Will Indians speak American English eventually?

The signs have been there for a while. A dropped ‘U’ here, a swapped ‘er’ there: the hold of British English on the country that has one of the largest number of speakers in the world, has been slowly slipping. The trans-Atlantic shift that began when Noah Webster launched a movement to differentiate how English is spelt — or spelled — on either side of the ocean has now spread round the globe thanks to the tech world’s unifying language.

In its defence — defense? — it can be said that there had been no official effort to make India shed its colonial baggage; it has happened via media. But now with the Delhi government and the US Embassy launching a 10-week English teaching course for lecturers in women’s colleges, language diplomacy is on the front burner.

Of course, American English can already be seen in our increasingly rhotic speech: rolling ‘r’s comes naturally to us Indians. The propensity to drop articles — especially ‘the’ — also has an American connect, albeit involuntary. And the disdain for prepositions in modern American patois sits far better with Indians than the traditionally formal British English syntax. Britain should not ignore this American incursion as Indians are going on vacations not holidays, living in apartments not flats, using elevators nor lifts, and wearing pants not trousers.