As the world becomes more and more global through technological advances like, the internet, digital TV, smart phones, and the iPad, the exposure to English is also increasing. Through English, the teachings of the Buddha are being passed along to people worldwide. As I walk along the footsteps of the Buddha here in India, I see that his footsteps do not end here. They go around the world by those who have taken his teachings to the four corners of the world.
The process of learning English may not be an easy one for some. As infants, we all have the potential to discriminate sounds from any language, but as we age and develop a primary language, we lose this potential. 1.Nevertheless, the endeavor to learn a new language can be rewarding in and of itself.
Whether one learns to read, write, speak, and listen in English may not be the ultimate attainable goal. The learning process, itself, creates an opportunity to observe oneself. Observing the frustrations or other emotional states that may arise, the physical avoidant behaviors you may find yourself doing, or the thoughts about failure or success as one tries to learn a second language allows us to learn more about ourselves and grow along the path.
Should monks learn English? This is a question only they themselves can answer. But, there is simply a fact that interaction with pilgrims, especially Americans, is made much easier through the ability to communicate in a common language. Whether the pilgrims come here or the monks go them, the benefit of a shared language is the same.
Often, venerable monks from various parts of the world will come to the United States for a visit. Hearing one Geche speak to an American audience, I intently listed as he conveyed his knowledge regarding Buddhism and meditation. Afterwards, time was available for questions and answers. The varying questions ranged from a philosophical aspect to meditation techniques to a more practical, mundane nature. People generally wanted to know how to get along with others, be it a spouse, child, parent, friend, co-worker, or on a larger scale, a country.
As a certified teacher of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, I have had the wonderful experience of teaching monk-students English. I have found that they are eager to learn and extremely dedicated, in order to impart their teachings to those who wish to hear. My mere teaching of Basic English skills is hopefully helping these students navigate the world around them.
Monica Harvey, M.S., CCC-SLP
Sacramento, California, USA 95816
Note- She teach English to the students of Nalanda University in 2010-2011. She gave me her article due to my kindly request.
Ashin Sutacaralankara
Nalanda University
India
Foot not= 1. Foreign-language experience in infancy: Effects of short-term exposure and social interaction on phonetic learning. Patricia K. Kuhl, Feng-Ming Tsao, and Huei-Mei Liu.
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How many languages are there in the world? How about 5 billion! Each of us talks, listens, and thinks in his/her own special language that has been shaped by our culture, experiences, profession, personality, mores and attitudes. The chances of us meeting someone else who talks the exact same language is pretty remote.
Anonymous
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Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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