Which language is more important in future:Hindi or Japanese

Talo   Tue Nov 25, 2008 5:50 am GMT
India has the bright future and many Hindi speakers become the rich men in India. But on contrast, Japan has no future and many Japanese will speak English to replace their mother language - Japanese.
J.C.   Tue Nov 25, 2008 6:29 am GMT
"India has the bright future and many Hindi speakers become the rich men in India. But on contrast, Japan has no future and many Japanese will speak English to replace their mother language - Japanese. "

Talo: Sorry but I think you're talking like a Hindi nationalistic and are not seeing the reality that Hindi won't be accepted by the minorities, specially the Tamil speakers. Let's face it, English is the language of business whereas Hindi is only understood by a retricted number of people.

As for English replacing Japanese in Japan, that won't happen anytime soon considering the gramattical and phonetical differences between English and Japanese. Besides that, Japanese feel proud of their language and cherish it as much as they can. Even if they try to introduce English as their business language, I believe the level won't be as high of other countries since Japan still has one of the worst TOEIC scores of the world.
It's interesting to see that many people in Japan have started studying Chinese and they've realized it's much faster for them to learn it due to the Chinese characters.

Cheers,
SJF   Tue Nov 25, 2008 7:37 am GMT
I suggest Hindi if you're english speaker.
Pro-Hindi   Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:02 am GMT
There's a movement in the Hindi Belt to use Hindi more and more and less English. If there's a Dravidian state that accepted Hindi that could only be Kerala and Andhra Pradesh to a lesser degree.
svealander   Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:45 pm GMT
An important issue is I think that if India's economy keeps growing so fast then important businesses will be in the hands of the 'new rich' who may not have good english.
Talo   Wed Nov 26, 2008 2:28 am GMT
To J.C.

Tamil speakers in India need to face the growing importance of Hindi in India no matter that they used to speak English for their favor. However, the situation is quiet different now. Yes, English was popular in Tamil states, but now more and more Tamil speakers accept Hindi because the downfall of USA's economics and downfall of British Empire. How can Tamil speakers use English to do if English speaking nations are poor?

Hindi speakers are getting richer and English speakers are getting poorer. So, Tamil speakers will choose Hindi instead of English!
Kawa   Wed Nov 26, 2008 2:50 am GMT
Hindi on Chennai Television

Hindi will be gained as the only one official language of India soon!


Thanjai Nalankilli

TAMIL TRIBUNE, November 2004 (ID. 2004-11-02)
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OUTLINE

Abbreviations

1. Unpleasant Surprises

2. Arrogance of Hindian Power

3. Cable Television and Direct-to-Home Television

4. Concluding Remarks

ABBREVIATIONS

AIADMK - All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

1. Unpleasant Surprises

Television viewers in Chennai and vicinity had a rude surprise in late 2003. When they turned on their television sets to the Indian-Government operated Chennai regional Doordarshan channel (DD1) at 8:30 PM for the day's news in Tamil, there was someone reading the news in Hindi. Lo and behold the Hindian dominated Indian Government had decided that Hindi news should be broadcast at the choice hour of 8:30 PM and Tamil news should be moved to a later time in the night when many people have already gone to sleep. This makes no sense since this regional channel is seen only in Tamil Nadu where almost everyone knows Tamil and very few know Hindi. This is yet another testimony as to who rules India. It is Hindian politicians who are determined to thrust Hindi on non-Hindi peoples. (Hindians - People whose mother tongue is Hindi.)

Chennai television viewers had yet another unpleasant surprise. When they turned on their Chennai regional channel (DD1) on Friday night to watch a Tamil movie and relax, there was a Hindi movie, although Tamil movie broadcasts are huge hits (popular) in Tamilnadu. Vast majority of viewers could not understand Hindi. Disappointed viewers hoped that they could catch a Tamil movie at least the next day (Saturday). After dinner they turn on to the regional channel (DD1) for the usual Tamil movie broadcast. To their utter dismay there was a Hindi movie again. What happened? Hindian dominated Indian Government had instructed the regional television center in Chennai to replace the Friday night and Saturday night Tamil movies with Hindi movies, leaving only Sunday nights for Tamil movies.

