The English language barrier (by Joe)

Call me ignorant, but I never realised before arriving in India that there was no single Indian language - or at least one language with variations that was broadly understood across the nation.

In fact, India has some 15 major languages with thousands of regional variations. A lady we met in Rajasthan (north India) explained that she couldn't understand (at all) the language spoken in a town only just over 100 Km away.

So, with India's colonial history, and with the lack of any obvious alternative, English is the principal shared language ... and learning it is crucial for communication, not just with foreigners, but with other Indians from different regions. The Indian cricket team, for example, will train, play, discuss tactics and everything else in English.

Invariably, wealthy well-educated Indians speak excellent English. But it is far more than a simple status symbol: in a rapidly developing and increasingly mobile Indian society, and with globalisation and the opening of India's resources to international businesses, it is a crucial 'visa' to moving on and up.

The recent colonial past also means that the languages of the professional classes and the establishment - legal, medical, military, political (etc) - remain firmly English-based. To progress, you simply must speak English - and well.

Understandably, there is a rush amongst the poorer and middle classes to learn and improve their English. We met this guy, Vivek Pattander (top) on our travels through Bundi in Rajasthan. He ran the only English school in the town. As you'd expect, he explained business was good and he was always oversubscribed.

Joe