Indian English

chillibreeze writer — Dolly Dinesh

With the advent of Hollywood Westerns and its gun firing, slang toting Clint Eastwood... English took off to another dimension in our neighborhood! In, 'When Harry met Sally' (a Hollywood movie), in which Billy Crystal most sweetly declared, that 'he said “tomaatoes” and she said “tomatoes”' or vice versa, little did I realize that there was a vast difference in the "English" spoken in India other than the accent. I naturally assumed that this arose from the fact that English, at the end of the day, was a bestowed language!

'During its early history, America was a series of British colonies on the eastern coast of the present-day United States. Therefore, its literary tradition begins as linked to the broader tradition of English literature.' Wikipedia also states that, “American English and British English (BrE) differ at the levels of phonology, phonetics, vocabulary, and, to a lesser extent, grammar and orthography”.

For a student attending school in a rural area, even basic English still remains a second language. A language that, strangely enough, is perceived more as for official work purposes than something that is spoken on a daily basis. With 23 languages to be tackled at the end of the day, not to forget its medley of dialects and accents, is American English really topmost priority here?

Making them aware of the differences would only alienate them from a language they took for granted all along....

Look at the increasing stress on BPOs and their employees. Their so-called "English speaking" skills are suddenly in the limelight and sadly have led to chaos within the industry and confusion overseas. Interestingly the call center employees are suddenly viewing ‘English’ as yet another 'foreign' language to be relearned! With most of them hailing from the smaller towns, is an American English curriculum enough to seize the day?

More important than introducing a variant form of English would be, making schools aware of newer educational tools and techniques to meet with the needs of a global world diktat. The private schools and international ones are geared but what about the umpteen number of schools in the villages and smaller towns?

For me, the essence of English still remains partly steeped in its poetic and purple prose compositions used in Shakespearean English, musty old Classics and Indian authors.

Thus the very thought of introducing American English into Indian schools is like actually erasing an entire familiarized dictionary, especially for those who have already finished with their conservative or convent education. A herculean task nonetheless in a rigid system that loves to loll about in its usage of parables and obsolete clichés.

As a writer, my constant nightmare is battling with the computer's program-fed 'z' to my 's'! Then again with no poetic license or rigorous styles imposed on my skills. I don't really see the usage of American English making that much of a difference because its presence has already crept in through the media, advertisements and food franchisees!

Language is a fluid medium. It adapts to the culture and vice versa! In fact, when I walk into my favorite coffee shop, there are no cookies or biscuits anymore, simply smug crunchy unappetizing biscottis!!!!! Hinglish anyone?

In fact, my daughter's current education leads her to correct my my "Z's" to Zee!
So what do I do, give in to the writing on the wall or simply zzzzz over it?

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Dolly writes for chillibreeze.

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