Did you ever have the feeling of association or sense of belongingness on a strange land? But how?
Probably when you see something on the billboard written in the language you know or find some people from the same culture, who speak the same tongue as you do.
Let's take another aspect. Have you ever thought about why the same products of the same brands have different packaging and your region's local language written on it. Why Tata tea has started new advertisements selling the exactly same tea but different packing stating Delhi packs as “Dil wallo ki Dilli” and “Khrak chai” for rough and tough Haryana.
They are all practising “localisation”. They are trying to have you feel the sense of belongingness to the brand. You already like the product but this will attract you even more and you will always buy that product.
Something which we are already familiar with makes things more relatable and easy to understand, if brands can practise Localisation shouldn't it also be an option in education. In our country people speak over 21 languages. Some people might understand more than one language but what about the major chunk who can only understand their local languages.
A standard language such as use of hindi and english creates barriers to their understanding and learning because its standard only in the metropolitan states and few other cities.
But what about a student who comes from a village in tamil nadu where the school and locals use the local language. How will he adjust, how will he understand, how will he question if he moves to Delhi.
If we have to adopt standardization in learning it should be adopted in all the systems, but since it is next to impossible and it destroys the cultural identity of that place and our country, hence Language localisation matters. We have to make available resources both in standard as well as local language so that a student can access it and make the best out of it. It will ensure that no one's performance is hampered because of language barriers.
Localisation is also very much possible now, with everything going digital and students adapting to e learning. We have seen howe-learning platforms not only deliver the knowledge effectively, but also personalise and thereby enhance a student’s learning curve and overall experience. This could possibly be the key to our localisation-standardisation challenge.
Students can learn and read in the language of their choice, take online assistance to clarify their doubts and carry on the process of learning smoothly, without hampering their growth.
Author : Shirin Tarachandani
Also Read:
Leave a comment