English- a foreign language or an essential communication tool for the Indians!

While the other Indian languages promote linguistic regionalism, English in India is a case of linguistic centralism. The country has faced challenges as a result of the strong and distinct presence of a foreign language.

In today’s world, English has become an important tool for communication. English is no longer a foreign language in the modern world. Only a select few nations can say they have never even heard of it.

English was acknowledged as a "lingua franca" or universal language in the twenty-first century. Everywhere you go, including airports, train stations, government buildings, and other organizations, English is the language of everyday life.

Additionally, you can find instructions, public announcements, and place signs that are written in both English and the native tongue of the area. The tourist who is visiting these locations is also helped by text that is written in two or more languages.

Every nation aspires to increase the potential of its tourism, and for that to happen successfully, integrating English into the social milieu is merely a natural and essential step.

Origin of English Language

The Angles were a tribe that came to mainland Britain, which is now known as the European nation of England. They are believed to be the originators of the English language. Old English, which once belonged to the West Germanic language family, served as the foundation for the English language.

In early medieval England, it served as a means of communication before developing into the "bridge language," or the language that is spoken the most everywhere in the world.

With almost 983 million speakers worldwide, English is the second most widely spoken language in the world after Chinese (Mandarin). English is used in India for two reasons. First, it offers a linguistic tool for the administrative cohesion of the nation, bringing together those who speak various languages.

In addition, it facilitates communication across a wide range of speakers across a huge geographic area. In some realms of power and public spaces, it overlaps with regional tongues.

English is typically used by Indians as a "link" language, and many educated Indians speak it as their mother tongue. Many Indians who speak multiple languages also use it as their second language.

The many different facets of our society are connected through the English language. Additionally, it serves as a language link between India and the major nations of the world.

Is English a foreign language in India?

In a country like India with a low literacy rate, English is not considered a foreign language. Even in the most rural locations, a sizable portion of the population is literate in basic English.

Due to the British era's influence on our own culture in India, English language study has become more widespread. English words can be found in practically all Indian languages, even those spoken in rural regions, even if Indians may not necessarily pronounce them as native English speakers do.

The state language is taught in schools in India as the primary language, and English is taught in secondary schools. Thus, even the most illiterate citizens possess some fundamental grasp of English letters and numbers.

Of course, the tribesmen are an exception. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are the four main areas of language ability. Each of these is crucial to mastering this language.

In India, there are numerous institutions that provide TESL or teaching English as a second language, certification programs. Therefore, one must pass a written and oral test in English teaching to prove proficiency in order to teach English or become a licensed English teacher.

Even English Language Learners believe it is preferable to have training from an accredited trainer in order to master this foreign language given the growing level of competition.

The Use of English Worldwide

The IT revolution now includes English. There are 1.5 billion speakers of it worldwide. English is the first language of 350 million people worldwide; for the remainder, it is a second or foreign language. No longer a language of nationality, culture, or class identity is English. The Internet only speaks English.

Around the world, English is the primary language of 3/4 of all mail, telex, and cables, and 80% of websites. The majority of software is written in English, and all of the technology behemoths, including IBM, Macintosh, and Microsoft, have headquarters in English-speaking nations.

All of the knowledge in all fields is available in English. Even China has made it a policy to require English literacy from all students, and Singapore has proclaimed English to be the national tongue. The result is that English is evolving. It is shedding its race, class, and culture. It is now used as a tool for global communication.

English no longer belongs to any one culture because it has become an international language. Due to its cultural neutrality, it is accepted by the vast majority of people worldwide. It is necessary to speak and write in English in order to participate in meetings, seminars, conferences, and discussions as well as to conduct campaigns and write resumes, reports, and letters.

In other words, the desired talent is the ability to communicate one's views and attitudes, not the ability to comprehend a literary work.

Because English has replaced other languages as the language of business and commerce, trade, technology, journalism, electronic media, the Internet, and IT services, English communication skills are in high demand around the world. The market is open to Indians if their accent is understandable around the world.

In the modern world, learning English language skills is crucial. One cannot afford to live in a bubble if one wants to be a global citizen. For them to be able to travel and communicate freely with the bulk of the world's people, they undoubtedly need to be able to speak spoken English.

In addition to stimulating and cultivating an interest in international trade due to the ease of communication, which fosters global brotherhood and cooperation.

So, the question “Is English a foreign language?” is not entirely correct because with such a wide range of advantages, we may conclude that English is a universal language and not a foreign language to anyone.