English as a life skill

It is necessary to transform English to common property, for the benefit of all and for the development and prosperity of the country

English as a life skill is a straight and simple tool of communication striped of its historical baggage, a skill for employment and a vehicle for reaching the outside world of knowledge. 

It has been a property owned by few elites in Sri Lankan society as a prized possession of a privileged class, as an instrument of social repression but not for its utility. It is now necessary to transform English to common property, for the benefit of all and for the development and prosperity of the country. 

English is the language of Information Technology, International Trade and Commerce which Sri Lanka is expected and bound to take forward. The Sri Lankan standard of education is of the highest level with an efficient and intelligent labour force which has won the confidence of local and international employers. 

It is time to nationalise this precious property to the people

It is time we transfer and nationalise this precious property jealously guarded with few into a common resource owned by all to be utilised by everybody. We must encourage the leaners to speak English the Sri Lankan way as is the case in India, where the standard of English and English Education developed to attract even foreigners to India to learn English. 

A linguist in England once said that even if English disappears in England it will still continue in India as India has embraced English in education. India has emerged today as the world’s centre of excellence for the teaching of English for non-English people. 

Thousands of people came to India from the former Soviet Republic, or CIS countries, South East Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Russia, China and many other countries in the world. Sri Lanka has the capacity and competence to be an excellent ‘Centre of Excellence’ on English and Education including Medicine, Agriculture and related subjects. India used English as a utility value and a tool of communication and education, not as a tool for social climbing. 

In India and Sri Lanka, cricket and English have become a way of life

In India and Sri Lanka, cricket and English have become a way of life and played and spoken as well as or better than where it was originated. Children from Tamil and Sinhala speaking homes find it much easier to learn to speak Japanese, Koran, Russian, Chinese, French, and German than to speak English. 

In the Middle East – especially in the UAE – over 300,000 are employed with sound working knowledge and competency to speak foreign languages fluently, with reluctance or refusal to learn to speak English due to deep rooted social fears back in the country of speaking English with an accent. 

We must encourage the learner to make mistakes in pronunciation and grammar when speaking and the teacher should quietly and gently guide the leaner to progressively make less and less mistakes, giving confidence that it is as easy as any other language. In the United Kingdom not everybody speaks good English. London is an immigrant city full of migrants speaking “Broken English” or their own languages.

Confidence building

It is confidence building and getting to know the basic vocabulary of a few hundred worlds with which learner can build on. If two basic building blocks English and IT, were put in place in all hooks and corners of the country, we will be able to get unexpected results in the employment sector which is full of unemployed and under employed, by joining 10% of the population in public service expecting at least a labourer job in the government with a pension, a lot of leave and other perks with very light work irrespective of the qualifications. There are mushrooming international schools of inferior standard and quality teaching mainly for the children unable to find a good school or parents capable and eager to give them an English education. When Arts graduates from Universities go in processions on the road for employment in the public sector, they find employment as sales assistants, industrial and private sector and other establishments. 

If we provide this powerful tool scientifically and with ease to those in Information Technology Sector, Journalists, Artists, mature students, and those in employment in the public and private sector and those seeking employment and planning SME’s, it will be a boon and a foundation for a new life and era for the development in the spheres of economics, politics and general outlook in education and employment sectors.

Entrance free workshop on 26 April at OPA Auditorium

We are planning to give a gentle push and encouragement solely on voluntary basis getting the services of renewed intellectuals and experts in English and Education. 

The first workshop is scheduled to be held at the Organization of Professionals Auditorium on 26 of April from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with the participation of the British Council and with an open invitation to all interested parties at no cost, is the initial stage to be continued in various parts of the country with the participation of the English Departments of Universities in Sri Lanka and Indian Universities at later stages.

English

English is a West German Language that was first spoken in medieval England, and now a global language. It is Official language to 60 sovereign countries including Sri Lanka. It is the third most commonly used language developed over 1,400 years and the language of Information Technology, Medicine Trade and Commence mainly in the Commonwealth of Nations and the West. 

Now that we are entangled with English due to colonisation by the British, we are bound to carry on with it as in cricket and the system of administration and trade. Our workforce and the future generation needs only a little bit of a push and confidence to learn basic spoken English which will enhance their IT skills and personality. 

If one is in a position to command few hundred words with confidence and ease with directions from competent dedicated advisors and teachers, it is possible to master the skill to improve other skills and personality with confidence for success in any discipline.

Technology of Communication

English at one level is a technology of communication. You need to realise that every technology – and this includes English – is an ideological system as well. 

In our country English was a communication that was crafted by our Westernised elites as an ideology that provided a gateway to the West which required perfect grammar and pronunciation. Now we no longer need to continue this difficult route which was utilised by the privileged class and instrument of social repression and not as a tool of communication. Internet and mobile phone will be a main route to be utilised.

Way forward

Sri Lanka 2050 which is a group of non-political and non-profitable organisation of intellectuals and professionals have organised the workshop/seminar on 26 April at the Auditorium of the Organization of Professionals, with the assistance of dedicated case workers, volunteers and experts in the field as a service to the community without expecting any remuneration or payment. Entrance is free and future programs too will be open to public in the follow up work. 

We thank the British Council, for having agreed to partner with the event and invite those interested and competent to join the group. The target groups are the Information Technology Sector, Professionals, Training Schemes in various fields, Journalists, Artistes, mature students, and those who are interested to learn and practice this important and powerful yet easily acquirable tool. 

Media in all forms have a major role to play in encouraging and promoting this skill which will be a boon to the people in this competitive world. It is time for the English Newspapers, Websites, Electronic media, professional associations, educational institutions, and social networks and groups to take an active part in the process.

(The writer is a former Ambassador to UAE and Israel.)