Nandish Rao

Section L

The Origin of English Language and English Curriculum in India

The English language has grown in prominence in India throughout the last four
centuries, expanding even quicker in the last couple of centuries due to the language's
importance in international communication. The English language is regarded as a vital tool in
a variety of fields, including worldwide communication and education. The English language
was first introduced by businessmen who had come to the country for the purpose of trade. The
British left India in 1947, yet the language was left behind which has been adapted and
modified into the Indian context, which is different from Queen’s English.

Since colonial times, English has been regarded as a powerful language in India,
connected with social, economic, and political growth. Britain typically maintained an indirect
rule policy, preferring to impose systems of authority exerted by local hierarchy, who were
required to learn English for communication. English was the language of government and
tertiary education, and a person needed to learn English only if he or she wished to develop
socially, economically, or politically. The spread of English during colonial periods is
frequently credited to Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay’s Minutes of 1835,

"...We must at present do our best to form a class who may be interpreters
between us and the millions whom we govern...a class of persons, Indian in
blood and colour, but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals, and in
intellect."

Minute on Education, written by British politician Thomas Babington Macaulay, outlined why
the East India Company and the British government should invest money on English language
education and the development of European learning. In his speech Macaulay recognized
Sanskrit and Arabic literatures historical value in the region, it also claimed that they had
limitations. He wrote,

“A single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native
literature of India and Arabia,”
Macaulay recommended that the East India Company stop printing Arabic and
Sanskrit literature immediately, and that the Company should not continue to support
conventional education.

As a result of Macaulay’s zealous devotion towards English language and

literature, Lord William Bentinck, the governor general of India at the time, passed a
declaration directing that all funds be spent entirely on English education. In 1854,
Charles Wood urged the government to encourage the use of native languages as
medium of instruction for the poor and middle class. However, his recommendations
were not followed for the next seven decades. By 1857, Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras
had each established its own university. English grew at such a rapid rate that it
became the primary language of the government, the wealthy class, and the media. As
a result of the rising British population in the nation and the growing influence of
English, the only option for native Indians to get access to higher education was to
study English.

The English language was essential in the formation of a pan-Indian

independence movement. Macaulay did not realize that an ‘Anglicist’ education
would also imply that Indians would become familiar with Western concepts and
values such as democracy, enlightenment, and self-determination, which would
ultimately drive the movement for independence. Even after the independence,
English language played an important role in the development of the Constitution of
the Republic of India. The Indian government decided that English needed to be
present in important sectors like education and health care, therefore the Official
Languages Act, established in 1963 and modified in 1967, established that English
would continue to be used alongside Hindi for official reasons.

India is a country where people speak different languages in different areas of

the country. Regional languages differ significantly from one another. Without a
common language, such as English, it is difficult for leaders, administrators and the
general public to exchange information among each other. English has a wide range
of applications in everyday life. It is utilised as a medium of communication at banks,
railway stations, bus terminals, airports, educational institutions, medical facilities,
and the private sector, etc. English is a connecting language that is used in national
and international trade and commerce. Students who travel abroad for school or work
would feel more comfortable if they have good communication abilities. The English
language has written major technical and scientific achievements, which has led to
rapid evolution of the world. Hence, we are dependent on English.

The new curriculum, introduced by Lord Babington Macaulay in the 1830s,

gave more importance to “modern” subjects such as mathematics and science. In the
current scenario, the place of English in Indian school curricula is a critical topic. In
the twenty-first century, English in India is no longer a colonial responsibility, but
rather a source of confidence and development. In India, English is taught as a second
language at all levels of education, and it is widely regarded as the primary medium
of instruction in higher education. Even the curriculum and assessment methods used
vary considerably throughout the country. The English model given to students is
inconsistent, and this is a topic that policymakers and educators are now dealing with.
While most states consider English to be a second language, some classify it as a third
language, with the regional and national languages taking priority.

The English language and the Indian language first came into touch in the early
16th century, when the British chose to establish commercial posts in India and spread
English to a new region. Because of the tremendous effect of British colonisation,
several Christian schools were created in India by English missionaries. As a result,
India's education policy was formulated on February 2, 1835, and several English
teaching universities were founded around the nation. As a result, in the early
twentieth century, English was legally recognised as India's academic and official
language. In India nowadays, English is utilised in all sectors of education,
government, mass media, law, science, and technology.

Nowadays, English is regarded as a global or worldwide language. We must

consider more than just the language standpoint in order to grasp the significance of
this. We can establish that English is a unique language in today's world, functionally
and structurally distinct from other languages. In Asia, English has spread among non-
native speakers, particularly in nations such as Japan and India. Its popularity has
grown to the point that it is now compulsory for students to study English because of
its relevance in the workplace. Given the circumstances, students are studying English
not just for employment objectives, but also for general communication. Indians
speaking English in Indian ways, with their variances and phonetic alterations, may
be the perfect situation for proving the fact that English is a multicultural language.

References

1. Kumar, Anu. “Thomas Macaulay Won the Debate on How to Shape Indian
EDUCATION. so Who Were the Losers?” Scroll.in, Scroll.in, 4 Feb. 2017,
scroll.in/magazine/821605/thomas-macaulay-and-the-debate-over-english-
education-in-india.
2. View of History and Evolution of English Language in India,
ijellh.com/OJS/index.php/OJS/article/view/9902/8211.
3. Chakrabarti, Anita, and Anita Chakrabarti Author’s Bio: Anita Chakrabarti
is the founder of Avantskill. “A Short Overview of English Language Learning
in India.” EFL Magazine, 8 Dec. 2020, eflmagazine.com/English-learning-
India/.
4. Singal, Pooja. “The Rise and Growth of English Language in India and It's
Perceived Relation Vis-à-Vis the Sense of Identity among Young Adults.”
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Number 49042, 6 June 2017.