Here, in this article, an attempt has been made to turn the attention of the readers to the most crucial thing that is the importance of the English language in education or the advantages of learning English language (here, focus is not on any one of the particular countries where language is seen as a second language for communication or the language of the education etc, the topic here is described in a generalized manner).
Education is always given primary importance. Many of the countries across globe from time-to-time focus on some specialized programs which are aimed at increasing the literacy rate in their own country. Nobody can deny this that a man is what education makes him; a man can’t be able to perform successfully in any aspect of his life if he has not got any education. It is always a necessary thing and can’t even be overlooked anytime.
Importance of English education:
If we are here talk of whether global education or local education then one thing that we will find common in both is the use of the English language. Yes, many of the countries have long since started making use of the language and have even been promoting its use for the benefit of the education receiver. Here, a student, if studies from a medium which is not English then definitely he may face problems in future as the language which is useful for further studies is English.
English as a means of receiving global education:
If we here talk of the English language and the use of it as the medium of education then it can be said here that every country now has understood the significance of providing education to its citizens in English language. Now, every country instructs their edu governor or the edu representatives or the officials or the professionals to divert the attention of the students or the learners to the language which will be helpful not just in improving the standard of the one’s living but will directly or indirectly help in enhance even a country’s economy (Because, if the education is received in this medium then it will allow an individual to develop more and more professionally and will invite chances of gaining success for the respective country in field of science and technology, arts, medical etc).
Why this English language is required for studies?
It is the language which is very much required to be able to study in an English country. If you are in India and you prefer to migrate to some other country for higher education then you will not have any option but to choose an English speaking country which will surely require you to be able to speak good English. And if you do not know English then you will lose your chance of studying in any reputed foreign university. Yes, no matter in which country you are, no matter what your medium of instruction is, no matter your subjects are, English will truly be there as an integral part of the studies or education.
LITERATURE VS LANGUAGE
Affective language is the cherished vehicle of literature – the means for transmitting feelings and expressing them. Expression of feelings is an anathema to Management English. It is supposed to be extraneous act. But we can mould language to affective language for persuasion, for evoking others’ feelings, for awakening moral scruples instead of tempering it with own feelings. Language of Management should not be allowed to limit it to a scientific monograph. It may be allowed to extend to phonetic basis – rhyme, alliteration, assonance and subtleties of rhythm. Again, ornamentation in Management English is of course ostentatiously insignificant and irrelevantly verbose but sometimes use of simile and metaphor, paradox and synecdoche, litotes and onomatopoeia add up to its effectiveness, notwithstanding ornamentation. Managers need to create an atmosphere while motivating the working hands. Everything is not reported; something is expressed also. It is here that we have to resort to the devices used in literature. Literature is the most exact expression of feelings, while science is the most exact kind of reporting. Management on the other hand is a fine blend of reporting like that of in science, and calculation like that of in Accounts. But we can make it more effective through the application of some devices available in literature.
Management is the most practicably dynamic field where reflection, rigidity and dogma don’t have any room; inflexibility is anathema to Management. It is not so that a manager believes in sayings like, ‘if situation compels, call father even to a donkey,’ but as he is a realist, he is not compelled to close any door, whatsoever it may be, and treads the path which leads him to profit and prosperity. He does not desist from borrowing. In other words we can say, cooperation from any corner is most welcome in Management. Borrowing and lending is a co-operative act. And the philosophy behind globalisation is the philosophy of co-operation – borrowing and lending. Management’s disinterestedness in literature or anything abstruse like literature is very common. The indifference of Management to literature or philosophy is because of the attitude developed in the way of functioning. Idealism or anything like it doesn’t suit to Management’s framework, but the fact is that in global world we can’t cut away anything from anything. People who think that Management and literature are in necessary conflict do so because they habitually think in opposites of black and white, true and false, good and evil. Management can’t move an inch without language and language is the daughter of Literature. So how can Management keep literature at bay? Management is the most popular form of studies as democracy is the most acceptable form of government. It may not be allowed to remain Commerce alone for it is both an Arts and a Science also. As the common medium of Management is English, it should be allowed to grow unhindered to its full effervescence. We should not avoid literature, at least its semantics, its phonetics, its nuance. The English language should be learnt inter-culturally in an effective manner. Besides learning good communication skills, we will also have to fight against bad English – against vagueness and lack of precision, against pretentious diction and stilted phraseology’ against the prevalent practice of using unnecessary adjectives and against stale words or phrases which block our thinking, for accumulation of stale words or phrases as George Orwell says ‘chokes the learners like tea leaves blocking a sink.’
