rich multilingual territory, it is interesting how English has gained its power, and can remain powerful even after the postcolonial time. Starting from the British colonial time, the use of English language became prestige and important in India, especially in the government administration and education. In India, the position of English has changed from the symbol of slavery and colonial power to the symbol of a globalization, a workplace literacy, education and economic power.
There are many diverse linguistic groups in India prior to the colonial time. According to the 1991 census, a total of 114 languages are identified by the abstraction of 1576 mother tongues into different classification (Annamalai, 610). The language Hindi has the largest number of mother tongues, and it is one of the India’s fifteen major indigenous languages such as Urdu, Bengali (Annamalai, 610). During and after the colonial time, how did English language gain and remain its status in an enormous variety of linguistic zone? The origin of English in India began with the British first arrival in 1600s and its establishment of trading (World English 101). After ...
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...e majority of Indians that it remains as a prestige, powerful language in India. The globalization and the essential roles of English in education, government and workplace further reinforce the power of English. For the new generation, English remains its status and reputation, and it becomes a necessity to achieve many of the future generation’s dreams.
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Vaish, Viniti. Biliteracy and Globalization English Language Education in India.
Multilingual Matters Ltd., NY: Cromwell Press Ltd., 2008.
Vanishree V.M., “Provision for Linguistic Diversity and Linguistic Minorities in India.”
Language in India Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow Vol. 11:2 (2011): 304-375
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Priya, Lakshmi. "Cultural barrier through communication--as explained in Amy Tan's the Joy Luck Club." Language In India Jan. 2012: 70+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.
McCormick, K. (2012), 'English and Other Languages' in Seargeant, P. and Swann, J. (ed.) History, Diversity, Change (U214, English in the World), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 245-290.
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