KANNADA VERSUS ENGLISH

LOCAL AND GLOBAL CONSIDERATIONS

Meti Mallikarjun
Dept. of Linguistics
Sahyadri Arts College
Kuvempu University
Shimoga-577203
metimallikarjun@yahoo.com
meti.mallikarjun@gmail.com

Abstract

This paper intends to explore the interactions and interfaces between Kannada
and English in terms of linguistic value, myth and danger in the process of
Globalization i.e. the way in which linguistic hegemony and domination occur at the
local and global level in the context of linguistic choice, preferences and use in
the functional domains. The domains, which we take into consideration in order to
understand the linguistic hegemony and domination are; education, science,
technology and wider communication. The impact of globalization,
internationalism, information technology, economical reformations and
international relations on the local language i.e. Kannada is the major concern of
this paper. At the same time, how English plays an important role in order to
make the Indian languages as an unpredictable therefore, this paper discusses
hybridity as a strategy of survival for those caught between the languages of
their colonization and their indigenous languages and illustrates how, through
hybridization, postcolonial subjects use colonial languages without privileging
colonial languages. Drawing on Bakhtinian notion of hybridization, this paper
shows colonial and indigenous languages contesting each other’s authority,
challenging and unmasking the hegemony of English and to some extent Kannada is
indigenous language spoken in Karnataka. However, this paper conceives the
relationship of English and Kannada as not always contestatory but as
accomodating. the paper extends our understanding of hybridity as marking both
contestation and communion. Of particular significance is the way in which English
is criticized even in the using of it in literature, education and science and
technology. This analysis of hybridity highlights the contradictoriness of
colonized identity and establishes and confirms the idea of a hybridized
postcolonial cultural and linguistic identity.How are language and identity related?
This exploratory essay probes the conceptual and logical connections between
these two elemental factors of human existence, offers thoughts about an
alternative discourse, and looks at suggestive data regarding the tie between
violence and identity... In this argumentative essay, language is seen as forming a
nucleus of identity, identity as being forged in conflict, and discourse marking our
path to, through and out of linguistic war and peace. Abating identity threats
through identity-affirming discourse may, I conclude, be the best and most
lasting tool towards linguistic peace.

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1.Introduction
In the present paper, we discuss some of the dynamic links between
Language and power, Language and hegemony and Language and
Globalization, to underscore their impact and relevance to the study of
intra and inter linguistic groups’ relations. In particular, we address the
means by which the dominance and hegemonic act of English on Indian
languages or Kannada in particular-English as the world’s lingua-franca,
language of science, technology, law, international relations and language of
education. It is without doubt that, since the days of British Raj, English is
language of the domination, status and privilege in India. The hegemonic
colonial project in India was to create and maintain a class of
administrative officers, clerks and compliant civil servants. To establish
these agendas of British Raj, in year 1835, in March, Lord Macaulay, a
member of the supreme council in India, brazenly declared that the task
of British in India was to... “do our best to form a class who may be
interpreters between us and the millions we govern; a class of persons,
Indian in blood and colour, but in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in
intellect” (1919:16). It suggests that the arrival and establishment of
English in Indian situation is not a simple phenomena, of course, it is a
complex phenomena. When English came to India, it came as weapon of
colonial and imperialism not as a language of culture and knowledge. There
fore, it is very important and necessary to realize the socio-cultural,
political, and linguistic realities of Kannada in the context of globalization
i.e. sociolinguistic globalization. India, being a multilingual and multicultural
country for a long time, in this multiplicity, everyone experiences the
heterogeneity in terms of linguistic, cultural and social values, beliefs,
practice and behavior which attest the political and cultural nationality of
India. It is true; the linguistic situation of India has been a quite crucial
factor in understanding the ‘Indianess’ of course, there are myths and
realities regarding Indianess, but here, this notion is taken as collective
phenomena which may helps us to understand the heterogeneous realities
of this country. This persisting fundamental diversity is being approached
and reflected in this paper under the concepts of multi-perceptivity, multi-
expressiveness and multi-lingualism. In this sense, India is to be
considered as multi-lingual country at each of its conspicuous aspects,
parts and concerns not just based on several languages are being spoken by
Indians. Where as all socio-linguistic groups and communities having
multiple modes of expressions and communication live side by side even
overly each other, without, necessarily, entering in conflict with one
another. Thus, language and its diversity is one of the significant

