English or Hinglish - Does It Matter What Indian Students Are Learning?

In India's bustling cities, language-mixing between English and India's other dozens of languages has led to the emergence of a culture that uses “Hinglish” – or Hindi mixed with English – in everything from casual conversation to Bollywood films. While “proper” English remains the language of job possibilities, Hinglish reveals how languages adapt to the societies where they spread, rather than the other way around. Ultimately, this phenomenon reveals how young, urban Indians have accepted English as a local language subject to their society's nuances. After all, these same people easily distinguish between colloquial and workplace English. Crucial now to India's growth, like that of many developing countries, is extending familiarity with English to rural communities in order to provide all citizens with the best chance at success in the global economy. – YaleGlobal