English in India’s Multilingual Ecology: Present-Day Use, Users and Usage

In discussing “English in India,” it is useful to separate two related and often confused aspects—one is English in India and the other is Indian English. We shall use “English in India” to refer to the sociolinguistic aspects—the history, policies, functions, status, attitudes and so forth and “Indian English” to refer to the linguistic phenomenon of how it is used by Indians.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime

Buy Now

eBook EUR 117.69 Price includes VAT (France)

Softcover Book EUR 147.69 Price includes VAT (France)

Hardcover Book EUR 147.69 Price includes VAT (France)

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Similar content being viewed by others

English in Multilingual Settings: Features, Roles and Implications

English as a Tool of Neo-Colonialism and Globalization in Asian Contexts

Researching Globalization of English

Notes

References

• Annamalai, E. (1971). Lexical insertion in a mixed language. Papers from Seventh Regional Meeting of the Chicago Linguistic Society, 20–27. Google Scholar
• Annamalai, E. (2008). Contexts of multilingualism. In B. Kachru, Y. Kachru, & S. N. Sridhar (Eds.), Language in South Asia (pp. 223–234). Cambridge University Press. ChapterGoogle Scholar
• Asher, R. E. (2008). Language in historical context. In B. B. Kachru, Y. Kachru, & S. N. Sridhar (Eds.), Language in South Asia (pp. 31–48). Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
• Bangalore Times. (2007). Interview with Farhan Khan, March 4, 2007. Google Scholar
• Bhatia, T. K. (2007). Advertising and marketing in rural India: Language, Culture, and Communication (2nd ed.). Macmillan India. Google Scholar
• Bhatt, R. M. (2000). Optimal expressions in Indian English. English Language and Linguistics,4, 69–95. ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Bolton, K., & De Costa, P. I. (Eds.). (2018). World Englishes and second language acquisition. Special issue of World Englishes, 37(1). Google Scholar
• Census of India. (2011). Paper 1 of 2018: Language: India, States and Union Territories (Table C-16) Office of the Registrar General India. Google Scholar
• D’Souza, J. (1992). South Asia as a sociolinguistic area. In E. Dimock, B. Kachru, & B. H. Krishnamurti (Eds.), Dimensions of sociolinguistics in South Asia (pp. 15–23). Oxford and IBH Publishing. Google Scholar
• Dhillon, A. (2007). The rise of Indian English. The Telegraph. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1563290/The-rise-of-Indian-English
• Ferguson, C. A. (1996). English in South Asia: Imperialist legacy and regional asset. In R. Baumgardner (Ed.), English in South Asia (pp. 29–39). University of Illinois Press. Google Scholar
• Gargesh, R., & Sharma, A. (2019). Indian English in political discussions. World Englishes,38(1–2), 90–104. Google Scholar
• Graddol, D. (2010). English next India.http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-english-next-india-2010-book.pdf
• Grosjean, F. (1985). The bilingual as a competent but specific speaker-hearer. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development,6, 467–477. ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Hosali, P. (2000). Butler English. B. R. Publishing. Google Scholar
• John, B. K. (2007). Entry from backside only: The Hazar Fundas of Indian English. Penguin Books India. Google Scholar
• Kachru, B. B. (1969). English in South Asia. In T. A. Sebeok (Ed.), Current trends in linguistics (Vol. 5, pp. 627–678). Mouton de Gruyter. Google Scholar
• Kachru, B. B. (1976). Models of English for the third world: White man’s linguistic burden or language pragmatics? TESOL Quarterly,10, 221–239. ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Kachru, B. B. (1983). The Indianisation of English: The English language in India. Oxford University Press. Google Scholar
• Kachru, B. B. (1986). The alchemy of English: The spread, functions, and models of non-native Englishes. Pergamon Press. Google Scholar
• Kachru, Y. (1991). Speech acts in world Englishes: Toward a framework for research. World Englishes,10, 299–306. ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Kachru, Y. (1994). The monolingual bias in second language acquisition research. TESOL Quarterly,28, 795–800. ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Kachru, Y. (1997). Culture and communication in India. In S. N. Sridhar & N. K. Mattoo (Eds.), Ananya: A portrait of India (pp. 645–663). Association of Indians in America. Google Scholar
• Kachru, B. B., Kachru, Y., & Sridhar, S. N. (Eds.). (2008). Language in South Asia. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
• Kachru, B. B. (1965). The Indianness in Indian English. Word, 21, 391–410. Google Scholar
• Kachru, B. B. (2006). Standards, codification, and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the outer circle. In Bolton, K. & B. Kachru (Eds.), World Englishes: Critical concepts in linguistics (Vol. 3). Routledge. Google Scholar
• Kashyap, A. K. (2014). Developments in the linguistic description of Indian English: State of the art. Linguistics and the Human Sciences,9, 249–275. ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Macaulay, T. B. (1835). Minute. http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00generallinks/macaulay/txt_minute_education_1835.html
• May, S. (Ed.). (2014). The multilingual turn: Implications for SLA, TESOL, and bilingual education. Routledge. Google Scholar
• Mohun, A. (2010). English or Hinglish—Does it matter what Indian students are learning? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2010/jan/27/english-hinglish-for-indian-students
• Nelson, C. L. (1986). My language, your culture: Whose communicative competence? World Englishes,4(2), 243–250. ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Nelson, C. L., Proshina, Z. G., & Davis, D. R. (Eds.). (2020). The handbook of world Englishes (Blackwell Handbooks in Linguistics) (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. Google Scholar
