"Socio-culture Dimensions of English" with the reference of Rekha Aslam's research paper

This blog is a part of our ELT-1 class activity,

Þ  The references has been taken from the research paper of Rekha Aslam : Socio-cultural Dimensions of English as a second language¹

                In this research paper Rekha Aslam has presented use of English in India with social and cultural aspects. Indian English has different idioms, metaphors, symbolism and use of structure. As it is a second language, there are many Indians words which cannot be found in English,  so we have to use those words in Indian concept such as, panipuri( food item), salwar kamiz( Indian attire) and many more which has not any translation in English. 

              
              There are two facts about using English in Indian context, first is English language would not able to express the real feelings of writer and second is it could exploit the discourse. This kind of English can also be observed in Chetan Bhagat’s novels, where he uses Indian-English to describe the feelings of character.

           
              Native words find their way in English because there is not English words for this Indian words, even these words are so deep rooted in the Indian culture, religion, philosophy etc. If English language tries to explain some Indian words, simply it fails to raise the same images or arouse the same emotions because it is not just a word but it takes whole culture with it and it has multi dimensional meaning behind it from years.

For example,

Þ  ‘kum kum – red powder used as a beauty mark by women

Þ  Namaskar – a greeting or salutation, a specific Indian gesture for greeting.

Þ   Mami – mother’s brother’s wife, (auntie)

Þ  Akshat – rice which is used for worship, (religious rice)

Þ  Churail – Supernatural evil power

Þ  Biris – Smoking items

Þ  Langur, Bandars – animals like monkey

          Rekha Aslam has given examples of this kind of English from, Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai, Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya and The Dark Room by R. K. Narayan.

1)   “Fire on Mountain” by Anita Desai :

‘Why, for the weeks he was brittle as a bamboo before it brusts into flames’

‘Perhaps... perhaps.....the alternatives were as many and as bothersome as flies....’

2)   “The Dark Room” by R. K. Narayan :

‘I will do this tiffin business myself’

‘Savitri gave him a tumbler of milk’

‘What do you know of the fire in a mother’s belly when her child is suffering?’ (Literal translation)

3)   “Nectar in a Sieve” by Kamala Markandaya :

‘.....and you, Ruku, are indeed a cleaver woman’

‘My husband, whom I will call here Nathan’

‘....and one day she beckons me near and placed in my hand a small stone lingam’

  

              Thus the discourse cannot be aroused properly if the concept is not clear, all the above examples could confuse us if we do not read the whole novel. This research paper is an attempt to explore the creative dimension of English as a second language. This paper shows us that how the use of English language can be possible in Indian concept.