English As a Life Skill:Ratnesh Kumar Jha

By 121 News

Chandigarh 05^th January:- The advent of society can be traced back to the formation of groups of human beings who had common ways of expressing themselves. Whether through commonality of expression, through the sounds they made, or gestures, or in their behaviour while chasing down prey or resolving conflicts, human beings found a way to communicate successfully with one another. That is how a majority of undivided territories with like-minded prehistoric beings were formed back in the day.

The evolution of functional societies came about through the evolution of languages through which messages could be communicated by one and interpreted by another. There was need for collaboration, for example, in hunting down prey in groups or to develop shelters, which resulted in the invention of signs and other forms of language that brought people together.

The evolution of the cortex in the human brain is a case in point. The way brain cells interact with one another, through the firing of neurons and the evolution of the cortex, are directly proportional to the number of such interactions. Similarly, the evolution of human societies is directly proportional to the enhanced interactions using a common language.

In this respect, the present day is no different than the pre-historic era. The significance of language as a communication tool is paramount, language essentially being the means of communication among the members of a society. Language is the tool that conveys traditions and values related to a group's identity. It is still the most essential and important pillar of collaboration and critical thinking. Let alone communication within the human community, with the advancements made in the field of Artificial Intelligence, there is incremental discussion on communication with robots.

There are several important questions that invoke one's imagination. What would 21^st century jobs demand? With the concept of singularity being one of the hottest topics of discussion, and given that machines are becoming faster than men, what would be the mode and language of communication or interface for optimal yield from such technological advancements? What would our future policies be like to ensure consistent economic development and new job creation while keeping social disruption at bay and the benefit to society intact in the face of technological advancements? How does India fit into the larger scheme of things in this era of continuous evolution and change?

The answers to these questions are far from simple and to a large extent would be driven by the right policies. Progress of technology is inevitable and so is the need to ensure that such progress compliments and benefits society. More than 60% of the jobs we have today in India are predicted to be replaced by automation. Therefore, there is a need to generate and acquire new skills that are aligned to the new kind of jobs that automation would generate in future. From a policy perspective, it is critical that there is a fallback plan for displaced employees, new job creation, overhaul of our education systems to prepare our workforce for such new jobs, and continuous up gradation of the industry and corporate organisations for absorption of such change. 

Within the purview of languages, English is undoubtedly the numerouno – spoken and accepted globally. Asia, as a subcontinent, is the largest consumer of the English language, with India at the forefront with the largest population of youngsters. Any language, with English being no exception, is used primarily with two perspectives – 'Research' and 'Employment'. Whether someone takes up research or learns skills targeted towards employment, the need for consumption and hence expression undeniably requires learning of a widely accepted and understood language. English is that language from the 21^stcentury perspective. With the ever-increasing shortage of skilled resources and the world's boundaries thinning faster with heightened trans-geographical movement, the need for English language learning, for either of these purposes, is fast rising. If popular statistics are to be believed, this demand is increasing at a compounding rate every year. 

The world is full of possibilities with the use of a common language – English. Be it collaboration, research, knowledge-creation and dissemination, employment, communication, technological advancements or any other aspect of societal evolution, English does and will continue to play the most important role as a language most widely understood and accepted and is nothing short of a life skill.