The Role of English and Vernacular Languages in Indian School Education: For students, it enhanced comprehension, critical thinking, and communication abilities. By connecting academic learning with their native language, students gain a deeper understanding of their culture and roots, which, in turn, supports their cognitive and emotional development.
The Role of English and Vernacular Languages in Indian School Education
Its practical implementation is hailed as the great equalizer in theory, its practical implementation often teaches English language instruction, presenting challenges for non-English speakers in countries like India.
Vernacular language in school helps develop perspective as language and thought are connected and it is impossible to think without knowing language. Vernacular language is important social-culturally. The usage of the mother tongue as a teaching medium improves cognitive abilities as it is easier for a child to understand a lesson in its mother tongue. For students, it enhanced comprehension, critical thinking, and communication abilities.
The English language served as a lingua franca in India, facilitating communication among people from diverse linguistic backgrounds. It is commonly used in business, education science technology, government and media. English language develops communication skills, enhances employability and provides access to knowledge resources.
The importance of learning the Mother Tongue/ Vernacular Learning
Education in the mother tongue fosters a natural progression from basic understanding to complex thought. Pradhan focused on the profound role of mother tongue education, stating, “Mother tongue lies at the core of deep learning because our language is not repositories of history, tradition and folklore, preserving the collective wisdom of generations and offering a unique worldview. He elaborated on how children, brimming with creativity, perform better when they are taught in their native tongue, seamlessly transitioning from speaking to writing and from vocabulary to subject comprehension.
Why Encourage Vernacular Learning in Education?
Vernacular languages in education underscore their positive influence on learning outcomes, participation, and dropout rates. Studies confirm that early education in a student`s mother tongue significantly increases educational experiences. Vernacular learning not only promotes conceptual clarity, confidence and social cohesion but also specifically benefits the rural and economically disadvantaged students Vernacular language does not need to be learned it is automatically developing in our mind. The endorsement of vernacular language in the NEP 2020 guidelines further focuses on its role in promoting equality, accessibility, and inclusivity in education in school.
English Learning Solutions in the Post-Pandemic Digital Education Era
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital education in India, exposing a significant gap in the availability of vernacular content. If we are talking about the Urban private schools seamlessly transitioning to digital teaching, rural areas faced challenges due to the lack of vernacular content. To make sure about the language and to ensure equal access, it is imperative to make educational content available in vernacular language.
A report by Google India Series highlights the growing preference for vernacular content among internet users, especially in rural areas. Recognizing this demand-supply gap, Schoolnet addresses the issue by providing vernacular contact on Geneo a personalized learning app. School net efforts synchronize in school and after-school education using innovative technology.
Integration of English Language Learning Solutions
The integration of English language learning solutions becomes pivotal for employability and skill development. By focusing on both vernacular and English language learning solutions, we can effectively bridge educational gaps, ensuring a more inclusive and empowering education system for learning the language.
State Initiatives Promoting Vernacular Learning
Several Indian states have embraced regional language education, with notable success in states like West Bengal, Karnataka., and Odisha. West Bengal with 89.9% of enrolled in schools using Bengali as the medium of instruction exemplifies the positive impact of vernacular education. The rest of the states Karnataka and Odisha also use the mother tongue. These statistics, provided by the Unified District Information System report, highlight the widespread support for mother tongue education across the country.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed The Role of English and Vernacular Languages in Indian School Education, The usage of the mother tongue as a teaching medium improves cognitive abilities as it is easier for a child to understand a lesson in its mother tongue. and The English language served as a lingua franca in India, facilitating communication among people from diverse linguistic backgrounds, Several Indian states have embraced regional language education.