Vernacular to English-Medium: A Guide to Mastery of the Language

Communication skills can be the deciding factor between a candidate being accepted or rejected for a job or promotion. In today’s business world and in the industry, English is the preferred option for domestic as well as international companies. This is because we live in an increasingly globalised world, where communication is vital. Persuasion skills are the most important to inspire confidence in oneself and our ideas. A person must have command over language to convince the variety of people in personal and professional life. Otherwise, in spite of having robust knowledge of the subjects, one cannot communicate or convey the message or information properly to the receiver. India is a hub for outsourcing operations for the entire world and English proficiency is at the centre of this. Knowing English opens a lot of doors and greatly improves a candidate’s employability. Moreover, English proficiency will give you the confidence to deal with the multiple stakeholders that you may have to deal with in your professional life. It will contribute to the positive perception that people have of you and help you build your personal brand.

It may come as no surprise that English Language education in Vernacular Medium schools can be better, so the knowledge of English with which these students transition to Higher Education is not as well-rounded as it can be. This greatly impacts their confidence and personality adversely as the playing field has not been level for them. Given below are some means by which people can take charge and can work on their skills,

• Vernacular-English Dictionary: Using a Vernacular-English dictionary can help you understand the meaning of the word and register it better as you’d naturally be more comfortable in your own mother tongue.
• English films with regional subtitles: This can be done to relate what is being said in the dialogues with what it means.
• Reading English Newspaper: Reading English newspaper every day and looking up new words is essential to expand your vocabulary. You can begin with reading The Times of India and New Indian Express and eventually move onto newspapers like The Hindu which has tougher language.
• Watching English TV news: This can be done to improve your listening and comprehension skills. We recommend channels such as India Today and CNN
• Talk to Yourself and Those Around You: Talk to yourself in English in front of the mirror every day. Self confidence is of utmost importance. Surround yourself with English speakers as far as possible. Make a pact with your friends and promise to help each other out.

We know that trying to learn a new language can be a daunting task. Be confident in your abilities, take it slow and do not pressure yourself. Learning any language is a process and it will not happen in a day. It will require consistent efforts. If you do not understand something at first, do not get disheartened. Keep at it.