Language, not an art to be mastered but a source of meaning

The social conundrum of speaking accurate kind of language is embedded in our minds that makes it harder for us to acquire it. We treat language that we need to acquire as a hard core thing that can only be mastered and not as a vehicle of conveying the information or knowledge. We have somewhere attached the power of identity with the language. The country in which we are living has given English language an official status, which means that at official level one must be a proficient speaker of English language.

English has always been a language of the minority, “the elite” in Pakistan. From day one of their education this language is a part of their curriculum and  life and  they simply function by playing around this language, and on the contrary in the  government schools this language is being taught from the sixth standard through text books where grammar is being taught to them in an explicit manner and they are not much encouraged to produce competence in English language so consequently when a government school’s student get exposed to a system where the medium of communication is English what would be his performance level. I think you can spot the difference between these two socio-economic classes in terms of language. That’s how our socio-economic strata work. So the problem lies that how come a country would progress in a real manner where there is a language barrier in getting a good job. Can we acquire English language like almost a native speaker even if our base is not being made satisfactorily?

The answer is yes you can. I did it! you can as well. Proficiency comes with the comprehensive input and the forced output. There are numerous linguists who have had researched on how this language phenomenon works. From B.f Skinner to Vygostky to john Dewey to Stephen Krashen to Noams Chomsky and several more took part in making it easy for the language learners, some linguists took it to behaviorism some to universal grammar and some to constructivism but despite all of the school of thoughts they were agreed on one point that there must be a will to learn and speak language without a fear.  The fear of speaking wrong English will engulf the opportunity to learn it. Speak it like it is a part of a game. Comprehensibility and intelligibility is more important in real life communication. Even if you are at a very low level of speaking English you can convey the meaning of what you want to convey to the interlocutors by staying to the rudimental basis.  Your focus should be on the interlocutors and not on the feeling of being judged. The question arises here that how come one not feel judged when speaking language erroneously? So In the country of Pakistan, English is a co-official language with Urdu.

Linguist Tom McArthur reports that English is used as a second language "by a national minority of 3 million in a population of 133 million." So it is not just you but many don’t know how to speak it properly and it can only be acquired if you strive to fix it up through your will because every human being is wired to learn any language like any knowledge. It as a source of meaning and a vehicle to convey information and not as a parameter of measuring your intelligence quotient. Language doesn’t shape the thoughts, it’s your thought that shapes the language. Prepare your cognitive process to learn anything and you will be able to learn anything. Remind yourself that one language sets you in a corridor for life and two languages open every door along the way. Languages and knowledge is not confined within the walls, push yourself a bit more, and increase your input by reading and listening all type of texts on regular basis. Be the owner of your learning. Learning is a treasure that can take its owner everywhere. Mistakes are proof that you are trying.  Failures are here to teach you and not to define you, they are here to describe you, and describe your expedition of unknown, unfamiliar turns towards the summit of success. Give it a shot even if you are not ready for it, and get out from your abstract world. What good is an idea if it remains an idea? Try experiment, iterate, fail, try again and change your world.

AUTHOR: HIRA ARSHAD