Importance of English in India

India is a diverse country with over 19,000 languages or dialects spoken by the people of this country as their mother tongues. It is shocking that many people choose to speak English throughout the nation, even though there are so many languages in India.

When the British colonized India, the English language soon became a way of setting oneself apart from the others who were unfortunate enough to not have access to that level of education. When the British left, the use of English increased to the point that English became one of the languages being compulsorily taught to children in schools. 

Here are a few reasons why English is of such great importance in India. 

1.    Global Language and Globalization

It is common knowledge that English is a globally accepted language. More than 90% of the people in some of the major first-world nations speak English as their mother tongue. It is hard to ignore this fact when you have to conduct business with those countries or be in contact with them in any other way. Globalization has made it necessary for people to know English, at least at a basic level.

In India, it is preferred that the younger generation is proficient in English even if the older generation is not. As a result, the demand for English medium schools in Agra and in other prominent Indian cities has improved. 

2.              Politics and International Diplomacy

 

Language is the common thread that connects all the different nations in the world. Representatives of most nations are at ease communicating in English, among other languages.

The world’s leaders are often found communicating with each other and the masses through the use of English because most nations and their people can understand it. If English hadn’t been one of the main languages taught to students in almost every city in India from the pre-primary stage, this country would’ve been among the few that are somewhat excluded from world politics due to the language barrier.

Thus, you will find that the Top CBSE Schools in Agra and other similar cities are the ones prioritizing their focus on teaching English to their students.

3.              Business and Trade Agreements

Whether it's government-sanctioned or private, trade requires that the two parties— or however many— involved in it be able to communicate easily. Contracts are made, negotiations are done, and trade takes place. All the steps of this process need the parties to have the ease of a familiar language to communicate.

English is one such language. We cannot ignore that English has had some contribution to making trade easy between nations. If English wasn’t such an important part of the lives of Indians, trade would definitely have been affected.

4.              Easy Communication With Tourists

 

Travel and tourism are considered two of the largest industries in India. Even though tourists come to India from every corner of the world and speak various languages, proficiency in English is one such skill that is highly valued in these two industries. Chances are that if a person knows how to speak English, they won’t need to learn multiple languages in order to communicate with tourists.

It goes without saying that not everyone is able to speak a variety of languages. English is useful in these circumstances because it is the one language whose knowledge makes up for the lack of knowledge of other languages.

5.              Ease of Technology

With digitization, more than half the world is now found online. People have accounts on multiple social media platforms, visit websites from around the world, and shop for a variety of things from various countries online, and all of this has been made possible because English is the main language that is used by most websites on the internet. Thus, it is essential that people understand English.

Due to the language barrier, many people with little knowledge of English feel isolated even on a global platform like the internet. This reduces their presence online. However, in India, where English is one of the two most spoken languages, this problem is not faced by many. This is one of the reasons Indians have such a large presence online.

6.              Too Many Languages to Learn

 

India, as previously mentioned, has a large number of languages spoken by its citizens. The languages and dialects are different in almost every city and state. The only language that doesn't change across all of India is English. English became the secondary language of the population in all the areas of India where the British had settlements during the colonization of India. Now, to communicate with fellow countrymen, even those living in areas where the British had a lesser presence have learned or are learning to speak English.

7.              Keeping Up With Advancements in the World

 

The world has seen a lot of growth in the past two centuries. There have been significant developments in various fields of science, and technology has reached a point where very little feels out of reach or impossible. These advancements are a result of knowledge. Most of this knowledge happens to have been imparted by English speakers and written in the English language.

Short of getting everything translated into one’s own language, there is only one way to access all that treasure of knowledge, and that is proficiency in English. With that skill, Indians have managed to not only learn about scientific advancements but also make many of their own. It is all because of the importance that is given to English in this country.

Conclusion

English may not be our own language but a borrowed one, but it has still been embraced by India for many reasons, among the few mentioned above. In these times, people belonging to almost every city in India have at least a basic knowledge of English. The steps taken by the best residential or best boarding school in Agra or any other city like it are the first steps towards bringing proficiency in English to all parts of India.