The principal official language of India is Hindi, while English is the secondary official language, as India was a British colony until 1947. In addition to Hindi and English, there are other official and unofficial languages numbering in the hundreds spoken throughout the subcontinent. India’s 1961 census recognized 1,652 mother tongues; the most recent census conducted in 2001 reports that there are 30 languages spoken by more than 1 million native speakers in India. Some of the most commonly spoken languages after Hindi are Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil and Urdu.
Something that I found to be really incredible when I was in India was the abundance of people who spoke more than one, two, sometimes even more than five languages. Indians must be able to speak multiple languages as a matter of practicality; travelling even just a short distance from one’s home may mean being among a population of people who use a completely different language as their primary communication. In recent years, the Indian government instituted a “Three Language” policy. After grade 7, Indian students in government schools are expected to receive instruction in three languages: the regional language, a modern Indian language, and English. In addition to this, other languages such as Chinese or Arabic may also be offered. It is expected that Indian students be fluent in multiple languages. This is likely what prompted my language partner to ask me recently what other languages I speak in addition to Hindi and English (to which I could answer, “Technically I’ve taken classes in French and Spanish, but…”).
I think India’s language system is great, and really in stark contrast to America’s, where English certainly dominates. Here, foreign language courses are increasingly being cut from public school curricula in middle and even high schools. I suppose this is due in part to the fact that we have much less of an immediate or domestic need to become multilingual. However, I think it may also intimate some notion that Americans feel other people should learn English if they want to communicate with us. Granted, this is not necessarily an entirely American phenomenon. English has very much become the language of academia, as well. I was at a microbiology conference this past weekend, and one of the speakers indicated that English is absolutely the standard in Science; he said that no matter where he travels, presentations are given in English and scientists from other countries must learn the language in order to contribute.
Given our high expectation for English as the standard in America, I find it disconcerting how rather unsupportive we are of non-native English speakers in America. This was an observation that I did not make until returning from India. In India, any stumbling Hindi phrases I could get out of my mouth seemed just about the most exciting thing to happen all week to shopkeepers and others I talked to outside of school. So many Indians I interacted with were absolutely enthused to hear a foreigner taking the time to learn their language. They were also generally gracious to offer their knowledge and assistance, were sympathetic listeners, and were eager to teach new words they thought I should know. Here, I don’t see much handholding at all towards people who are new to America and may not speak English well. At times, people who don’t speak English are seen as an annoyance and interactions and generally short and to the point. I can definitely say I’ve never seen anyone here beaming about a perfect stranger attempting to learn English.
I’ve also seen that it is not just an Indian phenomenon to be supportive of language learning. I tutor a family from Bhutan whose native language is Nepali. They are convinced that I will just “pick up” Nepali from being around them. I’m mildly ashamed to say that as this point I can officially remember only two words: onion and Wednesday. But, you can believe that anytime I say the English/Nepali phrase, “See you on Bhudavar,” it’s cause for them to celebrate because, I’m learning!
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