The three languages formula has not worked out well because;

1. People rightly insist on favouring their Mother Tongue and script.
2. They do not want to learn an additional script as they see it as a disadvantage and as discriminatory, when compared to people for whom that script is of their ‘Mother’ tongue.
3. Also, there is a great demand to continue with English, the language of our Constitution, as it gives us an advantage, even Globally. We need to have a more practical and widely acceptable Language Policy, a 4-Language, 2 Script formula, starting with speaking from Pre-school level itself. Reading and writing can follow thereafter.

Hence our language policy should be English (Indian) or ‘Inglish’: the language of our Constitution as the Official language, Hindustani-as our Link Language with the same Roman Script as English, The Mother Tongue or the Local Language as our Working Language and Sanskrit as our National Language with the same Script as that of the Mother Tongue/Local Language.

Highlights

Language is for communication, both Globally and Nationally. In a Country like India, with so many languages, parochial insistence on one language over the other defeats the purpose of Nation-wide communication. Rational, open-minded approach will show the best way.

Quotations for Consideration

“Language is for easy and proper communication and not for proving one’s erudition or for snobbery.” – Anon

“A common language is the most obvious binding element in any society.“ – Michael Howard.

“All I know is what I have words for. The limits of my language mean the limits of my world” – Ludwig Wittgenstein.

“To learn another language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.” – Anon

“Knowledge of Sanskrit will go a long way in finding solutions to the contemporary problems like global warming, unsustainable consumption, civilizational clash, terrorism etc.” – Sushma Swaraj.

“Change your language and you change your thoughts.” – Karl Albrecht

Objective

To encourage a common language that allows for better National Integration and Communication and another for ease of Global Communication, both with a common script and to also, encourage the Local language / Mother tongue with its phonetic script that can also, be used for our National language, Sanskrit.

Key Concepts

English, the language of our Constitution, deserves to be recognized as our Nation’s Official language, with its script (Roman) also, used for our Link language (Hindustani). The English do not have a script of their own and had themselves adopted the Roman script.

It is not the English, but the Americans, who are responsible for the spread and recognition of English/American as the global language for science. If World War II had been won by the Germans, this language would have been German.

The Local language / Mother tongue must be encouraged as a Working Language and its phonetic script also, be used for Sanskrit, which for historic and knowledge reasons needs to be recognized and established as our National language.

Mother tongue is what the child picks -up speaking, from those around from the age of three. Why can’t the child be exposed to the speaking of other languages in that same period, in which case these languages also become Mother tongue equivalents.

If our ancestors had insisted only on their ‘Mother Tongue’, then we should all have been speaking ONLY in BRAHMI, PRAKRIT or PALI or such other ancient vernacular language. If they had sought the advantage of better communicability over purity of traditional language or mother tongue, then perhaps we too today should strive for better communicability for each of us all across our country and globally, even as we seek to encourage knowledge and use of each of our ‘Mother Tongues’.

Learning a language is not a difficult process provided it is taken up systematically and, in a manner, appropriate to the age of the learner. Learning by speaking and playing in childhood, from the age of two, is the best Reading and writing can follow.

Some decades ago, when AT&T was the only telecom giant in the USA, it carried out a study to determine how large a vocabulary was required to be able to communicate well in English. A study of all the words used in a 24 hours’ period in telephone conversations in New York City led them to conclude that general conversations needed knowledge of only about 300 words, while most business and other financial transactions needed knowledge of at most another 300 words. The fluency lay not in knowing the words, but in knowing the grammar and idiomatic use of them. So, to teach a language, one first should learn the words for common items and activities in that language and how they are used together. This means, first learn to speak, the grammar and idiomatic usage will be picked up automatically.

Teaching the alphabet and writing is the next stage and not the first. Children pick-up their mother tongue or even the different language, if any, of their playmates, Ayahs or Maids etc. They do not need to attend classes to do so. So, teaching should start by making children pick-up the other spoken languages too along with their idiom and the grammar and only thereafter be taught to recognize and correlate the written words.

Perhaps the best way would be for schools, from the play school itself, insisting on children speaking in only one language each day of the school. Say, Monday- English, Tuesday- Hindustani, Wednesday- Mother Tongue or Local language, Thursday – Sanskrit, Friday – English, Saturday – Sanskrit. Of course, on Sunday at home it could be the mother tongue or local language.

In the USA a play TV series ‘Sesame Street’ was started to teach English. Today many similar programmes are available for various languages, to not only do the same for language skills but also, thereby spread awareness of common cultural concepts. Even watching cartoons in the selected language should be encouraged.

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