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indicators for characterizing the unity and diversity of this country.
Therefore, in the context of multilingual consciousness and identities, to
examine the effects of the hegemony of English on the language attitudes
of speakers of a given language at one hand at the other, to investigate
the connections between the predominant use of English in education and
other functional domains at the institutional level and the vitality or sub-
ordination of selected Indian language i.e. Kannada. In this regard, the
English language has become a dominant tool of communication, which
raised several conflict and confusions in linguistic choice and preferences.

2. Linguistic and Cultural Conflict: Whether

English is a Weapon or Liberating Force?

It is widely debated and discussed that, the end of the twentieth

century was becoming a major turning point in the linguistic and cultural
context, as it changes from a multilingual to an English monolingual
environment as for as Indian situation (it means, in the functional domains)
is concerned. The concepts like ‘Global Language’ and ‘Global Village’ are
perishing the indigenous linguistic and social diversities at local level, in the
sense, nativizing English in India. The relationship of English with the
Indian languages is legitimized by its nativization. It has been nativized in
grammar, semantics, and pragmatic acquiring the features of Indian
languages (E.Annamalai:2004). This development is reinforced in the
process of globalization, in this process, where all linguistic and socio-
cultural diversities are disappearing, in the sense, the concept of pluralism
are replaced by the concepts like global village and global language. By this
way, monoculture and mono-language situations are taking their
establishment in the avatar of neo-colonialism, this is how, linguistic and
cultural hegemony is spreading across the world. At the same time, it is
very significant to reevaluate the impact and influence of ‘English language’
and ‘Westernization’ on Indian cultural and linguistic entities. It does not
mean that, the above-discussed arguments are strateforword and simple
enough to agree. Consequently, there are voices, which witness and attest
the assumptions, aspirations and perceptions of English language in
globalization. The vast majority of people who are learning English are
doing so to be able to use this lingua franca. It means that, they are not
learning English with express purpose of communicating with native
speakers of English. Non-native speakers with other non-native speakers
are using English. The English that they use need not therefore reflect any
“Anglo” cultural values. This implies that English is no longer some colonial

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language. We in Asia communicate with the world and one another by the
means. Therefore, the demand of English learning in primary schools at
first standard in Karnataka by backwards and Dalits has become very
crucial phenomena. If at all Kannadigas would like to interact in intra-
lingual situation in India itself, they can only choose English language. Such
extended functions of English have a profound effect on the nature of
multilingualism in India. The very disadvantage of this linguistic effect on
Indian multiplicity of language and culture in terms, where the correlations
interlinked between the great and little traditions (singer 1972) in the
practiced of shared culture will be in endangered situation. The challenging
task is, what are the mode of preserving strategies have to be followed by
the indigenous speech communities in this socio-linguistic crises. In this
respect, they have been practicing a happy but typical mixture of
localization and globalization with reference to their mother tongue and
the other tongue, English (A.P.Andrewskutty:2002). It may be the case of
promoting ‘Local’ language and cultures has degree of importance for
Indian (i.e. Kannada identity) identity, in that linguistic equality – or at
least linguistic pluralism contributes to social cohesion
(A.P.Andrewskutty:2002). Rehabilitating indigenous languages at the
institutional level encourages the polity to engage with a shared history
and has the effect of promoting national unity but as ‘legitimating symbols’
of a proto-nation state in era of globalization, pluri-lingual policies which
promote languages are, on their own, not enough. There fore, it is felt that
to the outside world any Indian language will not survive in the functional
domains. Consequently, “the oppressed social groups want to appropriate
English to serve them in their battle against upper castes, who have come
to control the major Indian languages and the benefits from them. While
becoming a powerful cousin to help the disadvantaged, English has
simultaneously acquired a native elite cutting across regions and castes,
and has spread from cerebral domains to expressive domains, which have
been exclusive to Indian languages, in the name of modernity and
cosmopolitanism” (E.Annamalai:2004). It is very much necessary to make
English available to downtrodden and other Dalits and Backwards Classes in
the domains like education alongside their local language. In this, way
unprivileged social groups can be benefited the linguistic opportunities at
global level. This also recognizes the role of language as the main vehicle
for the construction, replication, and transmission of culture itself. Though
language itself is a cultural construct, this does not imply that it can be
deconstructed, changed, or radically altered by the application of
particular political scrutinizes of one sort or another. Language (and
languages) means different things to different people, and policy-
formulation is often vague and ill defined. Perhaps the main contribution of

