Why Indian languages less preferred by American students!

@Kalyani I am reminded of an anecdote involving great Tagore. Once a young upstart bumped into him breaking out in his inimitably horrible English much to the amusement and chagrin of Tagore who was constrained to remark : "Old boy, you have forgotten your own language in learning another which too hasn't been learned properly what is going to happen to you ,god help you!!

Gurudev must have been truly chagrined to make such an observation! ha ha ha! But that is the sad story, not even a single language is being mastered truly and fully and yet most are in a hurry to move towards another foreign language, which too is not learnt properly.

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

@Kalyani I am reminded of an anecdote involving great Tagore. Once a young upstart bumped into him breaking out in his inimitably horrible English much to the amusement and chagrin of Tagore who was constrained to remark : "Old boy, you have forgotten your own language in learning another which too hasn't been learned properly what is going to happen to you ,god help you!!

Gurudev must have been truly chagrined to make such an observation! ha ha ha! But that is the sad story, not even a single language is being mastered truly and fully and yet most are in a hurry to move towards another foreign language, which too is not learnt properly.

 

Generally, we learn language only for limited purpose of communication for various purposes. Here stress is not on purity of language but the practical needs. It is only the literature students and academicians who strive for purity of language. I remeber that once somebody wanted to go to Agra University. He asked the taxi driver to go to 'Vishwavidalaya'.  The poor taxi driver could not understand. Then the man said 'university'  Then the driver said- okay, speak like this in Hindi'.  Obviously, 'vishwa vidlaya' is more understood and even considered Hindi word whereas 'Vishwa Vidalaya' is too difficult to understand. 

 

@Gulshanji What was Tagore was possibly pointing to was not the need for purity or functionality of a language rather to the empty pretence of a vainglorious upstart. Agreeing the primary purpose is communication but it is equally important to put one's views across within the well-established norms of a language. There is absolutely no justification to presume that we would be communicating with a particular section of society only whose knowledge of a particular language may be minimal or limited.

We are learning English language for the sake of earning money but not giving the same interest in developing our own language at least in our country.

Dwarakanathan wrote:

We are learning English language for the sake of earning money but not giving the same interest in developing our own language at least in our country.

Exactly, learning and mastering English will help us grow financially, other vernacular languages are but limited for local communication. These language can help us have a wider network within our country but outside it doesn't serve any purpose.

That's why our own languages are suffering just because we think in WE terms and others are taking advantage.

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

Dwarakanathan wrote:

We are learning English language for the sake of earning money but not giving the same interest in developing our own language at least in our country.

Exactly, learning and mastering English will help us grow financially, other vernacular languages are but limited for local communication. These language can help us have a wider network within our country but outside it doesn't serve any purpose.

 

Well, Japanese have definitely defeated this popular misconception that only by learning English can a person grow and prosper. Within our own country too, education in vernacular languages is quite good and better in many ways and I know many people who have become quite successful in spite of learning in vernacular schools. It is only when one contemplates dealing with foreign countries, that the issue of English may arise. When one Indian has to deal with another Indian, why should English be preferred?

 

I agree with what you're saying, but let us be practical here. Learning one's mother tongue is the first thing to do, followed by learning English. If for instance I land up in Chennai, learning Tamil is not possible, but here English will come to my rescue. In a country where people are divided on the basis of language, English does help us sail through.

There are several countries, where the mother tongue is the medium of education.for example, Germans, will not speak any other language except German, even when they are abroad and even they are capable of speaking English.

rambabu wrote:

There are several countries, where the mother tongue is the medium of education.for example, Germans, will not speak any other language except German, even when they are abroad and even they are capable of speaking English.

 

I agree, Germans, French, Russians, Japanese, Swedes, Hollanders, Chinese, and many other countries are all developed countries and take pride working in their own mother tongue. They learn English to take advantage of other markets but not to surrender their own interests. I had been in many states of India and tried interacting in local languages where Hindi did not work but I can tell you one thing that people know Hindi and accept it as contact language in almost every nook and corner of the country except in certain rural areas.

PS- I am not against learning foreign languages including English