Over the last couple of centauries, English has evolved to be a universally accepted language for communication. Today, majority of the world’s population speaks English which is the same reason why many schools emphasize on teaching their students English from a very young age. Giving importance to teaching English can surely be advantageous in the long run but can also lead to a couple of problems if professors continue to discard teaching certain regional languages.
Firstly, speaking from personal experiences, I believe it is definitely beneficial for any student to learn the English language because, for instance, if a student wishes to go abroad for further studies, having a grasp over the English language is necessary to be able to hold a conversation with anyone. Knowing a decent level of English is also mandatory in order to pass any language proficiency exam.
Moreover, it helps facilitate the smooth flow of trade, commerce and businesses without any language barriers. If any such problems were to arise, a bilingual person, who is skilled in both, the English Language and their regional language can work as a translator to eliminate any such obstacles that might arise.
The problem however, is when the schools choose to neglect or give lesser importance to teaching their local languages since it can possibly lead to forming a disconnect between the students and their local languages and the indigenous people of their communities.
In addition, many regional languages could also be at the risk of dying. For example, Sanskrit which is known to be the mother of all languages, is now unfortunately a dead language and only taught to pupils as an extra language for a year or two. This could have seemingly been because more importance was given to develop other languages and have people adapt to them.
In conclusion, it is undeniable that learning English is extremely valuable but at the same time, no regional language should be left behind or forgotten. Given the risk of them becoming extinct, steps should be taken towards ensuring the survival of regional languages.
