Rozelle Mero
the people channel
English is a global language we all know that, but how much of an effort are our people putting into it? Commerce the world over is now transacted to a large part in English. Those countries which once upon a time snubbed the English language are now pushing for it to be learnt by not only its movers and shakers, but also those who wish to be global citizens. Having conducted numerous interviews in the past few months and still continuing, I am compelled to make known, observations I have had, with regards to the usage of English Language by the people of the North East- the Region I conduct interviews for recruitment to a well reputed airline.
On paper there are many schools that are supposedly English medium schools and hence the language used to impart education is obviously English. But my mind boggles at what type of English is being taught in the schools! There are those who without a doubt, do speak and write excellent English and then there are those, you have to listen carefully or have them repeat, to actually follow what they are spouting out of their mouth. Almost every second person we interview is either a teacher or a tutor (and yes, that to English teachers!!). Often those who speak better English do not fall into this category and suffice it to say that the majority of the teachers being interviewed fall into the group that have a poor grasp of the language colloquially. We must not forget that no matter how good their written English might be, it is through spoken English that a class is conducted. A sincere request to those who hire teachers, help them improve their English speaking skills so that the students who are learning from them, learn the correct way the first time itself.
When it comes to speaking English some are either heavily accented or pronounce words completely wrong such as replacing the sounds of consonants like T with D, P with B or CR and KR with TR and GR with DR etc. Then there are those who completely eat up the last alphabets! So the word ‘thing’ now becomes ‘thin’ and is a completely different meaning. These previous sounds are more prevalent in Nagaland whereas most of the people from Manipur, Assam, Tripura and Arunachal find it difficult to sound ‘ch’ and ‘sh’. So ‘church’ becomes ‘sars’ and ‘fish’ becomes ‘fis’. The sounds of ‘tion’ and ‘sion’ are not pronounced with a ‘sh’ sound but it more often sounds like ‘sen’. (More examples could be listed but it would take too much space).
This obviously happens because one forgets that English is a foreign language and should be learnt as such, not as your mother tongue. A global accent is usually what one should strive for and this can be achieved by focusing on one’s diction. Articulation, enunciation and pronunciation are key to making changes in speech skills. We have been recommending our candidates to take classes in spoken English to improve their speech. The one thing we have come across is that self confidence is often at a low point for most people when they do not have a fluent control of the language in which the interview is being conducted. Often what they want to say cannot be communicated as they struggle with the language. Also when a question is asked, it has to be repeated often or rephrased very simply for the candidate to understand before they can reply. The result is that the interviewer gets frustrated and a potentially good candidate might be passed over just because they haven’t been able to give a satisfactory answer. You might know your content and subject matter well, but if you are not able to interest your listener with your delivery it all becomes a wasted effort.
A good method to help improve your colloquial English is to read out aloud. Record your voice and listen to yourself. Compare it with someone who speaks good English. Watching English News Channels and interviews on television is one good way to improve your speech and also learn about presentation skills. Learn phonetics and practice, practice, practice.
As important as it is to learn other languages, think, as global citizens when you interact with the world, what is the best medium? We have now introduced local languages in schools and indeed it is important to be able to communicate well in one’s own language, but it should not be forced which some schools seem to be doing but remain an elective subject. The pressure put on a student to learn a tonal language in the English alphabet is not a joke!! At the end of the day these languages are not going to be used in the real world where you will be earning a living unless it is a subject you will be teaching or intend only to interact with those who speak the same languages. That does not mean that it is impossible to speak good English if you take local languages. The point is the effort level could be increased so that a student excels in both the languages. Most people who live in rural areas and who do not use English as often as their contemporaries in urban areas do, sadly lag behind their friends as it becomes difficult for them to keep pace with what is being taught. When a Class VIII student switches from the MIL which they learnt in primary and middle school to Alternative English in High School and College they often are neither here nor there. Frankly I would rather they excelled in the language that they will be using to get them through competitive exams and interviews for a job.
We wish reading aloud is brought back in schools and communications skills are included in the school curriculum when students are still young and are like sponges waiting to soak up. We have had amusing and frustrating sessions during training and as short as the classes have been, we felt the candidates who had come for the speech classes have consciously started making an effort towards improving their speech in the English language.
At the end of the day, let’s be realistic, the whole point in getting an education is not just for knowledge but to a larger extend, it is to find a means by which one can be gainfully earning a living. And --- having a command over the English language can certainly pave your path halfway there!!!
On a closing note it might be irrelevant to what I am writing but having read in the papers a few days ago that a job fair is to be conducted soon, I just wanted to mention to those who are interested in a job with the Airlines industry, that you definitely need not spend an arm and a leg joining Aviation Institutes unless you are going to specifically train to be a pilot. As a recruiter for a private airline I am pleased to let you know that 80% of the people who have been selected for jobs with this particular well respected airline through us - the people channel, have never seen the portals of an aviation institute but are fresh, raw candidates who only needed a few days of personality development classes which we conducted for a nominal fee.
All airlines provide training in their own specific in house methods especially for Cabin Crew and Ground Staff (and the best part—you don’t have to pay for it!). What you could do instead is spend on improving your personal presentation. This may be done by improving physical appearance especially teeth as a lot of NE people seem to have a problem with them. Remember to take care of your skin and learn grooming and make-up skills (very important! Remember this is not vanity, this is to enhance what natural beauty you might have and to camouflage what could be better). Improve your language skills in English and very importantly Hindi as well, especially if you are interested in an international carrier, improve your manners and read a lot of newspapers and periodicals. Soak up trivia, no matter how insignificant it might seem, file it away in your brain, you never know when it may come in handy. If you do these you are well on your way, to building your self esteem and confidence. No one can guarantee you a job, what can be done is that avenues might be opened for you, so grab hold of every opportunity that might come your way.
