Hi!
I'm Phil originally from England, but living in India for many years. I'll be changing my profile picture soon. This was the only one on my laptop. It's a picture of me and my Indian wife just before we got married 26 years ago.
Students often approach learning English like learning a code. This is not an effective way to learn any language. Granted, we have something we call 'International English' and 'Business English', but all languages are embedded in a culture. Thankfully the English language is 'embedded' in many cultures including India's which has its own English culture.
Many well educated Indians astound me with their English vocabulary which often far surpasses mine. They sometimes run rings around me with their specialized and expert vocabulary. However, some of the same individuals would be hard pressed to name even some of the most basic kitchen implements or spices in English. They also find difficulty in expressing everyday feelings and experiences with basic words and idioms. They tend to express these basic feelings with somewhat inflated expressions.
My advice to students would be to try to immerse themselves in all types of situational English through TV, films and conversation about everyday things with the people they meet.
Business English is all very well, but a lot of business matters have to be discussed in everyday language.
- philjwalton's blog
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I agree with Phil's observation of many Indians having a fairly high degree of knowledge of English language but yet unable to express themselves smoothlyeffectively. I think this is because they went to good schools to study and learnt all the fancy words but never quiet made English their main spoken language. Thus, with knowledge but lack of much practice only the 'heavier' words are remembered and used. Also, the general perception that speaking in english is a social staus symbol one tends to look precocious, and therefore the use of such fancy vocabulary.
Dear Mr Phil,
I agree with you that most of the English used by Indians is bookish English.There are many Indians whose vocabulary and the their knowledge of grammar is far superior to the native speakers.If they can't speak idiomatic English like you-the native speakers,they are not to blame. After all, English is not their mother-tongue, it is their second or third tongue.anyhow it is their non native tongue.no non native speaker speaks like the native speaker idiomatically.Could you please speak my mother tongue telugu like me by reading books or learning it from non-native speakers?
Yours sincerely,
JVL NARASIMHA RAO