The Language Problem

Language is a powerful communication tool. A dictionary may give its meaning as ' a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols '. Recently, I have been put to stress often by comments about my spoken language abilities. My mother tongue is Tamil. I've been writing and grasping all subjects in the borrowed official language of India (English). During my school days, my mother, being too engrossed about my talent-nurturing, started putting me in 'n'-number of classes, includes singing, dancing, keyboard, and the like. It was so crucial, that moment, when she decided to put me in Hindi Language classes when i still hadn't entered into Class I. She never even would have imagined that this would draw me to such a situation.

On being introduced to a new language at a very little age, I began to learn it along with Tamil and English and started writing exams of the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha. Before I could read and memorize lengthy paragraphs in English Prose, I was able to comprehend Harishchandra Purana and Asoka's story in Hindi. I had passed four exams when I was in Fourth Standard. Then came a break, but I was able to complete up to Praveen before my Tenth standard, though with compulsion, to finish the exams off before 'the most important First exam of my life'. Under such a coercion, I was satisfied that I was able to secure a Second class at least and signed out of the Hindi arena.

After around 9-10 years of ' Non-Hindi ' life, suddenly I have been pulled into the Hindi language net again. All through these years, I had gradually lost all my rich vocabulary of the national language and now left with vague memoirs of few verbs, nouns and adjectives. All my ideas about Hindi grammar, tenses, active-passive voice, etc. have vanished. I could not appreciate even a single line of Hindi song or understand the meanings of Hindi film titles.

Now, I am an IAS aspirant, and have given my Mains Examinations for UPSC (2009). Candidates have to apply to the UPSC with a detailed (more than 25 pages) curriculum vitae (filling up the form took me around 3 days, whereas the exam paper itself had to be completed only in 3 hours). The blunder I had done in filling up the application was to mention the Hindi qualifications I have. I am having nightmares of me being questioned in Hindi in my Personal Interview Round of Civil Services Exam with me blinking as if trying to understand Greek and Latin. So now I am running to spoken Hindi classes everyday and trying to recharge the Hindi battery in my Brain motor.

What is of utmost importance in an interview (this would apply at least for the UPSC interview) : NOT your academic qualifications, NOT your resume format or a well-presentable dress sense, NOT your extracurricular activities, neither your language skill nor your physical appearance -- BUT your way of answering their questions. The NOTs only supplement the impression you make on the Interview Panel, with the aid of the latter - " the manner of answering the questions ". What image we cast upon them about us is the Deciding factor. Those 30 minutes of interview could work wonders or wreak a havoc depending upon the attitude you show to the interview board.

So, my way of replying was the most important area to be focused. For this I needed a well-versed knowledge about the current affairs and a good command over the LANGUAGE (now it is English). Again comes a problem. I can write good English, I can read them with acceptable loudness and diction, BUT I have difficulty in speaking impromptu and in spontaneously providing the right kind of response.

Even the bravest person in war may shudder at the thought of public speaking.
(Thirukkural-723)

Writing and reading come after a thought and can be scored off or corrected on error-identification (by ourselves or by peers), whereas speaking has no time to wait for; if we speak after a long thought and pauses in between, it gives an impression very often that we have no stuff in the subject, not the language. No time is available to us for debugging and reprogramming. Once uttered, that's it. That is why people confident about the language (in addition to current affairs), appear more positive on the "I-Day" and this secret brings them closer to Success.