TEACHING OF ENGLISH IN INDIA

English in India is a global language in a multilingual country (Sec. I). A variety and range of
English-teaching situations prevail here owing to the twin factors of teacher proficiency in English
and pupils’ exposure to English outside school. The level of introduction of English is now a
matter of political response to people’s aspirations rather than an academic or feasibility issue.
While endorsing prevailing academic opinion for a later but more effective introduction of English
(supporting this with an assessment of the “critical period” or “sensitive window” hypothesis in
Sec. IV.1), we also respond to current realities by describing what is achievable in given situations,
supplemented with affirmative-action interventions where necessary (Sec. III.2.).
The goals for a language curriculum (Sec. II) are twofold: attainment of a basic proficiency,
such as is acquired in natural language learning, and the development of language into an instrument
for abstract thought and knowledge acquisition through, for example, literacy. This argues for an
across-the-curriculum approach that breaks down the barriers between English and other
subjects, and other Indian languages. At the initial stages, English may be one of the languages for
learning activities that create the child’s awareness of the world; at later stages, all learning happens
through language. Higher-order linguistic skills generalise across languages; reading, for example,
is a transferable skill. Improving it in one language improves it in others, while mother-tongue
reading failure adversely affects second-language reading. English does not stand alone. The aim
of English teaching is the creation of multilinguals who can enrich all our languages; this has been
an abiding national vision