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE
If we observe, we will find that contribution of Business Studies in to spreading the English language around the globe (partially through Business Communicative Skills) has been more, and more rapid, than any other discipline has ever made in past. Even teaching of English language teaching itself has not helped as much in the wide acceptability of the English language as Business Studies alone has made today. Around the 1970s, teaching of Business Studies started in India and it became so popular around the 1980s that departments of Arts and Social Sciences began to close down, at many places. Today no other subject is as widely offered as Business Management. Gone are the days of History, Geography and Literature. I do admit and intensely believe that every discipline has its importance and I’m in favour of Literature teaching to be made compulsory in universities. But there is no denying of the fact that Management is a subject which is morebased more on practicability, utility and action than any other subject. As the genesis of the subject implies utility, its most common medium (English) is not of lesser importance and any gesture of undermining it is unfounded. Earlier, the English language used to be taught through literature– the field of philosophers, poets, thinkers and writers of imaginative mind. Hence it remained confined to selected literary calibre and its usage came into practice under their dictation only for the people of similar taste.
The common mass couldn’t be benefited of its dynamics. The trite phraseology, epigramical expression, hyperbolical representation, clichés and lofty diction used to be either difficult for common men’s comprehension or there were no such popular vehicles as available today which could transmit them to the masses. The greatest contribution of Business Studies, besides usefulness of the subject, is that it has helped the English language spread very fast. With a view to incorporating effectiveness in communication in the business world, the need was felt to evaluate language with a specific purpose. Keeping the above disadvantages in view, a college course, Communication, has therefore, been introduced,; the prime purpose thereof is to facilitate language for communicable purposes – reporting, messaging, talking and informing. Work requires communication. People communicate to plan products and services and motivate workers. Communication in the Bbusiness world is a service rather than something tangible. Communication purpose is to gain the skills to analyze, write, persuade and manage i.e. to have the skill to meet an organisational need. And at the same time, it is organized to meet the psychological needs of the readers also. Psychology is an important factor in Management. A manager has to understand his employees’ psychology, their culture, aptitude and even the community they belong to. The audiences of business communication include people both inside and outside the organization. It means the Manager has to be aware of culture and convention of the place he is working at, the people he is dealing with as well as the rules and the laws of the land. Keeping everyone pleased and unhurt is the job of the Manager. The interest of the audience is evoked through creativity,; so creativity in communication always pays. The manager therefore needs to be creative as well. Thinking creatively often means shedding off conventional paradigms for which certain forms of style and diction are needed. Information, especially in writing, must be accurate i.e. writing must not overstate, understate or distort the reality that is being represented. Besides, writing must be tailored to meet the needs, the interests and the capabilities of its expected readers or listeners. In Communication the purpose is more to inform than to impress. Scientific attitude is attained with impersonality, exclusion of emotion and objectivity. Such a view leads to a exclusive style of writing in which these qualities are easily maintained and it is not surprising that writings mostly done in third person passive voice are normally more scientific.. Management basically consists of four components: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. In all the four areas, the role of language is very significant. Intention and feeling in the fast life of commercialization today is normally not bothered about.
