Few days back I came across a group of women chatting and one of them was mispronouncing some words. I could clearly see how some of them from the group had a mocking smile on their face and also how some people like me who could overhear them were laughing too. I know this is something I might also be doing sometimes unknowingly, but somehow that day I felt bad. There was a woman who was trying to speak in a language which is not her native language. I wonder why are we so obsessed with this language which does not even belong to our country.
Judging people on the way they speak is common and something I do not like and I would be happy if my daughter does not do it. This realization came to me a few years back when I saw the movie, English Vinglish. The last week we have read everything about Sridevi after her untimely demise and then this incident made me think of the movie repeatedly. The movie was undoubtedly one of my favourite ones. We all felt bad when her English proficient daughter and husband made fun of her when she was not able to speak in the ‘cool’ language, but is that not something we all do.
Understanding and knowing English has become the need of the hour to learn, to function in the business world and of course, to sound cool and survive on our foreign trips. Not to forget it is important for me to write this article and for you to read it. We live in times where an individual’s character and worth are judged by his English-speaking skills.
How much we don’t like it we need to know the language. It is that stepping stone on your path to success today which you have to step on. This is the reason Hindi as a language, is a choice in school but not English. I agree we all need to know the language but is it fair to judge someone who is struggling to speak it or is not doing it the way the Britishers speak? We cannot treat a non-English speaker as illiterate and as someone we do not want to interact with. We have no right to kill someone’s self-confidence based on the language they speak.
The lack of support makes them slow in learning and sometimes results in causing them to shy away from the English-speaking people. If a person mispronounces a word the chances are high that they learnt it while reading. Appreciate their willingness to learn. Do not test their ‘knowledge’ based on their language skills. There are some words I learnt while reading books and which I do realise is not the pronunciation. When people around me make fun, I know there is a hesitation to speak the next time and this is something we should avoid.
Learning English should be treated as acquiring a skill and not education. Knowing English sadly has become a style statement in our country and a means of judging how knowledgeable a person is. It is ok to not speak in our native tongue but speaking English is your ticket to be a part of the so called elite society of the country.
It is unfair to judge people based on things they do not know about. It is the exposure an individual gets in his lifetime which opens the window to learn something. Just look around and you will see we are judging people based on what I would call as foreign influences. If a person prefers eating Indian food he is considered a bore. If you eat Indian from a multi cuisine buffet, many people will judge you. If you do not know the right way to eat or drink something you have not heard of, you are embarrassing. If you do not know the English songs and movies you are not considered cool.
I am not saying we have to stop learning but all I am saying is stop judging people. You do not know from where they come and what their life is about. Consider yourself blessed if you have the opportunity to learn and do all these so called cool things. An Indian who can speak his native language, wears his regional attire, knows about his culture and society, relishes his local cuisine and loves to travel in his own country, is a great citizen of the country. If we want our country to grow we need more people like these. The others, like you and me, are puppets in this country who are trying to live a life which is not ours. I will say it again, live the way you want to, it is your life, but also let the others do what they want and what they can. Let us Stop Judging.
