Teaching English Problematic In Sri Lanka
Teaching English has always been problematic in Sri Lanka. It has never passed the stage of experimentation with each successive government trying to undo what its predecessor did.
Besides, the language has never been considered for its utility value. During the colonial era and even up to the cultural renaissance of 1956, English was considered an elitist language, the competency and fluency in which language bestowed an apparent superiority complex to the user.
No wonder the ordinary people began to shy away christening it as the kaduwa, which ex-communicated the vernacular speaking ordinary masses from the Church of the ‘nobility’. Though Sinhala and Tamil have been accepted as official languages, those with English language competency still has several advantages over those who haven’t.