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this paper is to view language policy as not only the specific, the overt, the
explicit, the de-jury embodiment of rules in laws or constitutions, but as a
broader entity, rooted in covert, implicit, grass- roots, unwritten, de facto
practices that go deep into the culture. In the end, every language policy is
culture-specific, and it is in the study of linguistic culture that we will
come to understand why language policies evolve the way they do, why they
work (or do not work) the way they are planned to work, and how peoples'
lives are affected by them. The challenge in the study of language policy is
that there are so many variables that must be dealt with and those
simplistic notions or one-note theories cannot hope to capture the
complexity that is language and linguistic culture (Harold F. Schiffman:
1996). There is no danger that any group will learn English, so the politics
of elite centricity must be seen as an attack on unprivileged social groups
where they can be benefited the linguistic opportunities.

3.Language Use in Functional Domains: Linguistic

Priority and Choice
Language is a communication medium for turning a power base into
influence. However, more than that, the creation of power and its
maintenance or change can also occur in and through language. The way in
which language choice takes place based on linguistic priority in a
multilingual situation is very complex factor. In which linguistic preference
interplays between native language and English in various functional
domains. What is especially interesting in this paper is that it analyses the
different ways in which English as a means of communication is evolving,
developing into literally separate languages, yet which are still
understandable by those who speak any version of English. English is
important not just for ‘competitiveness’ with regard to the IT sector but
also because it has gone on to become glue for the whole of India which
has several official languages to preserve. Indian English is really a
language on its own, as evidenced by the body of Indian writing in English,
and the fact that practically all higher education is in the English language.
In fact, it is explaining very well how many Indians use only English to
speak with each other. English is as Indian a language as any other is.
English has a dominant position in science, technology, medicine, and
computers, in research, books, periodicals, and software, in transnational
business, trade, shipping and aviation; in diplomacy and international
organizations; in mass media entertainment, news agencies, and journalism;
in youth culture, sports; in education systems. As the most widely learnt,

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foreign language can estimate 115 million learners at school level the early
1970’s, (Gage and Ohannessian 1974; British councilling report 1989/9).
English education has become most desirable thing for professional jobs
and a mark of status in India where as, Kannada and other Indian languages
do not fulfill their expectations in terms of economic and societal aspects.
However, English has given a prominent place among elite and middle-class
people. It is true; Kannada is oldest language, heritagious and got literary
tradition than English. Nevertheless, in the global context, the amount of
importance and privilege is given to English just because of it was a
language of colonialism, imperialists and modernity i.e. enlightenment.
Therefore, the traditional Hindu-intellectuals demanded the English
language for education and other functional usages. This can be proved by
stating Surendranath Banerjee, a Bengali intellectual, “English education
has uplifted all who have come under its influence to a common platform of
thoughts, feelings and aspirations. Educated Indians whether of Bengal,
Madras, Bombay, or northwestern provinces are brought up under the same
intellectual moral and political influences, kindred hopes, feelings and ideas
are thus generated. The educated class of India is thus brought nearer
together....” (N.krishnaswamy and Lalitha krishnaswamy: 2006: p-78) Its
importance as a language of vital opportunities and international contact
has become increasingly clear. On the other hand, all the major Indian
languages and the number of minority and tribal languages that are
claiming their share in the country is educational and power structure is
increasingly multiplying. Nor could anyone deny the significance of Hindi
developing as a national link language. Thus, the constitution also provides
for the rights of its citizens to make representation in any language to the
state. It also provides for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary
stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minorities the
multiplicity of languages in the country and the continued presence of
English for a variety of important functions made it clear that no
straightforward simplistic solution could sustain the participatory nature
of democracy in a plurilingual society. It is therefore not surprising that
the three- language formula evolved as a consensus in 1961 even before
India gained its independence in 1947; there were attempts to evolve a
policy that would be more suitable to the needs of a self-governing India
than that which was in effect in the British Raj, i.e. a policy that favored
English. Consequently, negative attitudes have been developed among
Indians especially among south Indians, thinking that Hindi is neither our
official and nor the national language… where as, colonial rule has gone a
long way in diluting negative feelings towards the English language. In the
1960s, a bitter conflict considering the status of various languages in India
arose from concerns of the southern states (in which Hindi is not widely

