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| Sunday, 9 February 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Now, for an English foundation by FACTOTUM It is prudent indeed that at a time when Sinhala and Tamil foundations have been shaken and fissures have opened up threatening edifices that might cave in reducing the foundations to rubble, not surprisingly after a two decade war that has impoverished us all, some well meaning persons have set themselves up to salvage the situation by a new via media auspiciously launched on the day that we commemorate the very event that perhaps led to what the organisers bemoan, the neglect or the dethronement of English - which was looked upon as a relic of our subjugated past and had therefore to be shed to enthrone not only our national languages but our national pride as well. Blame if we must our patriotic leaders who meant to unyoke the vast majority of the 'vernacular' yokels from the shackles of the privileged few who had had the fortune to indulge in the language and the pursuits of the invader and for whom the doors were open to partake of the crumbs that fell off the tables of the rulers. To this end the privileged few not only adopted the language but also the habits of the conqueror even to the extent of sporting filled shirt fronts and girding themselves in tuxedos! This category of a favoured few was less than one percent of the population then, and for all their claims to mastery of the language of the master not a single work of recognition and acceptance in English could they lay claim to, other than Vijayatunga's 'Grass for my feet' which took us back to the typical easy lifestyle in the suburbs of the port 'city' of Galle - the only port of legal entry at that time. Significantly it was only after the switch over to swabasha that more and more writers and writings gained recognition both nationally and internationally perhaps because they were no longer dwarfed by the native speaker of that foreign language. If a count is taken today it might surprise a good many pessimists that a far wider spectrum of society has not only been exposed to English but are able to interact, within limits of course, in the language than in those days that are glorified today. Exposure to more and more English on television is on the cards as the impending cricket world cup series will be watched even in distant Kahatagasdigiliya and Kebittigollawa. An English game, white skins, commentaries in English and sledging to boot; will perhaps help to tear down inhibitions and fears of those to whom English is a barrier. Of course, competence in a language is judged not by a mere receptive ability but also the ability to produce the spoken and written word. We have no doubt that the very commendable intention of the new foundation is to produce persons competent not merely to receive but also to produce English. Either way we English newspapers stand to gain. Our sales depend on the English reading public sometimes considered to be more discerning than those of the national languages and certainly it is in our interest that this new venture gains success. It is after all the market situation that has created an upsurge in the interest in English, to be able to manipulate a link language and also acquire competence in the language of commerce. As a link language there could be an interest to master the use of expletives which can be flung at one another at hot moments. In fact when this happens in that place by the Diyawannawa it would perhaps pass off as the behaviour of gentlemen unlike when the native language is used when it would be condemned as outright vulgar and uncouth behaviour. These hangovers of the past! Whatever threats to the foundations of our national pride, an 'English foundation' cannot but make us alive to other foundations that are cracking up all over the world. What, with banking and bedding and what not being possible on the world wide web! For all that and more we hope this new venture will be a resounding success. |
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