How to Learn English in Developing Countries

In developing countries, especially India, learning English is a privilege. Does it sound out of whack? Whilst it might sound like that, it is very much a fact of life. India is the country which houses the second most people in the world living in extreme poverty, that is $1.99 US dollars a day just after Nigeria. Then how can most of its people afford to educate their children? Leave alone English medium education? This is because even if the poor could send their children to school, the medium of education is mostly in local vernacular languages. And the very meagre English they teach is of pathetic quality. This is because these government schools don’t have adequately qualified teachers. So how can these under-privileged children learn English? Lets dive into this post to learn about how to learn English is developing countries?

“Self education is the only kind of education there is.”

– Isaac Asimov

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Why Learning English Matters?

Access to Information

To begin, let us try to understand why English matters? This is because English opens the doors to accessing information and knowledge at a global level. Since we live in a globalized world, being able to access information is an opportunity. For most people, this is a challenge in developing countries since they never learn English. Today, there is so much information available on the internet. Only if we can read or understand English, we can access this information. Turning information into knowledge and then into opportunities depends a lot on us. But knowing English is probably the first steps towards accessing information. What do you think? Is learning English worth the effort? For most poor people in countries like India, learning English is a privilege.

Get Job Ready

To get job ready, we need to learn the skills to do the job. Then how does learning English help? To me, English opens the doors to learn the skills. There are so many opportunities to learn new skills in the internet age. It takes efforts and hard work. But English paves the path. With over 7% unemployment rate in countries like India, how can people find jobs? If I am an unemployed in India, what options do I have? Apply for a single government clerical job that people in hundreds of thousands are applying? Eventually commit suicide for being unemployed? It is a hard life in India. Because getting out of the vicious cycle of poverty is very tough. So can English be the silver lining?

Explore Opportunities

That brings us to the ability to explore opportunities. Both internally and externally. In country and overseas. Whilst being able to write a name in any language provides dignity and confidence, English can provide the much needed self-esteem to the underprivileged. To access opportunities globally. In most western developed countries, there is an acute shortage of workforce, both skilled and unskilled. Then, can English knowledge help tap these opportunities?

Why it’s Difficult for Underprivileged to Learn English?

Inadequate Governmental Education

So now let’s try to understand why learning English is a privilege in developing countries? This is because most of the English medium education is through private institutions. And this cost a lot of money. Even though there are some limited studies in English for government sponsored schools, their quality is pathetic. This is primarily because the government schools cannot attract the teaching talent due to low pay.

Preference of Vernacular Languages

The other problem is that there is an increasing preference for local vernacular languages in government schools. This is the case in India. Provincial or state schools base the education in local languages. So it doesn’t help students with national or international job markets. Especially when the government cannot generate jobs for its millions of youths.

Pseudo- Nationalism

This might sound an interesting topic. But it is true many countries are becoming increasingly nationalist. Then why do I call it pseudo- nationalism? This is because nationalism should really help its nationals. But if not, then is it helping? Does increasing border, trade and immigration controls helps the economies? Likely for the short term, but will it work for the longer term? Does it make sense for people living in poverty without jobs in developing countries and inflation sky-rocketing in developed countries for lack of resources? Until there is another recession?

Poverty

Poverty could have been the first one on this list, but I wanted to cover it the last. As per the world poverty clock on February 12, 2022, there are 698 million people in the world living in extreme poverty, that is under $1.99 per day. With the top three countries being Nigeria at 88 million, India 77 million and Democratic Republic of Congo 66 million. So how can these countries get out of the vicious cycle of poverty? How can the unemployed learn skills to employable in other countries since these countries cannot generate adequate jobs for its millions?

Can English knowledge open the doors to the external world for opportunities? That they are not even aware it exists? Because the governments in these countries don’t spend adequately on social development. Teaching English for sure is not the priority. The poor just don’t have the money to afford to learn English or study in the English medium.

How to Learn English in Developing Countries

Then what are the options for the poor to learn English in developing countries? Life in developing countries is tough for the poor. This is primarily because food, clothing and shelter take precedent over education, mostly. Then it gets to personal efforts to learn English. With not much support available from public systems, the poor need to make their own efforts to learn English.

Probably the best way to learn English is to go online. Today there are lots of resources available to learn English freely. The best is undoubtedly YouTube. The only requirement for this is a smart phone and internet connection. Besides, internet costs in countries like India are one of the cheapest in the entire world. So then why not take advantage of this?

But more than the resources available to learn, the biggest factor is the personal drive to learn English. What is important is the burning desire to get out of the rut and aspire to a better life. Most of the time, it is the aspiration that lacks. Once we learn to dream, we also find out ways to achieve it.

There is no point moaning and blaming our plight. What we need it take ownership of our lives and try to make a change. Most times, it is extremely difficult. So it takes courage and the ability to take risks. Because there is nothing like a free lunch. We need to pay for our dreams through sweat and toil. Do you agree? How can one break the vicious cycle of poverty? Can English help in getting access to information and opportunities? Can learning English open the doors to emigrate out to other countries with more opportunities?

What’s Next on How to Learn English in Developing Countries?

Then what’s next? Education is probably the only way to lift our society from poverty and destitute. It is the window of our lives. And English is just a ray of light through this window. Hence, in this journey to uplift the underprivileged, we all have a role to play. Our selfless givings can help millions to escape the vicious cycle of poverty. Because no charity is small. Any help can provide someone get free education, access to internet or electronic devices. If we all do our bit, we can help each other. If this post on how to learn English in developing countries inspires you even a bit, please spread this word around. Together we can make a difference for those who are not born, so privileged as you and me.

Conclusion on How to Learn English in Developing Countries

I have spent the most of my life in a developing country like India. And I feel the pain millions of underprivileged people go through. Now I live in the US, and see everyone get access to free quality education, both primary and secondary. This is not the case in India. Government education, though free, is far from quality education. And most don’t get to learn English because of a myriad of social, economic and political reasons.

Further, this pandemic has been harsh on the poor. Most of the schools have not been open for the past two years. Schools are also the source of mid-day free meals in most countries, including India, but with the pandemic, children got deprived of this basic need. Food. Hence, the children who went to school to avail the free mid-day meal are now forced into child labor to earn money to feed themselves or their families. It is a hard life in a developing or an under-developed country. And many times, it is unfathomable to empathize with their living conditions. What do you think? What can you do to help? Is there anything you can do? Please share your thoughts and comments.