10-26-2003, 09:58 PM
1.In Europe, English is the âclearing-houseâ for inter-language exchanges. It is NOT the âbanking superstructureâ as it is in India. Let me clarify this.
English is ONLY used â and that too grudgingly and with an air of apology â when, for example, the German knows that his Italian counterpart also knows some English and neither of them know each otherâs language sufficiently well. For the MOST part, the one who has the necessity learns the other language. If I am an Italian sales manager responsible for business in Germany, I will pick up rudimentary German. If I am a German sales manager responsible for business in Italy, I will pick up rudimentary Italian. If I am a French sales manager, though, with responsibility for business in Germany and Italy, I will expect my German and Italian clients to pick up rudimentary French ! ( Please donât take everything I say too literally but try to get the ESSENCE of the situation I am trying to convey ). In Europe, people do not âslip intoâ English as easily and blithely as in India. It is a laboured process and, as I said, most exchanges get done without using the âclearing houseâ on a necessity-based knowledge environment. Do not mistake me. Knowledge of English is considered an asset but it is NOT flaunted as a badge of honour.
In Europe, they have Dutch, German, Swedish, Danish, French, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Polish etc etc. They trade, tour, drink, quarrel, find jobs, lose jobs, get married, get divorced, write letters to the editor and otherwise get by with very little English. In India, we have Tamil, Malayalam, Gujerati, Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Punjabi, Assamese etc etc. We trade, tour, go to the temple/church/mosque, find jobs, hold onto jobs, get married, have children, write letters to the editor and otherwise get by PRIMARILY with English. Bears some thinking.
2. In Europe, you will find the regional CEO of an English-language multinational trying to sneak her mother-tongue in through the back door. Amparo Moraleda, President of IBM Easpana and IBM Portugal, in the latest issue of âMadrid Plusâ:
"Questioner: Will English continue to dominate in IT and on the Internet?
Ms. Moraleda: The information that we have reveals that the Spanish language is inadequately represented on the Internet. There are almost 400 million Spanish speakers on the planet and it is well-established as the second language of USA, but the percentage of content in Spanish on the Internet is no more than 6%. Ensuring that Spanish has more of a presence on the Internet is as important a challenge as it is difficult to achieve."
The situation is only slightly different from that in India in that the regional CEO of an English-language multinational will probably bring in his mother-tongue through the front door. Depends on what you define as you mother-tongue.
M. S. Chandramouli
English is ONLY used â and that too grudgingly and with an air of apology â when, for example, the German knows that his Italian counterpart also knows some English and neither of them know each otherâs language sufficiently well. For the MOST part, the one who has the necessity learns the other language. If I am an Italian sales manager responsible for business in Germany, I will pick up rudimentary German. If I am a German sales manager responsible for business in Italy, I will pick up rudimentary Italian. If I am a French sales manager, though, with responsibility for business in Germany and Italy, I will expect my German and Italian clients to pick up rudimentary French ! ( Please donât take everything I say too literally but try to get the ESSENCE of the situation I am trying to convey ). In Europe, people do not âslip intoâ English as easily and blithely as in India. It is a laboured process and, as I said, most exchanges get done without using the âclearing houseâ on a necessity-based knowledge environment. Do not mistake me. Knowledge of English is considered an asset but it is NOT flaunted as a badge of honour.
In Europe, they have Dutch, German, Swedish, Danish, French, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Polish etc etc. They trade, tour, drink, quarrel, find jobs, lose jobs, get married, get divorced, write letters to the editor and otherwise get by with very little English. In India, we have Tamil, Malayalam, Gujerati, Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Punjabi, Assamese etc etc. We trade, tour, go to the temple/church/mosque, find jobs, hold onto jobs, get married, have children, write letters to the editor and otherwise get by PRIMARILY with English. Bears some thinking.
2. In Europe, you will find the regional CEO of an English-language multinational trying to sneak her mother-tongue in through the back door. Amparo Moraleda, President of IBM Easpana and IBM Portugal, in the latest issue of âMadrid Plusâ:
"Questioner: Will English continue to dominate in IT and on the Internet?
Ms. Moraleda: The information that we have reveals that the Spanish language is inadequately represented on the Internet. There are almost 400 million Spanish speakers on the planet and it is well-established as the second language of USA, but the percentage of content in Spanish on the Internet is no more than 6%. Ensuring that Spanish has more of a presence on the Internet is as important a challenge as it is difficult to achieve."
The situation is only slightly different from that in India in that the regional CEO of an English-language multinational will probably bring in his mother-tongue through the front door. Depends on what you define as you mother-tongue.
M. S. Chandramouli