India is a country of rich culture, multilingualism, and heritage. It is the most linguistically diverse country in the world with more than 1600 spoken languages and over 19500 dialects, although only 22 of them are mentioned in the constitution.
This diversity and rich culture on the one hand gives an identity to India on a global platform whereas on the other hand comes with unique opportunities and challenges, especially in the field of education. Having a multilingual education will help preserve the linguistic heritage of India and also serve as a skill set to excel at the global platform.
Multilingual language is a first-language-first teaching practice where educators use multiple languages in the classroom starting with the mother tongue or first language and later transiting it to additional languages.
Multilingual education can include bilingual education, where teaching includes two languages, and additive multilingualism, in which students will learn different languages over the course of time without losing their native language.
Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on Sep 6, 2024, in an interaction with National Teachers Award recipients emphasized the importance of education in one’s mother tongue. He encouragingly mentioned that “In the UK, Vedic mathematics has already been introduced in certain syllabi. Children who typically dislike mathematics will find it magical and eager to learn. Therefore, consider introducing subjects from our heritage through Sanskrit.”
By supporting Multilingual education, he urged that India should allow children to learn multiple languages and celebrate each as a symbol of love, peace, and cultural exchange. He also provided key suggestions for teachers to increase cultural appreciation, like including songs in different Indian languages in the curriculum.
Also, he stressed the importance of educational tours to make them more meaningful by telling students about the destination before visits. Later, he suggested that teachers should allow children to learn multiple languages and experience India’s vibrant culture by adding local folklore in different languages to the curriculum.
The Importance of Linguistic Diversity
Linguistic diversity plays an important role in knowing histories, preserving cultural heritage, and social cohesion. Language is not only a medium for communication but at a broader level; it carries histories, cultures and traditions, knowledge, profession, and wisdom.
In India, languages like Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Malyali, Telugu, and Punjabi represent their respected communities from ages and also take forward their cultural essence along. Languages are the base of social structure propagating their rich cultural heritage, social norms, and history.
The younger generation is clinging to dominant languages around the world, language is a cultural criterion that connects people with their history, families, and homes and preserves their unique identity. Losing such an essential component of our social structure will lead to losing valuable knowledge and culture. A reliable multilingual education system will prove beneficial in solving this problem.
Benefits of Multilingual Education
- Cognitive Development – Research shows that learning multiple languages helps in improving critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and creativity.
- Cultural Preservation – While learning in multiple languages students gain a deep learning of their morals, values, and ancestral history.
- Social Integration – Multilingual education provides a medium that helps students from different linguistic backgrounds to connect, collaborate, and develop mutual understanding and cooperation.
- Global Competitiveness – Multilingual education provides students with needed skills which helps them compete in the global job market where employers seek candidates with diverse language abilities and cultural competence.
Current Initiatives by the Government of India
In India where people from different linguistic backgrounds live in peace and harmony, the language barrier has always been an issue to tackle such situations, and to enhance inter-state or inter-linguistic communication and understanding, initiatives have been taken to promote multilingual education. Some of them are as follows:
1. National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
The National Education Policy NEP 2020 has given immense recognition to multilingual education. The “Multilingualism and the Power of Language”, the language education section of the NEP 2020 looks forward to promoting and embracing linguistic diversity in educational settings.
The National Education Policy recommends that till grade five, the medium of teaching-learning should be in the mother tongue or the local language which is further preferred till grade eight. Subjects like science and math should be taught in bilingual languages so that students can attain knowledge of discussing subjects and discuss them in their respective languages.
Under this policy, the Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI) will be established which will provide employment opportunities to multilingual language experts like translators and interpreters.
2. The Three Language Policy
The Three Policy says that students in India should be taught three languages two will be native languages including one regional language, and the third and essential language would be English. It is done to fill the inter-state gaps and maintain national unity. This policy helps in bridging the linguistic gap, providing career opportunities, enhancing respect for linguistic and cultural diversity, promoting learning and usage of regional languages, and incrementing cognitive development
The Three Language Formula was first introduced in the NPE in 1968. The policy was revised in 1986 and 1992 with some minimal changes.
3. State Policies
Several states have implemented policies to include their regional language in the curriculum to preserve its glory and heritage. For example, in the state of Odisha, it is mandatory to use the language of Adivasis as a medium of instruction until grade five.
4. Bhasha Sangam
Bhasha Sangam is an initiative by the government of India to motivate multilingual education. Under this initiative, students are taught basic dialogs and phrases in all 22 languages taking one language a day. The main objective of this initiative is to help students build their careers and create confidence to work anywhere in the country to have a decent hold on different languages of respective states.
5. Project ASMITA
Project ASMITA (Augmenting Study Materials in Indian Languages through Translation and Academic Writing) is a collaboration between the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, aiming to produce 22,000 books in 22 scheduled languages over five years. This initiative seeks to make higher education more inclusive for diverse linguistic backgrounds.
The Bahubhasha Shabdkosh project will create a multilingual dictionary repository to support ASMITA, while the Real-time Translation Architecture will enhance translation capabilities, ensuring educational materials are accessible. Together, these projects promote linguistic diversity and inclusivity in India’s education system.
6. Classical Language
Classical languages refer to a group of ancient languages that have their own cultural heritage, such as religious texts, philosophy, poetry, and literature. These languages include Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia. Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the status of classical languages to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali, making the number 11. These classical languages open the door for many employment opportunities as well as scholarships.
7. Teacher Training Programs
Education institutions are investing in development programs for teachers to grasp multilingual skills and impart the same to students.
8. Technology Integration
Various application software and online schools offer courses that teach multiple languages. Thus increasing platforms for multilingual education.