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spoken) that the use of Hindi in the government services would
disadvantage them for employment in those areas. They thought, also, that
it was unfair for them having to learn both Hindi and English, whereas
native speakers of Hindi would only have to learn English. Thus, in India,
there is a great number of sociolinguistic pressures influencing the
development of language education; Spolsky (1978: 55-64) has stated that
the language policy of the school system is both a result of the pressures
and a source of pressure itself. He, too, claims that education to be the
strongest weapon for enforcing language policy. He proves by listing the
following pressures to have an effect on language planning in a society:
family (attitudes at home), religion (if the maintenance of a language is
based on a belief in a "holy tongue"), ethnicity, political pressures (aiming
at establishing national unity; a language tradition is acknowledged as a
powerful force within a nationalist movement), cultural pressures, economic
pressures (which include commerce, advanced science and technology: the
idea is that not all languages have modern technological vocabulary and it is
more rational to adopt a language such as English for this purpose), the
mass media (e.g., if there is no media in a particular language, there will be
strong pressure to learn another language which is better provided), legal
pressures (lack of the official language can often become the basis for
discrimination), military pressure (desirability to use one common
language)” (Spolsky 1978: 53-63). In India, as in other linguistically and
culturally pluralistic societies, the position of English is determined by
various political, cultural and social considerations. English as a symbol of
modernity for elites and Hindu-intellectuals-at the same time, English is
also available for Dalits and other downtrodden people from setting-out of
the socio-cultural exploitations and hegemony. In addition, the implicit
intentions are always towards English education among middle-class for so
many socio-cultural and political reasons and compulsions. Due to the
colonialism, globalization and IT revolution, in the process, in which, the
Indian languages are confronting several issues where it is necessary to
make many considerations to bring at the mainstream at least in the local
context. The issues and problems related to languages are not just
linguistic problems; they are also socio-cultural conflicts and political
issues. Therefore, it is very significant to discuss now the position of
Kannada in the globalization context. Despite some priorities the very
strange development has taken place is, demanding classical status for
Kannada- it is very difficult to judge that how for it is relevant to declare
a particular one, as a classical language in a multilingual situation. In the
Info-Age and IT-revolution, the priorities must set as pro-common people
not for specific group of people at least for near future, where as English
has all the characteristics that make it likely to remain the dominant

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worldwide language, then also it has become a liberating force for
colonized and hegemonic-class of people. Mark Tully (1997:161-162) points
out that the elitist status of English in India creates problems for the
economic development because that means that the education of the mass
of people will be ignored. He argues that the solution for the situation
would be that the spread of English throughout India would be encouraged
so that it would become a "genuine link language of the country, not just,
as it is at present, the link language of the elite.” That is how;
Globalization has also favored the growing need to learn foreign languages.
This language learning, in order to contribute to peace, has to be
accompanied by the transmission of the culture that is behind these
languages. At least, there can also be a language, which promotes
tolerance, diversity and peace among Indians.

