English for life

English is virtually the first language of the world. Granted, some other languages are spoken by more people in terms of population, but no other language can come close to English for its prevalence around the world.

Most of the world's books are in English. The Worldwide Web is dominated by English. International commerce, diplomacy, education and tourism rely greatly on English. If 10 persons from around the world gather in one place, chances are that they will be speaking in English to get their views across. In short, it is a language that one cannot live without in the modern world.

One of the positives of colonial rule, as far as Sri Lanka is concerned, is the fact that English is firmly embedded as a working/spoken language in our country. Apart from the two vernacular languages, English has become the third language and also a link among the different communities. It is not incorrect to say that one simply cannot 'go places' in this country without at least a working knowledge of English.

Our education system has always stressed the importance of English, which is taught as a subject from the lowest grades. Now it is also possible to opt for English medium instruction in certain schools, both Government and private. A large number of educational institutions conduct their courses entirely in English, with the exams also being in that language.

However, students do not always gain proficiency in English due to various factors, including the paucity of teachers. Some students have only a minimal knowledge of English even after 12 years at school. They can hardly conduct a conversation in the language, called 'Kaduwa' in common parlance. Many of them cannot even muster a S pass for English at the G.C.E. O/L examination. Thus they are ill-equipped to face the wider world, including the job market and university education. This dire situation has to be addressed immediately.

It is thus heartening to hear that students entering universities on the results of the 2010 GCE Advanced Level Examination will be given a three-month English, computer and human skills development training course. This is a commendable, if long overdue, move.

The Higher Education Ministry will conduct a special examination to test their level of English knowledge prior to the course, says Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne.

Accordingly, a General English question paper will be made compulsory for students sitting the Advanced Level Examination from this year on a proposal made by Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake. Sitting this paper will be compulsory to gain entrance to Universities hereafter. In other words, those who do not sit this paper will not be entitled to gain University entrance.

Students will be graded according to their English knowledge on the basis of this paper and divided into groups to follow the English course. The education authorities will create more awareness among students about this English paper and encourage them to sit for it. No student will be left out of the process.

The examination will enable the authorities to gauge the English proficiency, or lack thereof, among students seeking entry to universities.

There is no doubt that a majority will need an English course. It would be desirable to have a longer course, but time and financial constraints may preclude such a move. However, the universities may consider having 'on-the-run' English courses which can be taken while the undergraduates pursue their normal studies.

It has been observed that graduates are usually not up to the mark in English, computer and Human Skills (precisely the three areas the new program will focus on) when they leave universities and face the job market. Unfortunately for graduates, some school leavers do have better English skills - an added incentive to the employers.

Earlier, there was an initiative called Tharuna Aruna, whereby the private sector gave voluntary training for graduates in these sectors and later recruited them to the respective companies. We do not know whether it still exists, but if it does not, the time has come to revive it for the sake of future graduates.

Let's face it, a thorough working knowledge of English, if not an excellent command of it, is essential for employment in any sphere, even more so in the private sector. The global nature of most private sector companies dictates that their staff should be fluent in English.Such a level of fluency cannot be gained by following a course alone. School leavers, university hopefuls and undergraduates must strive to learn English on their own. Reading English books, magazines and newspapers is a good way to start. So is speaking in English with others, even if you falter at first. Listening to more English programs on the radio and watching English documentaries on TV is also a good suggestion.

The education authorities can also 'begin from the beginning' by encouraging more schools and more students to switch to English medium. Students should also be encouraged to speak in English even during their free time.

This calls for more teachers who can teach various subjects in English, apart from English itself. A program should be initiated in this regard without delay. This should hopefully pave the way for a generation that will literally be 'at home' with English. They will also be able to face the local and overseas job market with more confidence. The employers will also be a contended lot.

The Government's English As a Life Skill program has made headway, inculcating the idea among all that English is essential for personal advancement. That is the correct approach to the issue - learning English cannot be treated in isolation. It is a life skill that should be integrated with other life skills. Regardless of whether you are working or not, English makes life easy in our globalised world. In fact, it literally makes the world go around. If you learn it, the world's your oyster. That is the message that should get through to university students and job hunters.