Honing language skills in schools

One important reason for the low skill-set of the local workforce is their lack of language proficiency. Not that linguists are naturally more talented but professionals without strong background in languages will eventually expose their lacking. School-level education has to partly take the heat for falling behind in this important area.
While it is easy to dump the blame on the general shortage of teachers, especially in foreign languages, it really can't be an excuse for a country that was under British colonial rule for 200 years and Turkic-Persian rule for almost a thousand years before that.
Not too long ago, conscious Bengali Muslim families would make it a point to impart at least four languages (Bangla, Arabic, Persian and English) to their children (mostly sons) in preparation for their entrance examination in the civil services or for higher education at provincial capitals. Shortage of teachers was not acceptable as an option, regardless of the geographical disadvantages. The objective was to acquire the language proficiency and the skills needed to compete for a decent job.
English is undoubtedly the most important of all foreign languages in the subcontinent. It is quite unfortunate that many people still believe that English language is the monopoly of a particular race. South Asians inherited the language through a combination of multi-cultural interplay of civilisations and a cross-racial experience in education and politics. The English language in South Asia is indeed a language of South Asia as much as it is the language of Britain, Canada, Australia and America. Knowledge of this language will result not in any physical transformation, but will boost a person's ability to communicate effectively with the world.
There is no excuse not to have more skilled teachers in this field. Families 60 years ago did whatever it took to impart that training when life and commuting was a lot harder. It should now be all the more prevalent and customary for any child in any village to build that skill-set.
In a globalised human resources market competition is fierce. The demand for menial workers in the Middle East will dry out sooner or later. So will the $50 a month minimum wage in the sweat shops. With rising living standards and the impact of globalisation class systems will likely come under greater fire. That sort of situation cannot be sustained by any government. One small spark will have the potential to engulf an entire city in a riot. European countries too have experienced such outbursts in the last few years. Frustration bottled inside unemployed youth is like a deadly social bomb waiting to explode any moment.
"English is not enough." These are not the words of a South Asian dreamer but are in fact the conclusion of a survey conducted by the British government in 2000 under Sir Trevor MacDonald and Sir John Boyd. They wrote: "It is a regrettable fact that for many years, after a strong period in the 1980s, the major foreign languages, French and German, have been in continuous and sometimes dramatic decline in British schools and universities. Britain faces the great task of changing this trend. It is absolutely in this country's interest that British young people, now and in the future, should be competent in foreign languages. In January 2002 the House of Lords debated the value of foreign language learning. All the speakers agreed that in a globalised world characterised by international links and intercultural connections, linguistic skills and international experience are crucial for employment and career. International skills should have a major part in every young person's school curriculum."
Urdu and Hindi are non-geographical languages, especially Urdu whose centre is Delhi not Islamabad although Pakistanis speak this language in addition to their distinct dialects. Urdu was "designed" by the Turkic-Persian rulers in a way so as to encompass the immensely diversified cultures of the sub-continent. It was a stroke of genius. The court language continued to be Persian while Urdu spread through the length and breadth of Hindustan -- an Arabic-Turkic-Persian name for South Asia -- for their admiration of the unique and colourful cultures of India.
Satellite TV programmes are almost entirely in Urdu though they may originate in states not home to majority Urdu speakers. Pop culture being an important ingredient of modernity excludes the usage of ancient languages in preference for "fusion" of languages and cultures to suit their multi-cultural thoughts.
Four languages are now being used in our urban centres -- Bangla, English, Urdu and Hindi. There is a fifth language, which has traditionally been studied but only for religious reasons. It's a pity that millions of Arabic readers are denied the opportunity to grasp the language with just a little bit of extra effort. In effect, Bangladesh can make use of five languages in the curriculum, supported by a high level education policy.
"Why should we learn foreign languages?" This would have been a very normal question until the age of the internet took over. An individual, thanks to the internet, is a member of the global online community, at par with anyone else from any city in the world. Development in internet speed will narrow the gap in cultural exchange in the future. In an environment of multicultural influences knowing multiple languages will further improve and add to our existing skills.
The next generation can benefit immensely from the internet in terms of sharpening language skills in addition to old fashioned classroom based study. Specialist sites deliver learning results through animated teaching online. Children can also be encouraged to enroll for foreign language classes in French, German, Malay and Mandarin at various private language institutes. However, the easiest and the most economical way to boost language skills would be through the public and private school curriculum, online blogs, and the mass media.