4.Wider Communication: Is English For All?

The spread of English is a significant in its way as is the modern use of
wider communication and Info-technology. Within a short span of time
(Minor language in 1600 AD), the remarkable development of English is
ultimately the result of between 17th to 20th century British success in
conquest, colonization, and trade. Nowadays, it is also felt that with the
winds of change setting in with globalization and the advancement in IT,
the need to communicate in English has acquired greater importance. It is
beyond doubt that English being a global tongue can function as a bridge
between language barriers. Approximately 700 million speakers use it, by
the bulk of the world mailing system and electronic information services
(A.P.Andrewskutty:2002). The question arises is that will it possible for
Indian languages to take a technological and economic leap, without this
language in future. At this moment, it is very difficult to predict the
position of Kannada or any other Indian languages, as we shall see; English
is one of the several languages, which are promoted internationally in
similar ways. This shall explore why English has become the dominant
international language and how language pedagogy has contributed to its
hegemony. As a result, English has also become a lingua- franca to the
point that any literate educated person in a very real sense deprived if he
does not know English. English is a colonial language, and it continued to be
the official language after independence, virtually, in Indian States that
were under British rule. In some cases, it was retained to avoid ethnic
tensions; in all cases, it was retained because of its prestige and
association with power. In contrast, the vernaculars were viewed as
backward and inferior so were not developed. Students were made to feel

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ashamed of their mother tongue and punished for speaking it. In
Karnataka, for example, speaking in vernaculars was forbidden in schools
and punished (i.e. in convent schools). It is also felt that, today it is
difficult to use indigenous languages because they have not been codified
and standardized. Therefore, there is not a systematic curriculum as for
as language texts and trained teachers are concerned in the vernaculars.
Moreover, this has often been used as an excuse for not adopting the
innovative and modern linguistic aspects in vernaculars in schools. Even the
terms used to refer to vernacular languages are controversial. They
include such terms as dialects, minority languages and undeveloped
languages - all of which suggest that the languages are not rich in
expression and are unsuitable for modern needs. The long-standing neglect
of indigenous languages has resulted in the popular belief that they are
incapable of imparting a modern education, including science and
technology. The prestigious status of the English language and its dominant
role in globalization, added to the absence of the political will to implement
policies that promote the use of indigenous languages, have led to the
almost complete marginalization of mother-tongue education in most of the
Indian private schools. A lack of resource-producing and the multiplicity of
indigenous languages have also responsible to this socio-linguistic problems.
Indians speak 1652 distinct languages- Where as, English still holds control
despite a policy of medium of instruction in mother tongues. However,
UNESCO has made up firm decisions to encourage the indigenous languages
in schooling, as for as human/linguistic rights are concerned. Nevertheless,
all the time the promotion of local languages will remain merely rhetorical.
In addition, English will continue to take the pride of place at the expense
of local languages. Which is the main medium of instruction at the
postgraduate level, and it is taught as a second language in all states of
India. In such a linguistic crisis, how would it be possible to bring the
native languages to the main stream or at the global level? It does not
mean that Indian languages are not potential to grow but they are
potential, due the lack of socio-political interests, they have not been
implemented. However, it is significant that what Kachru (1986b:20) sees
primarily three questions which continue to be discussed. The first
question concerns the position of English in early and in higher education.
The second question is concerned with the roles of the regional language,
Hindi and English. The third question deals with the model of English
which, presented to Indian learners, and how that presentation can be
made uniformly and effectively. The Government of India has primarily
been concerned with the first two questions, which are directly related to
language planning at both the national and state levels. There are, yet, no
acceptable answers to any of these questions (Kachru 1986b:20). It is