2. Arrogance of Hindian Power

Remember, in addition to the few regional channels, there are over a dozen Indian-Government operated national channels (national broadcasts) seen all over India that are exclusively for Hindi or Hindi and English programmes. When regional channels were introduced (which could be seen in major cities and nearby areas only), people thought that at least in these channels local languages would dominate the programs. That was not to be. Hindian politicians made sure that Hindi programmes were also included in substantial numbers in these channels. We do not see the logic of why Hindi programmes should be included in a regional channel in Chennai which serves Tamil speakers, when there are already over a dozen national channels available in Tamil Nadu which show Hindi programs day and night, seven days a week (National channels do not have Tamil programs). This is nothing but arrogance and display of power by Hindi politicians to demonstrate it is THEIR country and Hindi will dominate in everything the Indian Government does.

One more point. Take a village in West Bengal (India) near the border of Bangladesh. If they turn on their television sets to Indian-Government operated television channels, they would not find anything in their mother tongue Bengali. However if they turn on to Bangladesh television they could watch a whole array of programs in Bengali.

3. Cable Television and Direct-to-Home Television

There are people who say that Tamil Nadu has Tamil programs in cable television channels; so why are you complaining about lack of Tamil programs on broadcast television (over-the-air television)? Cable channels cost money (monthly fees). Poorer segments of the population cannot afford the monthly cable fees. Also, cable television channels are not available in many rural areas. While Hindi speakers can get at least a dozen free Hindi programs (movies, sports, news, educational) any time of the day anywhere in India (even in remote areas), even outside the Hindi speaking states FOR FREE, why should Tamil people have to pay for cable television to watch Tamil programs in Tamil Nadu? Indian-Government operated television (Doordarshan) is subsidized by Tamil people's tax monies too.

Direct-to-Home (DTH) television through satellites will be available in India starting from 2004 or 2005. A few Tamil channels and Hindi channels will be available in Tamil Nadu through DTH. Though it does require a monthly fee, one has to buy the necessary satellite dish. Again, Tamil Nadu will receive far more Hindi programs than Tamil programs through DTH. Why? What is the reason?

4. Concluding Remarks

Our position is that there should be a variety of Tamil programs (movies, sports, news, educational) available in Tamil Nadu for FREE from Indian-Government operated television broadcasting. When we see that a Hindi speaker living in Tamil Nadu has substantially more choice of Hindi programs than Tamil; that is Hindi imperialism. If India is for everyone living in India, then Indian Government funded projects should benefit everyone equally and should not disproportionately favor on group (here, Hindi speakers). In every sphere whether it is Indian Government grants and loans to states [Reference 1, 2, 3] or Indian government employment policies [Reference 4, 5] or movie production [Reference 6] or television broadcasting, Indian Government favours Hindi speakers and the Hindi heartland over and above others. This is the state of affairs and it is unfair.

NOTE: If sufficient pressure is brought on the Indian Government, it may relent and add a few more programs in Tamil in the regional channel. But when things cool down, it will start replacing Tamil programs by Hindi programs again. We have precedent to it. In the mid-1980s, Indian Government replaced the Tamil news by Hindi news at night and moved the Tamil news to a later time in the Chennai regional channel. The then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran phoned the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and told him that it was not acceptable and there would be grave consequences. His AIADMK party and other groups talked of an anti-Hindi agitation. Consequently Tamil news was put back in its original time slot. Then a few years later the Indian Government again replaced the Tamil news by Hindi news and moved Tamil news to a later time. Number of hours of Hindi programs was also increased as if in retaliation. That is the Indian Government tactic; back off and hit back later; not only with respect to Hindi on television, but also on other discriminatory practices favoring Hindi speakers. So be ever vigilant!
Goodchoice   Wed Nov 26, 2008 2:54 am GMT
Cheers.


