B D Sharma
Learning English language is a commonplace phenomenon these days but in our childhood it used to be a distinguished mission. Unlike the present day children, who start learning English from lower KG, we had no acquaintance with it till we entered our sixth class. It all started with learning the alphabets, first the capital and later the small ones. Writing alphabets on four-lines note book with G-nib was an experience. My own initiation in the language was very painful. The Drawing teacher of our school, a Sikh gentleman with an impeccable Pagri, used to teach us English in sixth class. We could not make out as to why he kept 4/5 nib holders on his table. Reality unfolded when one day, he asked us to write the small alphabets. I erred in writing the small ‘p’ in the upper three lines of the four-line note book. Sardarji didn’t take my mistake lightly and thought it proper to teach me a lesson. In pursuit of this mission he put three holders between my fingers and pressed them hard. The severity of the pain was so acute that I remember it vividly even after sixty years. After this punishment I started giving special attention to this subject at the cost of other subjects.

NOSTALGIA

The other reason was that the teachers would keep repeating that English was the language of the future, the language of the world of Science and Technology. Simultaneously they stressed that learning English was a hard nut to crack. During the same period I happened to overhear 2/3 teachers talking that only two Jammuites, Dr Karan Singh and Prof Apurb Somnath Bhakri had command over English language. Consequently I started living in a delusionary world and thought childishly that chances were bright for making a mark in this field. I started to pay my attention in learning English and felt that I was doing reasonably well. My teachers and friends had, however, other ideas and they would smile up their sleeves over my deficiencies particularly on occasions when I pronounced j in place of z, jygote for zygote or when I pronounced foe as foy instead of fo or say reural to rural. Despite my best efforts I could obtain only 158/200 marks in English in my Matriculation, far less than my friend Col Shambhu Singh Narainia(Retd.) of my village. Three years earlier he had scored 175 marks in the subject. A score of 79 percent in English was not in any way excellent despite the fact that questions were subjective type. I hadn’t taken into account the fact that languages, particularly the foreign ones, didn’t unfold their niceties, nuances and intricacies so easily. If the readers allow me to twist Daag Dehlvi a bit, his assertion, “Aati hai Angrezi Zubaan Aatey Aatey” conveys beautifully that it takes a lot of time, perseverance and commitment to learn a language. Despite these encumbrances, there were many teachers even in Govt schools who had mastered the English language and guided many students to understand the nitties-gritties of the language.
In our days learning of English was taken at leisurely pace. Learning the alphabets would start in sixth class and this exercise went on for weeks together. Then we studied simple parts of speech, preliminary use of tenses, construction of simple sentences, names of the days/months, body parts and simple numbers/genders etc in the sixth class. In the seventh class converting sentences from active to passive voice and vice versa was tasked. In the eighth class direct and indirect speech plus Clauses were taught along with updating of what had been learnt in the earlier classes. Learning the simple story of Thirsty Crow, application for grant of leave and essay on My Cow etc. were more than sufficient to guarantee a success in the 6th/7th class.
In the 9th-10th classes English language was taught comprehensively. Apart from consolidating what we had learnt in the Middle classes, translation from English to Urdu/Hindi and vice versa was given a special emphasis. There were four text books and the exhaustive English Grammar of RL Basur through which we acquired the art of using the nuts and bolts of the language.
Teachers provided tips also as to how to make our language ornate. Thus our Urdu teacher tutored us to insert a verse/proverb/saying in our narration in order to spruce it up. So I learnt by heart some verses such as “Shahidon ki Chitaon par lagenge.., Girte hain Sehshwaar hi maidan-e-jung mein…., Amal se Zindagi banati hai.., Khudi ko kar buland itna .., Hazaron Saal nargis apni benoori pe roti…,Khanzar kisi pe chale tarhpate hain hum…. etc.” and started putting them appropriately in my narrations. Similarly our English teacher would encourage us to dress up and adorn our language with frequent infusion of phrases/idioms. Using idioms, teachers stressed, was a hallmark of deep knowledge and a sign that we understood and appreciated the poetic aspects of the language. Fortunately English grammar of RL Basur had hundreds of phrases and idioms in it and I crammed up the meaning and usage of almost all of them.
After doing my Matriculation I got admission in GGM Science College which used to have four classes at that time, 11th class was known as PUC and the rest three classes were Three Years of Degree Course. Science College used to be a sort of University in itself with more than 2500 students and about 150 teachers. In PUC we had eleven sections of about 90 students each. For weeks most of the lads from villages like your present author, would get lost amongst the sprawling playgrounds, visually pleasing architecture of the dignified-looking disparate buildings which functioned as departments of various branches of Science (Govt. snatched some land from the College later only). Roll numbers were assigned in the order of merit and I had the privilege of having roll number 5, the topmost one in section D, the fourth section with Medical subjects.
The next seven sections had students with Non-Medical stream. To the dismay of many of us the teachers were communicating in English in the class. Boys who came out of the Private schools derived pleasure from such inconvenience. We were amazed at some students, particularly from the Presentation Convent School speaking English fluently, “Phat Phat Karti Angrezi”. With the pace of studies picking up the professors started asking questions also. They would, obviously signal me, the first roll number of the section, for an answer. But I was at a loss to understand sometimes the content of the question and at other occasions failed to gather appropriate words for an answer. In this way I had often to cut a sorry figure. Tongues started wagging that I had secured marks by resorting to unfair means or had got marks in charity. In the English class, however, I saw a glimmer of hope. Prof BN Thussu used to teach us English in PUC. He possessed a personality, with a dignity of bearing and a grace of manner.
