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@article{192278,
        author = {Gopika and Mr. Ram Naresh Singh Tomar},
        title = {English as a Bridge Language in Learning Foreign Languages in India},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {9},
        pages = {1411-1415},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=192278},
        abstract = {In the contemporary multilingual educational landscape of India, English functions as a crucial bridge language that facilitates the learning of foreign languages. As globalization intensifies academic mobility, employment opportunities, and cross-cultural communication, the demand for foreign language education—such as German, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean— has grown substantially in India. This paper explores the role of English as an intermediary language that supports foreign language acquisition by providing grammatical awareness, cognitive scaffolding, and access to learning resources. Drawing upon theories of second and third language acquisition, existing literature, and the Indian educational context, the study analyses both the advantages and limitations of English-mediated foreign language learning. The paper argues that English significantly enhances the effectiveness of foreign language education in India, while also highlighting the need for inclusive and balanced multilingual pedagogies. The study concludes that English, when used strategically, acts as a powerful bridge language without undermining linguistic diversity.
In the Indian education system, the English language serves as a medium of instruction, as well as an instrument of socio-economic mobility, and also as a bridge for learning foreign languages. This paper will discuss how the English language helps in the acquisition of foreign languages in India by acting as a linguistic, pedagogical, and cognitive bridge. The paper will use the theories of second and foreign language acquisition, linguistic capital, and multilingual education to analyse the role of English in the curriculum, classroom, and motivation of learners to learn foreign languages. The English language helps Indian learners acquire foreign languages more efficiently, but the dominance of English also creates issues of linguistic hierarchy and inequality. The paper will critically analyse the policy of NEP 2020 and discuss the implications of English-mediated foreign language learning.},
        keywords = {English language, foreign language learning, multilingual education, linguistic capital, NEP 2020, Indian education. Bridge language, English language, foreign language learning, multilingual education, India, third language acquisition},
        month = {February},
        }