Chasing success and status, Indians learning English
Washington Post / April 13, 2008
India has a reputation as a nation of fluent English speakers, but by many estimates, only 5 percent of the population merits that description. Now, a five-year-long economic boom has triggered a rush to bring the reality into line with the lore. Once the preserve of big-city elites, English is spreading to the hinterlands.
"You are judged differently as soon as you speak English in India. My students' inability to speak in English dwarfs their self-confidence," said Uma Shanker, who runs the academy. "Everybody has a dream now in India, and English is central to that dream."
Some Indians call this an embarrassing hangover from 200 years of British rule. Some say that whatever its origin, India's strength in the language is a trump card in a globalizing world.
Others argue that it is all going too far. The popular Indian news magazine Outlook ran a cover story last month decrying the "English speaking curse. More:Boston Globe
English Speaking Curse
English is a source of anxiety, even despair, for its have-nots
Anjali Puri
The buzz around "fixing" India's English is growing louder and louder....
Read More:Outlook India
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