What is taken into account is how we do or how we say. So ‘how’ sometimes matters more than ‘what.’ What we feel, and what we believe hardly matters. How do we do and how do we say is the concern of many. True is Mintzberg in his observation that managers are not reflective thinkers for they are ‘engaged in a large number of varied, unpatterned and short duration activities. There is little time for reflective thinking because managers encounter constant interruption.’ Under Mintzberg managerial roles, come specific categories of managerial behavior which can be grouped under three primary headings – interpersonal relationships, transformation of information, and decision making. The efficiency of the manager is gauged in his effectiveness. A manager is not required to be a scholar; he needs to be effective. And this is his efficiency. So the term management refers to the process of getting things done, effectively and efficiently, through and with other people. In above two of the three areas communication role is predominant. To a lager extent a Manager’s efficiency and effectiveness depends on his language nuance, dynamics and semantics – abilities. He has to persuade and control and transmit information, foster social cohesion and sometimes give artistic presentation. Words have the power of starting marches in the streets; stir the harshest of enemies and to move them to work. But words alone are not sufficient. The way they are used under the situation counts a lot and effectiveness measured. Rules and laws and statutes can only prepare a framework of functioning; they can’t move a heart to abide by them. It’s language which alone can mint a miracle and how a manager has used it tells about his communicative skill. We know that every organisation contains people. And it is part of a manager’s job to direct and co-ordinate those people. Performing this activity is the leading component of management. When managers motivate employees, direct the activities of others, select the most effective communication channel, or resolve conflict among members, they are leading. As grammar alone is not language, so are not words. A word is a symbol; Grammar is a rule. What makes language worth effective, are the ideas used through words in proper situation – with understanding its nuance, dynamics and semantics. Here is required Managers’ acumen, his ability, his communicative skill. Mits calls it ‘straightening of ideas.’ One thing notable about words is, the way it is used and the way it is taken when spoken by others largely shapes the beliefs, prejudices, ideals and aspiration. They constitute the moral and intellectual atmosphere in which the person lives – in short, his semantic environment. Hence language, thought and behavior are inseparable. They are complementary to one another. If one is weak, the other is ought to be weak as in the case of lungs, heart and tongue.
A glib tongue normally keeps a credulous heart and a composed heart is normally a meticulously careful tongue. Manager is a master communicator. To be concerned with the relation between language and reality (Management is a reality), between words and what they stand for in the speakers’ or listeners’ thoughts and emotions, is to approach the study of language as both an intellectual and a moral discipline. Semantic orientation in management therefore is a necessity. Today there is awareness in Management, perhaps to an unprecedented degree, of the important role that communication orientation and semantic presentation pay. Management is a challenge – challenge in respect to language. Report and informative areas of language – language of extensional world – the words listened, acquired and practised are made highly enriched today for decency, manner and etiquette. ‘Toilet’ we call,‘restroom’, ‘white-meat’ is another euphemism for ‘chicken’. It is thought inelegant to speak of ‘going to bed’, so ‘to retire’ is a better substitution. For the dead person we say, ‘passed away’ or ‘departed.’ In Business Studies too we have several such compact terms which cover much meaning. ‘Downsizing’ is used when an organisation lays off its employees for some reason; ‘Pyramid organisation’ is the organisation where decision-making authority lies in or near-top management; ‘synergy effect’ is the output of team members which is more than the output given by members individually. Words give the verbal images of things and situations. To this Alfred Korzybski in Science and Sanity calls ‘map.’ With the help of ‘map’ (words and language) we come to know about the ‘territory’ (things or situation). As the map, so the image of the territory – if the map is well drawn, the information about the territory will be clear. Literature is therefore a territory while language is map. The language used in management is like the information passed on the basis of ‘map’ not territory. But those who have experienced the ‘territory’ rather than only ‘maps,’ are likely to give fresh, accurate, and more vibrant information –affective effective. Literature is a world where we learn to have information as if coming from the ‘territory’ itself, not from mere ‘map’. Management does not encourage, more or less, judgmental and subjective language whereas in literature language used is profusely subjective.
The issue is worth poundering. Subjectivity is though itself greatness; it reveals complete state of a mind’s milieu which is dangerous from managerial point of view. A Manager need not let his complete mind, his opinion known to others. He is a policymaker; he is to execute it. His exclusion of emotion and objectivity are is to be maintained. This is what S. I. Hayakawa in his book, Language in Thought and Action calls snarl and purr-words. If, for example, a Manager says, ‘what I hate, I hate very, very much and what I like, I like very, very much.’ This way of expression smacks of his dogmatic bent of mind, unyielding. It blocks the way to further argument. It halts from changing opinion, once already formed; version, already made. It makes Manager’s opinion abysmally manifest about the employees or the things – negative or positive – done is done and it may not be undone while the reality demands of flexibility in opinion or version. This is the temperament of Management. Objectivity in Manager’s language and temperament will lead to the good functioning of the organization – effacing of personality from the communication saves Management from many problems. But thorough objectivity is difficult to achieve. Sometimes, it is implied. S. I. Hayakawa calls this process of selecting details, ‘slanting’, which ‘gives no explicit judgments, but it differs from reporting in that it deliberately or inadvertently makes certain judgments inescapable.’ When objectivity in Management English is talked about, it means scientific attitude. Once Albert Einstein wrote, “When a man is talking about scientific objects, the little word ‘I’ should play no part in his expositions.”
What is true about science is also true about Management English – objectivity is scientific attitude. For example, see this sentence: I/ we got surprising results from the three tests I/ we made. This sentence is in Active voice. Here there is emphasis on ‘I’ which reflects the pronoun. But if we say instead: surprising results were given by three tests. There is no reflection of the subject – I, we. This is scientific attitude. Another example: Discussion at the meeting of the Board of Directors clearly revealed the weakness of plan X. Plan Y was adopted. The second sentence is passive voice. It is short and brief and there is no revelation of any pronoun or subject. Again, scientific attitude is not only achieved by use or avoidance of a particular pronoun,; it is achieved also through certain qualities: honesty, care in handling of facts, dignity and restraint in manner. Precision should also be employed. Greater success has been enjoyed this year than last ‘in case of’ the engineer department. It is better to substitute, ‘by’ for ‘in case of.’ This is more précised. Another sentence:
This problem is ‘in the nature of one’ encountered years ago. If we replace, ‘in nature of one’ with ‘like,’ we will feel better effectiveness. Yet another sentence:
The recorder has been installed ‘for the purpose of’ providing a constant check of volume changes. There is no need of using the phrase, ‘for the purpose of’. ‘To’ may serve better. This type of error is called wordism. And the nature of Business English demands of precision. A few examples are below for better understanding;
‘In many cases’ may be changed to ‘often’.
‘In all cases,’ may be changed to ‘always.’
‘In connection with’ should be changed to ‘about’
‘With the object of’ should better be changed to ‘to’. ‘On the part of,’ should be changed to ‘by’.
‘At the present time’ should be changed to ‘now’.
‘Red in colour’ is wordism because ‘red’ is itself a colour.
WE WILL MINIMIZE OR AVOID TECHNICAL TERM JARGON FOR ALL WALKS OF LIFE. IN ADDITION IS TO USE UNIVERSAL SYMBOL FOR ALL COMPONENTS.
Ever noticed that people who have a strong English vocabulary receive more attention and respect from their peers, colleagues, subordinates and authority figures? This is because speaking with a strong vocabulary indicates that you take yourself seriously.
Language and the way we use words conveys intelligence and authority. A person who is a mathematical genius or an expert software developer may be highly respected for technical skills, but if the words that come out of mouth consist of a poor vocabulary, it will, unfortunately, communicate a lack of intelligence.
A number of studies have consistently demonstrated that those who have an advanced knowledge of the English language are much more likely to advance in their careers. These studies have also demonstrated that a strong command of the English language will lead to higher pay.
If you are like many people, there may have been times when you talked to someone who had poor English skills. While you might have been polite, you
were probably thinking that this person wasn t very intelligent. You may also have thought that this person was rude.
There are a number of reasons why International English has become so important in the 21st century. Perhaps one of the most important is globalization and outsourcing. Since many of the world’s most powerful corporations are based in countries such as the United States and Great Britain, there is a high demand for people in foreign countries who can speak English.
Globalization is an element that is bringing about change in the world. While many people criticize it, you must prepare for it. Not preparing for change will only cause you to get left behind. Whether you agree with globalization or not, a failure to prepare for it can lead to disaster. Whether you are living in China, or the United States, gaining a strong command of the English language will allow you to separate yourself from your peers, and you will increase your chances of success.