• Pai, S. (2020). Blog. https://sajithpai.com/higher-education/engineers-india-produce/ Accessed September 6, 2020.
• Pandit, P. B. (1972). India as a sociolinguistic area. University of Poona. Google Scholar
• Parasher, S. V. (1991). Indian English: Functions and form. Bihari Publications. Google Scholar
• Pingali, S. (2009). Indian English. Edinburgh University Press. Google Scholar
• Pingali, S. (2022). Indian English: Features and development. In E. L. Low, & A. Pakir (Eds.), English in East and South Asia: Policy, features, and language use (pp. 153–167). Routledge. Google Scholar
• Ram, T. (1991). English and imperial expansion. In R. S. Gupta & K. Kapoor (Eds.), English in India: Issues and problems (pp. 28–57). Academic Foundation. Google Scholar
• Rao, R. (1938/2014). Kanthapura. Oxford University Press. Google Scholar
• Schneider, E. W. (2007). Postcolonial English: Varieties around the world. Cambridge University Press. BookGoogle Scholar
• Schuchardt, H. (1891/1980). Indo-English. In G. G. Gilbert (Ed.), Pidgins and creole languages: Selected essays (pp. 38–64). Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
• Selinker, L. (1972). Interlanguage. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 10, 209–231. Google Scholar
• Sridhar, S. N. (1978). On the functions of code-mixing in Kannada. International Journal of Sociology of Language,16, 109–117. Google Scholar
• Sridhar, K. K. (1991). Speech acts in an indigenized variety: Sociocultural values and language variation. In J. Cheshire (Ed.), English around the world: Sociolinguistic perspectives (pp. 308–318). Cambridge University Press. ChapterGoogle Scholar
• Sridhar, S. N. (1994). A reality check for second language acquisition research. TESOL Quarterly,28, 800–804. ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Sridhar, S. N., & Sridhar, K. K. (1980). The syntax and psycholinguistics of bilingual code-mixing. Canadian Journal of Psychology,34, 407–416. ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Sridhar, S. N., & Sridhar, K. K. (2018a). Mixing, multilingualism and intelligibility. World Englishes,37(3), 511–522. ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Sridhar, S. N., & Sridhar, K. K. (2018b). Coda 2: A bridge half-built: Toward a holistic theory of World Englishes and second language acquisition. World Englishes,37(1), 127–139. ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Sridhar, K. K., & Sridhar, S. N. (1986). Bridging the paradigm gap: Second language acquisition theory and indigenized varieties of English. World Englishes, 5, 3–14. Also in Kachru, B. (Ed.), The other tongue (2nd ed., pp. 91–107). University of Illinois Press. Google Scholar
• Sridhar, S. N., & Sridhar, K. K. (2020). Indian English. In K. Bolton, W. Botha, & A. Kirkpatrick (Eds.), Handbook of Asian Englishes (000–000). Routledge. Google Scholar
• Sridhar, S. N. (1988). Language variation, attitudes, and rivalry: The spread of Hindi in India. In P. Lowenberg (Ed.), Language spread and language policy: Issues, implications and case studies, (pp. 300–319). (Georgetown University Roundtable on Languages and Linguistics). Georgetown University Press. Google Scholar
• Sridhar, K. K. (1989a). English in Indian bilingualism. Manohar. Google Scholar
• Sridhar, S. N. (1989b). Syntactic markers of lectal range in an indigenized variety of English. In R. Baumgardner (Ed.), English in South Asia: Structure, users and use (pp. 55–69). University of Illinois Press, 1995. [Reprinted by Oxford University Press, Delhi] Google Scholar
• Sridhar, S. N. (1992). The ecology of bilingual competence: An Indian's English. In L. Smith & S. N. Sridhar (Eds.), The extended family: English in global bilingualism. Special Issue of World Englishes (pp. 141–150). Pergamon Press. Google Scholar
• Sridhar, K. K. (1997). Asian Indian Communities in the United States and UK. In S. N. Sridhar & N. K. Mattoo (Eds.), Ananya: A portrait of India (pp. 861–880). Association of Indians in America. Google Scholar
• Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/75566025.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
• Valentine, T. (1994). Agreeing and disagreeing in Indian English discourse: Implications for language teaching. In M. L. Tickoo (Ed.), Language and culture in multilingual societies (pp. 227–250). SEAMEO Regional Language Centre. Google Scholar
• Whitworth, G. C. (1907). Indian English: An examination of the errors of idiom made by Indians writing English. Garden City Press (Reprinted in 1982 by Bahri Publications, New Delhi.). Google Scholar
• Yule, H., & Burnell, A. C. (1896/1995). Hobson-Jobson: The Anglo-Indian dictionary. Wordsworth Editions. Google Scholar

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

1. Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA S. N. Sridhar & Kamal K. Sridhar

1. S. N. Sridhar

Corresponding author

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

1. Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Rajesh Kumar
2. School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India Om Prakash

Rights and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sridhar, S.N., Sridhar, K.K. (2023). English in India’s Multilingual Ecology: Present-Day Use, Users and Usage. In: Kumar, R., Prakash, O. (eds) Language Studies in India. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5276-0_6

Download citation

• .RIS
• .ENW
• .BIB

• DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5276-0_6
• Published : 25 April 2023
• Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore
• Print ISBN : 978-981-19-5275-3
• Online ISBN : 978-981-19-5276-0
• eBook Packages : EducationEducation (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Get shareable link

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Copy to clipboard

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative