Hegemony, Language, and Access in Indian Higher Education

Abstract

Language is important for speaking, comprehension, and communication, which is essential for learning. Even though English is India’s second official language, it dominates all aspects of education today. India has a rich diversity encompassing language, culture, religion, and geographical regions. Political influence, cultural significance, and social status all have an impact on English prestige. Language plays a role in maintaining power dynamics between English-speaking and non-English-speaking communities. Students, particularly non-English speakers, struggle with English in higher education. English dominance in higher education alienates non-English-speaking students from information. In and out of class, dominant language speakers have dominance over other vernaculars. Hindi-medium pupils feel undesired in the group’s relational settings despite their equal rational capacity owing to the ‘elite’ English-speaking group’s conscious conduct. Due to these characteristics, Hindi-speaking or other regional medium students stay subservient and excluded from “space.” It also inhibits teacher-student and peer-group connections within and outside classrooms. While every language carries emotional and psychological aspects, students who struggle to understand English lectures and readings may feel discriminated against. Discrimination results in either passive or aggressive exclusion, leading to feelings of humiliation and degradation.