English language learning through social media and entertainment In recent years social media has become a predominant factor in our daily communication, especially among young people, who ‘hang out’ on Facebook or Twitter via their laptops or mobile devices almost around the clock. We update our status on (un)usual events in our lives, write on our friends’ walls or just tweet an interesting link from any imaginable sphere of life. Such is the power of social media that the rumour has it that if news/information is not on Tweeter, Facebook or LinkedIn, it literally did not happen. So, why not use this trend of massification of online communication also as a means to attracting (young) people to learn languages in a funny, informal and laid-back way? Prodirekt company has recognized the power of social media as a tool to reaching out to potential English language learners by creating a language network Verbalisti. Our co-editor, Marija Ivanovic, has spoken with Prodirekt’s director of educational programmes, Jasmina Saric, who explains the ideas behind their work as well as the latest trends in English learning in Serbia when it comes to social media and entertainment. Tell us more about the social language network Verbalisti – what inspired its concept and how it develops? It all happened three years ago after the prolonged talks with our educational partners – major European language schools and colleges, about how we could raise the standard of language learning in our region. We wanted to offer students in the region a social media that will be a motivating factor to learn foreign languages. Consequently, we created the social media and language network Verbalisti that quickly changed many things in our region. Probably the most significant result is that Verbalisti language network diversifies the language learning practice in Serbia by introducing innovative and up-to-date approaches, such as learning through social media and entertainment. The network features various online language learning tools and YouTube videos. Additional educational content can be accessed through the two language specific blogs of Verbalisti -stranijeziciblog.com (Serbian) istranskijazici.com (Macedonian). Last year, in partnership with Pearson and Kings Colleges London, Verbalisti conducted the language competition Verbalizuj se! with a two-week language course in Kings Colleges in London as the main prize.
The competition generated 432 entries and more than 34,000 visits to the site in just one month. What in your opinion makes Verbalisti so special and different? Perhaps it’s the fact that we offer students an accessible and attractive way of finding out everything they need to plan their language education. We have recognized the importance of the social networks, Facebook and YouTube in particular, as the main environment for opinion exchange. There was no doubt about it. Languages are live organisms, they change and evolve as we speak… communication and opinion exchanges are essential. Facebook is the one that probably enables the highest interaction levels. The other important thing was to create a platform for students to view and exchange photos, video clips or simply start a discussion. We further spiced things up by interviewing celebrities, because our motto is learning through entertainment, especially when it comes to the young. The result of our efforts is more than 12,000 Verbalisti language fans on Facebook. Now that you’ve mentioned the interviews with the celebrities in your media, tell us how important was their support for Verbalisti popularity and how can social media be used in the classroom? Very important, I’d say. Since the very beginning we’ve made a point of “opening up” celebrities to tell us more about their education, their language competencies, about their travel. All of them supported the project we dubbed “Speak Your Mind!”. The most significant of all, however, was to show the young how important it was to speak languages in our times, by sharing the experiences of their favourite singers and actors. English teachers can use these clips as a tool to motivate students to learn the language. If teachers don’t have access to internet at schools, they can, nevertheless, recommend the links during class and in this way give students the freedom to explore them on their own at home while on Facebook or YouTube. As feedback exercises, teacher can, then, after a few days re-initiate the discussion in classrooms. This can be done either through group discussions or as a part of a writing exercise.
We talked about students’ preferences, especially the younger ones, for the digital media and social networks. It explains to a great extent the fast growth of the language network Verbalisti, but what is the situation like when it comes to the foreign language teachers? How trained and how prepared are they for the advantages of the digital media and the latest teaching tools? Well, here the situation is not so rosy, although we have to be honest in realising that the poor use of the digital media in our schools has come as a result of many different factors, most of which are out of the teachers’ hands. For instance, the economic crisis is to blame for the lack of funds – therefore, no money for the speedy internet connections, for computers at the students’ disposal or acquiring new, powerful teaching tools, such as, interactive whiteboards. We need more significant help in financing teacher training, educating them to incorporate new media and tools into a class, and last but not least – we need to come up with the compensation system which would motivate teachers to evolve and improve with the times. This is the core reason why our teachers should seize every opportunity for additional training, especially those organised abroad and supported by the foreign colleges, the British Council or other institutions. The overall implementation of thedigital media and the improvement that comes with it have forced the western countries to transform their teaching, and I honestly hope we’ll follow in their footsteps. PRODIREKT, with its language network Verbalisti, recently signed the regional partnership agreement with the Paris based Entertainment Learning, the creator of language learning service – English Attack! In line with the importance of adopting new media in our teaching, we will in the next issue discuss with Jasmina Saric the power of social media and how digital entertainment can be applied to help people learn languages.
