Use simple sentences to communicate with readers coherently, advised Mir Ayoob Ali Khan, Special Affairs Editor, Times of India, Hyderabad Edition in a Prize Distribution ceremony organized by Hyderabad Youth Mirror to felicitate students who topped in Essay Competition 2016. Below is the transcript of the talk.
Good evening.
I am very pleased and feel honored to be here today among the youngsters who have taken part in an Essay Writing Competition. I am also pleased to see that it’s not just one community but there are people from all communities here. This is a very healthy move which has been taken by Hyderabad Youth Mirror. I congratulate the organizers for this.
Friends, one thing which we need or which we have learnt in journalism and mass communication is to communicate and convey our ideas to the target audience; it could be individual or group. How do we do that? Unfortunately, there’s a slide in social sciences teaching and language teaching in the entire country.
When we talk, we don’t know what we are talking. We are not coherent. We start with incoherent ideas and we use words which do not convey any meaning. And the persons who are listening to us out of courtesy they clap and feel you are a good person.
Please evaluate yourself. Please look at your language carefully and critically before you speak. That means you start learning.
When we are talking about essay writing, I would like to say one important thing. Communication is extremely important. If I am writing for Times of India, it does not mean that I should choose high flown English to convey my ideas.
I have been taught to use simple words and simple sentences so that may readership that comprises tenth class (matriculates) to post graduates and PhDs should understand it.
If possible, in your spoken English also focus on accent. Don’t carry the load of your regional language. If you are a Urdu speaker you don’t have to have the baggage of Urdu on your language.
If you are a Telugu speaker, you don’t have to have the baggage. See what is the universally accepted accent. Don’t get into the American or British accent, with which you are not familiar.
In the writing part, always write small sentences. A sentence should not be more than 10-15 words. Somebody who writes a sentence of 35-40 words is complicating his language and not conveying his idea properly.
When you convey it in a complex manner that means you are discouraging your reader.
“State of Education in Telangana” is an important subject. It’s a new state – Telangana. We need to start from the scratch. Unfortunately, I didn’t had the opportunity to look at your essays. I would have loved to see it, and make comment on your essays particularly of those who have won prizes.
Please focus on learning the language. It is a key to all subjects! If you have to become a scientist, you have to know the language. If you do not know the language, you will not be able to convey your ideas.
You need to have command over the language.
Thank you very much!