South Asia Center presents: The Caste of English by Iswari Pandey

The Caste of English Iswari Pandey Assistant Professor, Department of Writing, Syracuse University What is the caste of English? Scholars have long explored the link between language and identity, and, historically, the use of English to produce a certain “class of persons” for colonial purposes is well documented. What is less known is the persistence of English as a caste-based enterprise in today’s India and its role in both maintaining and challenging caste and class differences. This talk examines the contradictory roles of English through an analysis of teaching and learning of “Remedial English Coaching Scheme” designed for students of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in India’s national universities and technology institutes. Tuesday, January 29, 2013 12:30 pm 341 Eggers Hall