{"id":260404,"date":"2023-09-16T19:59:18","date_gmt":"2023-09-16T14:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=260404"},"modified":"2023-09-16T19:59:18","modified_gmt":"2023-09-16T14:29:18","slug":"the-rocket-fuel-that-is-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-rocket-fuel-that-is-english\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rocket Fuel That Is English"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Source<\/strong>: The post is based on the article\u00a0\u201cThe Rocket Fuel That Is English<\/strong>\u201d published in The Times of India <\/strong>on\u00a016th<\/sup> September 2023<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Syllabus: GS 1 \u2013 Indian Society \u2013 Salient features of Indian Society<\/strong><\/p>\n

Relevance: <\/strong>About the necessity of English language in the society<\/strong><\/p>\n

News:<\/strong> The article explains that neither the English language should be considered as colonial nor one should depart from one\u2019s culture while speaking or learning the language.<\/p>\n

Further, post the success of Chandrayaan-3, scientists spoke in the English language while addressing the media.<\/p>\n

What is the significance of scientists communicating in English?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Until recently, the idea of Indian scientists educated in their mother tongue successfully landing a rocket on the Moon seemed like a fantasy. Many believed that only students from English-language elite schools could achieve such feats.<\/p>\n

However, Mission Chandrayaan-3 has challenged this perception<\/strong>. After landing on the Moon, Isro scientists effectively communicated with the public in fluent English, despite their modest educational backgrounds.<\/p>\n

Further, great minds like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel<\/strong>, despite being deeply rooted in their language and culture, qualified as barristers in England<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This illustrates that proficiency in English can be acquired without losing cultural identity.<\/p>\n

When English is viewed as a cultural acquisition rather than just a technical tool, it can lead to colonialism<\/strong>. However, in the case of Chandrayaan-3 scientists, their success came from using English as a scientific tool, not for cultural reasons.<\/p>\n

The era of individuals who once adopted a superficial British attitude and accent is fading. Today, self-made achievers, like Isro scientists who use English as a practical tool, are celebrated.<\/p>\n

It’s also important to note that, after Hindi, English is the most widely spoken language in India, surpassing Bengali, Marathi, and others.<\/p>\n

While English may not be their first language, these scientists’ proficiency in it is sufficient to make them top scientists in the country<\/strong>. They view English as a necessary tool, similar to a compass or pen and pencil, rather than a remnant of colonialism.<\/p>\n

Why is it necessary to view English as a necessary tool?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As seen the case of Chandrayaan-3 scientists, teaching in one’s mother tongue doesn’t hinder learning English<\/strong>. The problem of poor education in India isn’t solved by abandoning English.<\/p>\n

It’s crucial for students to be proficient in their mother tongue and also learn English for its practical benefits.<\/p>\n

Isro scientists like K Sivan and Nigar Shaji, who came from modest backgrounds, achieved success through their education<\/strong>. They represent examples of the importance of learning English alongside their mother tongues.<\/p>\n

In Europe, <\/strong>countries like Sweden, France, Holland, Finland, Norway, and Germany showcase a balance between embracing English for practical purposes and preserving their own culture.<\/p>\n

What lies ahead?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

English should be used as a practical tool rather than being burdened by its colonial history.<\/strong> Teaching English inadequately after dismissing it as colonial is counterproductive.<\/p>\n

The Isro scientists serve as a living example of the benefits of using English instrumentally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Source: The post is based on the article\u00a0\u201cThe Rocket Fuel That Is English\u201d published in The Times of India on\u00a016th September 2023. Syllabus: GS 1 \u2013 Indian Society \u2013 Salient features of Indian Society Relevance: About the necessity of English language in the society News: The article explains that neither the English language should be… Continue reading The Rocket Fuel That Is English<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230,9],"tags":[263,264,10496],"class_list":["post-260404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","category-public","tag-gs-paper-1","tag-society","tag-times-of-india","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":8,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1698183351},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=260404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260404\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=260404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=260404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=260404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}