No one like British Imperialists- supported Tamils in Tamil Nadu will oppose Hindi as their official language!
Chinese   Wed Nov 26, 2008 3:31 am GMT
Surprisingly, within India, there're about 22 sorts of languages, much more than China <in China, there're mainly 5 sorts of dialects/languages: Mandarin(華語), Cantonese(粵語), Wunese(吳語), Minnanese(閩南語)=Taiwanese(台語), Hakkanese(客家語)>.

If you went to anywhere in India, you would have to make sure which language is widely spoken there, because Hindi might not be spoken by Indians, maybe they only speak one of the other 20 sorts of languages.

Hindi, to a large extent, would be helpless or useless for those who might NEVER go to the places where Hindi is spoken widely and fluently.
Chinese   Wed Nov 26, 2008 3:45 am GMT
Talo:( India has the bright future and many Hindi speakers become the rich men in India. But on contrast, Japan has no future and many Japanese will speak English to replace their mother language - Japanese. )

Hi, Talo, Would you please come to Japan and China to travel around, and after that, then you could comment clear-headedly on your country INDIA.
Chinese   Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:00 am GMT
Talo: (Tamil speakers in India need to face the growing importance of Hindi in India no matter that they used to speak English for their favor. However, the situation is quiet different now. Yes, English was popular in Tamil states, but now more and more Tamil speakers accept Hindi because the downfall of USA's economics and downfall of British Empire. How can Tamil speakers use English to do if English speaking nations are poor?
Hindi speakers are getting richer and English speakers are getting poorer. So, Tamil speakers will choose Hindi instead of English!)

Talo, frankly, you're really a "good" logician, I just know that, US, UK, Japan, China, are all getting poorer and poorer, while ONLY INDIA is getting richer and richer increasingly. Thank you for teaching me this lesson, and that made me realize that how great Indians are, and how developed India is.
Chinese   Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:12 am GMT
To Talo:

If you're living in upper class of India, please don't just pay attention to the minority of billionaires, you should give more attention to those majority of Indians who've always been living in poverty, starvation, disease, and insanitary conditions. You won't understand what I mean, unless your family really belongs to under class. OK, If you don't like my posts, just ignore them please.
J.C.   Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:33 am GMT
”Tamil speakers in India need to face the growing importance of Hindi in India no matter that they used to speak English for their favor. However, the situation is quiet different now. Yes, English was popular in Tamil states, but now more and more Tamil speakers accept Hindi because the downfall of USA's economics and downfall of British Empire. How can Tamil speakers use English to do if English speaking nations are poor? ”

Talo: Thanks for the reply but based on comments I've read from Tamil people in communties on orkut, I still don't think they'll accept Hindi so easily based in the following link, which was sent to me by a defender of the "Classical Tamil language".

http://tamil.berkeley.edu/Tamil%20Chair/TamilClassicalLanguage/TamilClassicalLgeLtr.html

Cheers!!
Blanc de Blanc   Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:41 am GMT
Firstly, both Talo and Chinese have made a lot of idiotic post on this thread.

As for the question by OP, I think the question you should be thinking about is: Mandarin or Hindi? If you are looking at the future, these are the 2 languages that will be most beneficial.

As for Hindi, I can tell you that around 80-85% Indians understand Hindi, and around 65-70% can speak decent Hindi.

From a purely business perspective, you can easily make do with English in India, but in China, its much more important to know Mandarin, as English is not so widespread there.

But, learning Mandarin is much harder than learning Hindi would be. Its your choice finally.

I am Indian, but have lived and worked in Singapore and Hong Kong.
slim   Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:02 pm GMT
if its a choice between japanese and hindi, learn japanese since you're likely to get more bang for your buck. Rich indians speak english and they're the ones most likely to give u their money. Of course, be honest with yourself; do you think you'll become fluent in japanese, if so go ahead.

Another point in favour of japanese is the fact that, on average, japanese pple speak little english and when they do, its pretty flawed. Check out www.engrish.com for some hilarious 'translations' from japanese.