English in India – The language of the cursed?
As a lover of English, I could never have imagined a day when I would actually question my education as well as career. Yet such a day has sadly arrived. No matter how learned or intellectual we may think we are in India, from a global point of view, there is a widening gap between the native or non-native speaker of English.
This does not always work out in favour of a non-native speaker. For example, there have been numerous times when teachers of English in India have faced a dead end while being hired abroad or outside India. The South Asian countries are the worst- with China and Korea being very vocal about wanting white teachers or ‘native’ language users.
I want to understand why ‘native’ language users are considered ‘better’ language users as well as teachers. Is there a scientific reason for it, something stemming from Language Acquisition laws, or is it simply based on an underlying racism that we are speaking a borrowed language?
Finally, I want to reflect on the reverse racism faced by English speakers in India- are they mocked as ‘babus’ or are they actually in a beneficial position with respect to non-fluent speakers of the language?
if we talk about Teaching and Education as a qualitative experience, then how does a native speaker of English provide her learners with benefits solely based on her country of origin?
If anyone has any points to share or some advice
– be it books or research resources, please share it in the comments section,
or e-mail me at alisha.nangia@gmail.comAs a lover of English, I could never have imagined a day when I would actually question my education as well as career. Yet such a day has sadly arrived. No matter how learned or intellectual we may think we are in India, from a global point of view, there is a widening gap between the native or non-native speaker of English.
This does not always work out in favour of a non-native speaker. For example, there have been numerous times when teachers of English in India have faced a dead end while being hired abroad or outside India. The South Asian countries are the worst- with China and Korea being very vocal about wanting white teachers or ‘native’ language users.
I want to understand why ‘native’ language users are considered ‘better’ language users as well as teachers. Is there a scientific reason for it, something stemming from Language Acquisition laws, or is it simply based on an underlying racism that we are speaking a borrowed language?
Finally, I want to reflect on the reverse racism faced by English speakers in India- are they mocked as ‘babus’ or are they actually in a beneficial position with respect to non-fluent speakers of the language?
if we talk about Teaching and Education as a qualitative experience, then how does a native speaker of English provide her learners with benefits solely based on her country of origin?
