Language Problems B.Ed. 2015-16

M.VijayalakshmiAssistant Professor

Unit – 5:Aspects of Challenges in Education

5.3 Language Problems

5.3 Language Problems

Need, Meaning, Forms, different facets, Link Language of Minorities, Place of English – Recommendations of Ishwar Bhai Patel Committee and Classical Languages

• Language is the power of the human race through which he is able to express himself well and understand the expressions of others.• Vehicle of human expression• Language development is a sign of

social and national development

Need • Mother-tongue should be the Medium of

Instruction up to the Secondary Level• Education in English at the Higher

Educational Level• Importance of English in Science and

Technical Education• Teaching of National Language to Every

Child of the Country• Multi-lingual States

Meaning• India is a multi-lingual nation• 16 languages spoken in different states• Unifying force• Led to separatism and disintegration in our

country• Main cause – Reorganisation of states on

language basis• Common language – necessary for emotional

integration and national integration• Essential for inter state communication

• Hindi and English – common languages• Hindi – spoken by people – 7 north Indian

states• Claim – majority – national language• Our constitution – Hindi – official language of

the Indian Union• South Indians – against – imposition of Hindi• Claim – English – official language• Led to understanding

Under Muslim Rule

• Foreign language – First time in India• Urdu language – Government Work• Sanskrit , other native languages

(Apbhransh) and Hindi – Continued• Favouritism• Indian languages developed more and

more

Under British Rule• Established Schools and Colleges• Christian MissionariesChristian ReligionEnglish – Medium of InstructionIncluded Indian languages alsoPreferences givenCreated anger

Wood’s Despatch 1854

•Brilliant Student – English•Others – Indian Languages•Problem was postponed to

20 – 25 years

Education Commission 1882

• Secondary Schools – English• Primary Schools – Indian Languages• Public Movement – 20th century

beginning• Indian Languages - Secondary Schools

also• English – all Government work• Secondary Schools – English continued

Calcutta University Commission 1917

• Language Movement - Appointed• Indian Languages – Up to higher

secondary stage• Some English Medium Schools

made Regional languages as medium of instruction

1935 - 1947• Regional Languages – Medium of instruction• Christian Missionaries – English• Public Movement• 1942 – British Rulers accepted – Indian languages – first compulsory

languageEnglish - second compulsory language for

Secondary EducationEnglish Continued – Higher Education

In Independent Indiai. Dr. Radhakrishnan Commission 1948

• Federal Language in the Devanagari Script , English and Regional Language – both at Secondary and University Stage (Three Language Formula)

Secondary Education Commission 1953• Recommended – Two language formula• State Level facilities provided – study every

language spoken in state• Complicated the problem• Recommendations – Impracticable• Before Independence – English, Mother

tongue and one additional language• After Independence – Hindi, Regional

languages and English

The Central Advisory Board of Education 1956

• Adoption of three-language formula• Mother tongue or regional language or a

composite course of both• English or modern European language• Hindi for non Hindi areas or any other

modern Indian language for Hindi -speaking areas

The Emotional Integration Committee (1961)

• Situation remained out of control• Regions (Before Independence) –

Three-language formula - considered now - waste of time and energy• Some Regions – support English

Language Problem in Other Countries

• Germany• German Language – Compulsory for all

students• After 10 yrs – one of the languages out

of French, Russian or English as a compulsory Language

Soviet Russia

• 3 languages formula• State language, Russian and one foreign

language compulsorily• Efforts were made to improve the

languages – script and wanting in literature

• Similar to India

France• French - International dealing and

rich and complete in itself• Secondary level – one foreign

language German or English – compulsory• Study of neighbouring languages –

national interest

Switzerland

• Main language German, French, Italian and Roman • Individual freedom• No compulsion of national language• Speaking – German• French and English – taught in the educational

institutions• Facilities also exit – study of Italian and Roman

languages• Every person is free to use his own language in

public life

Japan

• Japanese Language• Today – English – second language

for international communication• Attached to their language• Secondary stage – English is taught

Recommendations of CommissionsKothari Commission 1964-66

• Three languages should be taught to students and teaching of four languages should not be compulsory at any stage

• Lower primary stage – only mother tongue• Higher primary classes – union language along with

mother tongue• Junior High School stage – mother tongue, union

language and one other modern Indian language• Higher secondary stage – two languages –

compulsory• Higher stage – no compulsion of languages

• Study of English – useful but it should not begin before Class V

• Hindi – second important State-language – Hindi or English - taught 3 to 6 yrs – every students

• State and Union Government at the national level – try for the expansion of Hindi

• Classical Languages – Sanskrit, Persian or Arabic – not be compulsory at any stage. Facilities provided – study as an optional subject – last year of Junior High School stage (Class VIII)

• Arrangements – to train teachers – depends on ability of the teachers

Operations of Three-Language Formula• Classes I to IV:• One language – Mother tongue • Classes V to VII:• Two languages – Mother tongue and official

language of the Union – Hindi or associate official language of the Union – English

• Classes VIII to X:• Three languages – compulsory – one of these

three languages – official language of the Union or the associate official language – which was not taken up in the class V to VII

• Classes XI to XII:• Two languages – Compulsory – student

– given option – any two of the three languages studied earlier or any two languages from

• Modern Indian Languages• Modern Foreign languages• Classical Languages – Foreign and Indian

Recommendations of Ishwar Bhai Patel Committee

• The recommendations of the Kothari Commission should be given due consideration• Used as guidelines in formulating or

reformulating any policies on the teaching of the languages

Remedies to Language Problem

• Teaching of Foreign LanguageEnglish Medium at Higher StageEnglish Starting at Class VINo Burden of English• Teaching of Indian Languages

Classical Languages

• Sanskrit• Compulsory language – symbol of

ancient glory of India• Origin of almost all the Indian

Languages• Maintain our contact with our

ancient culture

• All ancient classical subjects should be taught independently at the higher level.

• Only interested students may study them

• As optional or compulsory subjects • Does not appear feasible at the primary

or secondary level – curriculum burden• Cannot be included in the three-

language formula

• In present, teaching of Sanskrit has been included in the syllabus of Hindi

• Similarly included in the syllabus of other languages

• At the higher education level some difficulty of previous knowledge may arise while selecting the classical subjects

• Courses may simplified to make them suitable for the existing situation

• Study of these subjects at primary and secondary level – enable them to select these subjects as independent (optional) subjects at higher education stage

• When the present difficulties regarding the language problem are overcome the teaching of these subjects may be possible as optional at the secondary stage

The Problem of Teachers

• People speaking other languages – Union and State Governments can train them for teaching

• Teachers of other languages – have sufficient knowledge of the language of the region

• Solution – teachers of other languages should be trained in the regional languages for a fixed period

• Union Government – select teachers for different languages – after training – appointed as a language directors – inturn they will train local language teachers and give necessary guidance

• Union or State Governments – select language teachers from different regions – giving them training - regional languages - Giving additional salary