Apart from teaching the text book Prof Thussu would ask the meaning and usage of few idioms once or twice a week. Though I had crammed the phrases/ idioms well yet I didn’t have the courage to stand up to give an answer. After few days when I noticed that nobody in the class was coming forward, I sensed that there was an opportunity to salvage some of my position of being the topper in the section. So one day I overcame my shyness and stood up on my trembling legs. Prof Thussu appreciated my responses and thereafter would encourage me a lot. It gave me a lot of confidence and gradually I started to give answers, off and on of course, in other classes also and was able to redeem some of my lost prestige.
In those days I happened to lay my hand on one book entitled “A Book of India” by BN Pandey. This book in consonance with its title presented a brilliant and lively picture of the people of India. The author had not put in a single word of his own and had placed the relevant extracts from the writings/translations of some prominent authors under different headings like history, literature, religions, philosophy and culture of India. He had incorporated a few verses of Ghalib also which had been translated by Prof JL Kaul. Since I had studied some ghazals of Ghalib so I enjoyed and cherished the English version of those verses. I became inquisitive to study more of these renditions. From the acknowledgement list I came to know that the translated verses had been taken from the book, “Interpretations of Ghalib”, published by Atma Ram and Sons and got a copy by VPP by spending Rs 3 and Annas ten from my scarce resources. Though I had some insight in the poetry of Ghalib yet reading his poetry in two versions, in Urdu and English simultaneously made me to understand the finer aspects of his poetry.
JL Kaul had gone deep down the background of each verse and the context in which the same had been penned by the poet. For instance he transports us through the thick and thin of Ghalib’s life when he translated his famous verse, “Zindagi Apni jab iss Shakal se guzari Ghalib:: Hum bhi kya yaad kareyn ge ki Khuda Rakhte Thay”. Kaul’s translation ran thus :; I have known want and woe and fear; I have known this world to be a house of pain,
of sad bereavement and decay; I have seen the merit unrewarded go; I have begged for a pittance from a king;………………… So have I lived and passed my days; How can I bring myself to say that God exists, God the Bounteous Giver, God the Beneficent; For God’s possible for those who lead happy sheltered lives, And know God’s grace and his loving care.
In Ghalib’s poetry we find good reach and range of human thought, winged imagination’s high and daring flight. Ghalib is known for his inventiveness and for his unheard-of-ness (niralapan) style of thought and expression. His poetry is significant because of its timeless appeal and its ability to evoke strong emotions. And then Prof JL Kaul put the garb of beautiful words over these verses. The translations exhibit exquisite beauty and thus the essence of Ghalib’s verses resonates with the reader. Some pieces of rendition such as ‘I dig into my heart and then write’. ‘All objects, query marks’. ‘I am collyrium for men’s eyes’. ‘I will not withdraw my heart from the Carouse of desire but rather await my turn at the Tavern of Life’. ‘Desire drives the drop of water to the ocean and emboldens a timid man to shoot high at a star’. ‘It is love that gives gusto to life’. ‘Is this what you call the spring?’ ‘But still does the doubt remain.’ simply mesmerize the reader. I was also enamored of these elegant expressions and had many of them on my finger tips. People quote Greek philosophers, Shakespeare, Bacon, Emerson and the like to enrich their writings. But I thought of adorning and embellishing my narrations with some of the Ghalbian expressions. I experimented in it when I interspersed some of these expressions in the answers of my English paper in the half yearly exam of PUC. Surprisingly enough it bore fruit and I scored the highest marks in the English paper in the class of about 1000 students, among whom many were well versed in the language. I felt elated when a higher-ranking classmate, a product of Convent School Gandhinagar, where proficiency in English was a guarantee, came all the way to me and inquired of the secret of my high score.
While recollecting the hard way in which I learnt English language, I got transported to the present times where I see small kids speaking English with élan and confidence. Interestingly a new order is taking shape these days and a sort of silent revolution is brewing in learning the language. There is a shift from traditional methods of learning and teaching the language. Technology is being integrated into the curriculum reflecting a global shift towards digital learning. English is being learnt through E-learning modules, virtual classrooms and online resources. Technology is a great leveler. Mobiles and other digital platforms have broken down traditional barriers. Mobile phone, available even to the not-so-poor children, has become a universal teacher. The advantages enjoyed by a Convent School student over an ordinary Govt School student have lessened. Dictionary has become irrelevant. Google and Wikipedia are the best guides. No need for cramming spellings as auto fills do the job. Grammar mistakes are rectified by the App., Grammarly.
No need to study the rules of translation. ‘Translate Apps.’ are at your service. AI is no longer science fiction.
Technology has, however, caused some detrimental effects on the writing skills of students. Students usually think that learning spellings, grammar, translation and sentence construction is unnecessary because technology can do these tasks for them. However if students do not understand certain key aspects of the writing process, these technical methods will harm them and result in many misunderstandings. The more students rely on technology to write, the worse their writing ability will become. Students’ capacity to articulate their full thoughts is deteriorating. As a result students cannot think critically and interpret data, synthesize facts, write evidence-based statements, or identify grammatical and structural errors.
Deficiencies in learning English in our times could be attributed to lack of resources. But why should the present generation suffer when they are aflush with resources. If we have to prepare our children for the complexities of a globalized world and equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the 21st century, we have to utilize the technological tools prudently. We must retain some of the old tools of learning English while introducing the modern digital handles.

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