9
therefore, not surprising that English is being used in most all in functional
domains. English, today, is undoubtedly the most powerful and viable
international lingua franca. It represents a bridge across languages and
their speakers and, in this sense, it has made a significant contribution to
the development of transnational, international, and global identities (A
.hatoss & D. Cunningham: 2004). At the same time, this is necessary to
note that English-speaking community does not constitute a speech
community. Similarly, it cannot be a either linguistic or cultural identity
marker. Every Indian asserts his identity either through native language or
through indigenous cultural vitality/ethos, thus, this attitudinal feature
reinforce to preserve the native linguistic and cultural identity even in the
globalization process. From another less optimistic perspective, the
worldwide dominance of English is causing much agonizing over fear of
encroaching ‘westernization’. It is seen as threatening cultures and values
(c.f.Phillipson2003, Skutnab Kangas: 2000). As it is already mentioned that
English is not a colonial language anymore, therefore, we could able to
protect and preserve our linguistic and cultural ethos and identities.

5. Linguistic Borrowings: Linguistic contestatory

or accomodating
There is one more perception, which can be employed to
understand language is linguistic borrowings. In the process of linguistic
contact, it so happens that is its function as a cultural or sub-cultural
indicator. This is reason enough to indicate the prevalence of the
multifarious dialects in Kannada and even in English. A linguistic borrowing
is a historical process in multilingual-multicultural situation. One influences
another one at the same time, it will be reciprocal process in most of the
cases. As for as Indian languages are concerned either they borrow
(linguistic) lexical items, concepts from Sanskrit or from English language
in general. It is also noticeable that, regarding literary and socio-cultural
concepts, either registers or lexical items are normally borrowed from
Sanskrit at the other hand, linguistic borrowings related to science,
technology and social science are from English. In most of the cases, these
borrowings would be nativized by just adding ‘u’ at the word final. There
fore, it is felt by U R Ananthamurthy in the context of nativizing the place
names like Bangalore will be bengalooru etc that, “The intention is that
even a foreigner who visits the city will use a kannada-sounding word by
calling the city Bengalooru. The ‘u’ vowel distinguishes our language, just
like the ‘o’ in kolkata is distinct to Bengali. By adding the ‘u’, even words like
chair-u and table-u become Kannada” (c.f. Desha Kaala: II vol: V by M S

10
Shriram). At the other side K V Narayana suggests that,” words from
English must be directly incorporated into the Kannada vocabulary is
refreshing when seen against the banal literal translation of terms, which
do not connote any thing naturally (c.f. The Hindu: 20-1-2006: Friday
Review’). Sociologically and linguistically, one needs little instruction to
understand how vocabulary is borrowed from dominant languages for
specialist uses, inter-lingual communication, and new occupations and so on
and so forth (Sudhakar Marathe) as for as borrowing is concerned in any
given language is not based on government polices or language planning. It
is a common phenomenon, as and when the given speech community requires
a lexical item based on availability, they just do it. There are
apprehensions that linguistic borrowing causes a language loss/shift. In
addition to this, linguistic borrowing may replace language diversities, for
instance, in Kannada, ‘maduve, vivaaha, lagna, and kalyana’ all the lexical
items more or less indicate the same meaning, ‘marriage or wedding’.
However, the prevalence usage is marriage. It often occurs in case of
kinship terms like; cousin is one of the profoundly used lexical items in
almost all the languages despite the native kinship terms. One thing can be
noticed this day is the language, which was being used in the cerebral
domains now it has also entered to expressive and private domains. There
fore, the apprehensions are taking place among native speakers of India.
Contrary to this argument, there are opinions regarding linguistic
borrowings are; language must be ‘receptive’ and ‘adaptive’ for this, English
is the best example, by nativizing loan/borrowed words from different
languages- English has enriched its vocabulary. At the present situation, all
the native languages of India is tend to adapt the structural entities of
English language which means, word-formation, lexicalization etc for
example –ization, and -able, jaagatikaraNa, (globalization) noDeble
(seeable) and tinneble (eatable) respectively. Apart from this, there are
other kinds of borrowings also are taking place; creating literary sense and
concepts and lexical innovations, which may be called, as hybrid innovations
are common phenomena.

