‘Why do Bollywood movies mix Hindi and English’ is a question that I have been asked by my foreigner friends over and over again. It comes to them as a surprise when I reply. ‘It is the normal way people talk in India’.
Today, English is generally accepted as being the ‘lingua franca’ of the modern world. This phrase refers to the adoption of English as the ‘bridging’ language among communities to facilitate communication amidst people who do not speak the same language or dialect- making it the front-runner in education, research, tourism and the media. However, in recent years, new competitor languages have emerged to supersede English, particularly in multilingual contexts such as the Indian subcontinent.
After independence from the
The popularization of Hinglish has caught the prying eyes of international companies such as Domino’s and Virgin Mobile and they have wasted no time in incorporating Hinglish into their ad campaigns in order to establish a connection with the consumers. These include, Domino’s ‘Hungry kya?’ (Hungry?) and Virgin Mobile's ‘Think Hatke’ (Think differently) slogans.
Hinglish also has deep roots in the Bollywood industry which has played a significant role in popularizing the language as well as introducing ‘hip’ combinations of the two vernaculars. Movie titles such as Dear Zindagi (Dear Life), Shaadi ke Side Effects (The Side Effects of Marriage), Jab We Met (When We Met) among others are evident of
Hinglish encourages freedom of expression, promotes the growth of Hindi and is a sign of globalization and cultural diversity which the Indian government endorses. Personally, I would go as far as to say that Hinglish is a major reason that has kept India relevant and pertinent in the current world. Global software, pharmaceutical and engineering firms have shown to give greater preference to Indian applicants compared to Asian applicants- Chinese, Korean, Japanese due to their better command over English, or rather Hinglish in many cases. This
Hinglish has undoubtedly succeeded in taking the top spot and being the ‘lingua franca’ to bridge the language gap between English and Hindi native speakers in the country. The hybrid language helps people become more culturally diverse, promotes globalization, and unifies people from all around the
Even though the dominance of a language can allow for the loss of a culture, it can also bring awareness. In schools, local community centers and other various places, foreign languages are taught, not only do non-native speakers take on these languages but native speakers do as well to keep their culture. By doing so it “revitalizes cultures and cultural artifacts through foreign influences, technologies, and markets.” (Gerdes
While I am an avid critic and a skeptic of the Indian “Hindi” film industry, it is hard for me to ignore the cultural significance that Bollywood holds. While pop-culture is a representation of the society, films also hold the responsibility of perpetuating, and in some cases exaggerating, long held beliefs. Much like the film industry in the
“Our Native Tongue” is a short article written by Nelson W. Aldrich. Jr, in February 2000. To begin the article Aldrich describes how privileged and grateful he is to know the English language. Aldrich says “I’d been born with a silver tongue in my mouth.” From this statement, readers can assume how amazing the English language is. Silver is an item most people value, Aldrich values English the way some would value silver. Aldrich also says because he knows the English language he has access to many opportunities, that others would have to pay for because they do not know the English language. The article also discusses the first global lingua franca. Lingua franca is “the language of science, business, political, and finical power, and English”. Lingua franca is also a diammoniate language that is accepted between speakers whose languages are different.
most spoken language in the world . Without this major changes , India would have been left in time , different from the modern world for many years until the British or any other developed country would have deflated in showing interest into colonizing the country.
Language has been said to effect culture and a person’s way of thinking; in addition to culture effecting language. Throughout the last 100 years there have been apparent and subtle changes in the English language. The changes an English speaking person may see throughout their life time are different catchphrases, the way language is written, the type of formality used, and how deeply English is affected by cultures; as well as how it effects other cultures around the world.
...as of the third world, where the films are more avidly consumed than films from Hollywood, Indian cinema dominates world film production. Such popularity and preference provides evidence that Hindi cinema delivers something positively unique having undergone continual changes that brings together influence and assimilation from Hollywood. With the ‘Masala’ format at the forefront of genre and style in Hindi films with resounding, lasting success for over five decades ‘Indian cinema has remained remarkably distinctive’ (Thomas, 1985).
The language spoken by these ethnicities affected one another and resulted in a choppy, sing-song version of the Queen’s English with heavy accents from the Hokkien, Malay, Cantonese, Tamil, and more. 2. What is the difference between a.. While Singlish may be based off British English, most of its influence comes from Chinese and Malay. Words from Hokkien, Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese, and Tamil are often added to everyday conversation. Singlish has many distinct and unique features.... ...
...nology is moving ahead at the speed of light. With all this advancement comes the inevitable need for a language that unifies the world. The need for a common language to conduct our business and economic affairs, and our need to communicate internationally on political and world interventions has made English the leader in world languages. It is not the language spoken first by most, but it the language that the world uses when it comes together to communicate.
...f cheap culture by using flowery words but now the trend of vulgarity and the Punjabi culture in the films are changed and film makers have tried their best to attract the audience towards this industry again. If the scripts of films are related to reality like the novel which are based on drams are getting highest applause from the audience then the dying industry again gain its position and popularity.
It has led to the development of new dialects and modification of existing ones. The British Empire has been able to spread the language across the globe and to date it is the most widespread language and most used in foreign transactions. Currently, the population of non- native English speakers is higher than native English speakers. This is a clear indication that English has become an international language.
Further, 70% of participants think that in 19-27 age groups Urdu language is more neglected. And according to 21% teenage group neglect the most to Urdu. And the main purpose of it is our media which also took part in threaten Urdu, by using fluent diction from English in talk shows, in hourly news bulletins and using English names for the channels (e.g. Dawn News, Capital TV, Indus Channel etc.). 57% participants are in favor of that media plays an important role in promotion of English language.
Even though there are advantages as well as disadvantages, the need for international language for communication, politics, economics and security is necessary and English is the best “language candidate” for that function. English is a language spread all over the world and it is used by millions and millions of speakers. According to my opinion, people should use English as a tool to communicate with all cultures but every country must keep their culture and language is a great part of it. In conclusion, language defines identity of a country and everyone should keep their language and explore others.
Sharma, B., 2008. “World Englishes, English as a Lingua Franca, and English Pedagogy”, Journal of NELTA 13 (2), pp. 121-130. Available from
It can be seen that English has become a global language, which is determined by lots of factors like history, culture and daily usefulness. Because of these factors, the number of people who speak English is still increasing now. English, as a significant part of social life gradually exerted profound impacts on education, job hunting and international communication. Also, it provides the whole world with a chance to share ideas and communicate freely. We are quite curious to see the further development of English as a lingua franca in the
English has been grown as global language. It has been used widely in every sector such as in the field of science, technology, commerce and international relation. The English language has been taught for many years in Nepal. To glance it’s history, started when Rana people established durbar high school at Dakhchowk, Thapathali. At that time, they had invited two English teachers to manage the school and the curriculum design. Since then, though there were no strong government policy documents regarding teaching of English. The school level curriculum includes English as a subject. It has been taught as compulsory subject in the school from grade one.