Why laugh at Language errors?

English is a very complicated language with entirely exaggerated grammar rules that are not even uniform to all words and sentences. For example why is ‘laugh’ and ‘plough’ spelt similarly but pronounced entirely different? If the ‘I’ is before ‘E’ except when following a ‘C’ when the sound is “ee” then why is “Being” spelt the way it is? A word such as orphan has such a complicated spelling when it could have simply been spelt as “Orfan”. Why do most words have silent letters? If the letter is silent, why have it at all? Just imagine how much ink and paper would be saved if we spelt “psychology” as “sycology” and “Physician” as fizician? How easy English would be. How do you “read” the word ‘lead’. “He batted well” but what about “cutted”? Why is “ch” different in “chocolate” and “Christina”? I could think of millions of crooked and looked examples but this post isn’t about the impossibility of changing English it is rather about possibility changing our selfish selves.

It’s perfectly alright if we Sri Lankans make mistakes in our English. After all we are expected to study in Sinhala or Tamil medium and then suddenly expected to change over to English at tertiary education level. However it is agreed that we must work hard at preserving our national languages. Our national languages are our identity and pride and we must do our best for it. It must be compulsively thought in every school. After all – English will survive what’s so ever. English is definitely important. Many multinational companies function in English. The World Wide Web is in English. Many programming languages use English syntax. The point about this post is that we need not be ashamed of making grammar, spelling and pronunciation mistakes when we write and read and we must not be afraid to speak it. People will laugh but it is through mistakes that we can learn. There is no prestige in being able to speak well the international language. It is not a language of the posh and the famous. Why do we think of it like that?

In many countries English is spoken in totally pathetic ways. Those people’s mistakes are often accepted may be due to the colour of their skin or the money in their pockets or God knows whatever else. Our society is so cruel to laugh at us. Everyone has the right of communication and we all have our own faults to look at and correct before pointing fingers at others – three fingers definitely point back at you. Do not find fault and laugh about others – they may not have been blessed as much as you. As the saying goes… ask a question and you’re a fool for a minute, don’t ask and you’ll be a fool forever. So let us please exploit this language incorrectly or not in whatever ways or means. Let us not be a slave to our pride.