6. Conclusion:
As it is argued, so for the position and appropriation of Kannada
and English are in the context of local and global considerations are intend
to explore very crucial linguistic and cultural realities. At one hand, it
suggests that accepting English as a second language, there is no threat
and at the other, due to the domination and hegemony of English, the
indigenous languages are under endangerment. Keeping in mind these two

11
arguments, one can raise a question that this dominant language was not
under the control of any native elite guarding access to it (like Sanskrit
was under the control of Brahmins and Persian under the Muslim elite).
This gave the dominant language English the image of having open access
through education and standing apart from other native dominant
languages. [Dua: 1994 and Annamalai: 2004]. There fore, it is felt that,
English came to be viewed as the language of rational and scientific (as
opposed to religious) thought and material (as opposed to spiritual)
progress. It came to be viewed as fulfilling a need for the elite to work
together on their political and economic agendas... (Annamalai: 2004) that
is why, today cautions against the English language acquiring a monopoly
over the Internet and computer media, and said this would stifle the
development and growth of Indian languages. Undoubtedly, it can be
declared that English pre-dominates in the domain of information
technology. None of the languages of world has got this much of privilege.
The requirement of English in every domains itself is a threat. It is also
spreading from cerebral domains to private and expressive domains. Unless
and until English constitutes as a speech community in India, there is no
threat, as for as socio-cultural entities are concerned. However, in the
domain of Internet it pre-dominates its domination. There fore, even in
the context of a net search on "Kannada literature" yields about 500,000
results. In fact, with some exceptions such as Tamil, Hindi and Bangla, hits
for most Indian languages fall somewhere in this region. A similar search
on "English literature" would give you close to 300 million results. Hardly
surprising, considering how language is one of the most important markers
of the digital divide. However, even as English is increasingly becoming the
language of information technology, there are parallel efforts at bending it
to suit the local needs. One such bridge-building effort is
kannadasaahithya.com, a portal that has been putting Kannada literature on
the global information network for five years now. Says Shekharpoorna,
the editor of the portal: "Modern technology is immensely powerful. It can
create, sustain or destroy. We must put our stamp on all major tools of
modern technology in order to ensure that cultures, as well as the
languages that sustain those cultures, are not swallowed up by the
dominant language forces governing technology." It is very significant to
quote that Harold F. Schiffman (1996), “As we have noted, language status
management in post-colonial India has involved a policy, since 1950, of
attempting to restrict the domains of English in India as a whole, where as
in some linguistic states (such as Tamilnadu) the effort has been one of
limiting the domains of Hindi and Sanskrit so that Tamil can recapture the
domains elementary and secondary education, the media, and so forth. This
regional policy, because English is perceived in some way as a ‘buffer’

12
against Hindi, which is perceived as greater threat linguistic survival for
the Tamils. In other words, English is virus-protection. English will not, it
is believed, invade the cell in the same way that Hindi might; English is
.safe. In addition, prophylactic, and will protect the inner domains from
invasion, remaining safely in the outer ones. Earlier I might have agreed
with this; today, with global job markets and other ways that English can
be not only a useful part of a South Asian person’s linguistic repertoire,
but also indeed a vital part, I am not so sure.” This signifies very clearly
that between English and regional languages of India have linguistic
accommodation rather contestation. Therefore, many people speak English.
However, many of these people do not speak English as their first
language. In fact, they often use English as a lingua franca in order to
communicate with other people who also speak English as a foreign
language. At this point students often wonder what kind of English they
are learning. Are they learning English as it spoken in Britain?
Alternatively, are they learning English as it is spoken in the United
States, or Australia? No, in fact, English is being spoken in three different
modes like what Braj Kacru (1986) classifies; as a native language, as a
second language and as a foreign language which means inner circle, outer
circle and expanding circle respectively. Thus, in India English is being
taught as a second language more than that India has constituted that its
own variety of English that is called Indian English. Indians can assert
their identities through this variety of English as an Indian where as in
side the country, there are sub varieties in which they can assert their
identities like kanglish, tanglish, hinglish etc.

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