India is currently home to one of the world's largest English-speaking communities, in a context where the language is increasingly seen as a gateway to the world. Given the plurality of the country's social and linguistic landscape, however, a significant amount of the population does not speak or have access to the language. The impact of…

From a foreign language, English in India has now become a second language (and, of course, the First Language to a considerable people). Many other languages of the world, such as, French, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, etc. are still foreign languages to Indians, but English is not. English is not only taught but also is the medium of instruction…

Bengali or Bangla is an Indo-Aryan language. It is the state language of West Bengal and Tripura and also spoken in some parts of Assam. Bangla is the official language of Bangladesh. With nearly 230 million speakers (Wikipedia 2010), Bangla is one of the most spoken language in the world. Bangla language is the most commonly used language in West…

This paper explores tensions in translating multilingual language policy to classroom linguistic practice, and especially the paradoxical role of and demand for English as a tool of decolonization for multilingual populations seeking equitable access to a globalizing economy. We take an ecological and sociolinguistic approach, depicting tensions…

"SPOKEN MARATHI" PRESENTS THE BEGINNING STUDENT WITH THE BASIC PHONOLOGY AND STRUCTURE OF MODERN MARATHI. IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE STUDENT WILL SPEND MOST OF HIS STUDY TIME LISTENING TO AND SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE, EITHER WITH A NATIVE SPEAKER INSTRUCTOR OR WITH RECORDED MATERIALS. THIS TEXT IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE MATERIAL FOR A ONE-YEAR…

DESIGNED TO COMPRISE A SHORT COURSE IN STANDARD PANJABI FOR AMERICANS TRAVELING TO INDIA OR PAKISTAN, THIS COURSE PREPARES THE STUDENT "FOR SOME EFFECTIVE, IF LIMITED, USE OF THE LANGUAGE VERY SOON AFTER HIS ARRIVAL." IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE CLASSROOM INSTRUCTOR WILL BE A NATIVE SPEAKER OF THE LANGUAGE AND THAT HIS TIME WILL BE LARGELY…

Explores the Indian variety of English from the point of view of the discoursal strategies speakers adopt in verbal interaction. In particular, the paper examines how discoursal markers function in the Indian English conversational context. (29 references) (GLR)

THE TWENTY GRADED UNITS IN THIS TEXT CONSTITUTE AN INTRODUCTION TO BOTH INFORMAL AND FORMAL SPOKEN KANNADA. THE FIRST TWO UNITS PRESENT THE KANNADA MATERIAL IN PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION ONLY, WITH KANNADA SCRIPT GRADUALLY INTRODUCED FROM UNIT III ON. A TYPICAL LESSON-UNIT INCLUDES--(1) A DIALOG IN PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION, (2)…

THIS REFERENCE GRAMMAR WAS WRITTEN TO FILL THE NEED FOR AN UP-TO-DATE ANALYSIS OF THE MODERN LANGUAGE SUITABLE FOR LANGUAGE LEARNERS AS WELL AS LINGUISTS. THE AUTHOR LISTS IN THE INTRODUCTION THOSE STUDIES PREVIOUS TO THIS ONE WHICH MAY BE OF INTEREST TO THE READER. INCLUDED IN HIS ANALYSIS OF THE LANGUAGE ARE MAJOR CHAPTERS ON--(1) PHONOLOGY, (2)…

This anthology on languages and standards was designed to serve two main purposes: (1) to provide an academic forum for linguistic scholars and language educators within and outside the region of Southeast Asia whose contributions would add substantially to an understanding of this important subject; and (2) to make relevant aspects of current…

Indian English is a variety of the English language used as a second language by Indian bilinguals. This paper reports on a computerized survey of the grammar of Indian English, consisting of the classification of 230 expressions "of whose standing there might be some question" by a group of linguists and teachers of English in India, in…

The phonology of General Indian English (the region-independent variety of English that is considered the norm for India) is analyzed as a step in establishing a standard pronunciation for classroom use in India. A table is appended which presents English sound discriminations that are difficult for Indian learners with various language…

Twenty-four English speakers from various regions of India were tested for the intelligibility of their speech. Recordings of speech in a variety of contexts were evaluated by listeners from the United Kingdom, the United States, Nigeria, and Germany. On the basis of the resulting intelligibility scores, factors which tend to hinder…

The English spoken in India is too close to standard English to be characterized as a separate variety. Although phonological variations give English in India some regional flavors, they do not have any structural or semantic base and do not constitute a new language. Cultural differences have not caused English-language literature written in…

Courses in English for special purposes, particularly in business, should be extended to native speakers of English. Problems of intercultural communication occur not only when people operate across linguistic boundaries but also when those people share a common language, particularly as new non-native varieties of English are becoming more…