Opinion Tongue of war

The current issue is reminiscent of a recent fierce debate in France that pitted the language of Shakespeare against the language of Molière. To teach in English or not was the crucial question,which took on existentialist proportions. The spark that ignited the fire was article two of the proposed bill on higher education and research that partially relaxed the Toubon law of 1994,which stipulated French as the medium of instruction in French universities. The proposed bill,recently approved by parliament,allows university courses to be taught in English as well as other foreign languages.

While defending the bill,Genevieve Fioraso,minister for higher education,had stated that universities needed to start teaching in English to attract students from emerging countries like India,China,Korea and Brazil,who would normally prefer to study in English-speaking countries. She specifically pointed out that there were only 3,000 Indian students in France. Incidentally,in an effort to woo Indian students,France recently announced India-specific measures to ease student-visa restrictions.

The new law on teaching in English is,however,only likely to impact one per cent of university teaching and would only be regularising a situation that already exists in some of the country’s premier institutions. Many business schools like INSEAD,ESSEC,HEC and the elite grandes écoles — the equivalent of the American Ivy League — are already teaching several courses in English. Yet,the reaction has been a heated debate that has created a science-art divide: with scientists supporting the proposal and philosophers,littérateurs and linguists opposing it.

For those in favour,English is indisputably the dominant international language,with its de facto status as the lingua franca of the internet,technology,research,global business,investment banking. It is not just the way of the future; it is the way of the present. To withhold from the young the opportunity to learn it is to withhold from them the possibility of advancing.

For those against,the measure threatens to sound the death knell for the French language. With English alone informing the world of science and technology,French would become “poorer”,“mutilated”,“marginalised” and most likely a “dead” language.

Once the language of diplomacy that held sway over the world’s elite,French has slipped to the position of 11th most-spoken language. But protectionist linguistic policies are not the answer. The French Academy is fighting a losing battle to stem the influx of English words into French by coining alternative terms for email,the Web,smartphone,hashtag,which virtually never make it into popular parlance. Somewhat like attempts to impose doorbhash for telephone in Hindi.

Teaching university courses in English is also seen as an attack on national culture and identity. However,attracting more foreign students to Francewould help spread French ideas,lead to these very students developing a love of the language and culture,and becoming goodwill ambassadors of the country. In addition,ordinary French students,and not just the elite,would have access to these courses,giving them a competitive edge in a shrinking job market.

English gives India a soft power advantage that none of the other Indian languages can. The foreign students from Africa,South and Southeast Asia who enrol in Indian universities do so because the courses are offered in English. Knowledge of English also allows Indian students to study in Australia,the UK and the US,among other countries,and it equips them to pursue international avenues. English has opened the door to India becoming the country of choice for BPO services,creating thousands of jobs. Through Indian writing in English,Indian culture and ideas are accessible to the world.

The attacks on English in India are counterproductive to the country’s interests,and seriously out of touch with a reality in which English is no longer foreign,but very much one of the national languages. It is high time we stopped the narrow-minded navel gazing and lifted our eyes to look at the horizon.

Kapoor-Sharma is a Paris-based interpreter and writer

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