When a Language Becomes Just Another Subject

There is a question that has been troubling me as a teacher of Hindi as a third language in a CBSE school in Andhra Pradesh: Are our children actually learning the language, or are we simply preparing them to pass an examination?

I teach students in Grades 7 to 9, most of whom come from Telugu-speaking backgrounds. Over the years, I have noticed a worrying gap between a student’s grade level and their actual Hindi competency. Some students reach higher classes with difficulty in recognising the हिंदी वर्णमाला, reading basic words, writing simple sentences, building vocabulary, or understanding grammatical concepts such as स्त्रीलिंग और पुल्लिंग. A student may obtain reasonable marks in an examination and still struggle to use the language independently.

This raises a larger question about what we actually mean by learning.

“A student may obtain reasonable marks in an examination and still struggle to use the language independently.”

When a Third Language Becomes a “Light” Subject

A third language is often treated as a “light” subject. Students may feel that it requires less effort than Mathematics, Science or English. Parents, understandably concerned about their children’s future, may give greater attention to subjects they consider directly connected with careers and competitive examinations.

Schools, meanwhile, operate under pressure to complete syllabi, maintain examination results, satisfy parental expectations and manage an increasingly demanding administrative workload.

In this environment, language learning can easily become secondary.

Language Learning Requires More Than Completing a Chapter

But a language cannot be learned simply by completing a chapter. It requires exposure, repetition, conversation, reading, writing and meaningful practice.

A 30- or 40-minute period several times a week may not be enough for a child who has already developed weak foundations. If the child moves rapidly from one subject to another and receives little opportunity to practise the language outside the classroom, the problem becomes deeper.

The Uncomfortable Question of Marks

There is another uncomfortable issue: marks.

When parents see low marks, the immediate question is often, “Why did my child score so little?” That is a legitimate concern. But we should ask another question as well: What can the child actually do with what they have supposedly learned?

A teacher can give higher marks and make everyone happy. But if a student reaches Class 10 without basic language competency, who has really benefited?

Learning Is a Shared Responsibility

This is not an argument against parents, teachers or school administrators. Responsibility is shared.

Multilingual India Needs More Than Policy

The issue also deserves attention in the context of India’s Three-Language Formula and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Policy can recognise multilingualism, but policy alone cannot create multilingual learners. There must be sufficient instructional time, trained teachers, appropriate assessment and an environment in which students can actually use the language.

“We should not allow every subject to become merely a number on a report card.”

Beyond the Report Card

In an education system increasingly influenced by measurable outcomes and parental expectations, we should not allow every subject to become merely a number on a report card.

The real measure of education is not simply whether a child passed an examination. It is whether the child can use what they learned with understanding, confidence and purpose.

If we want multilingual India to become a reality, our language classrooms cannot remain places where children merely learn enough to pass. They must become places where children genuinely learn to communicate.