Often, when I am introduced as a professor of English, the immediate response is “Oh, I need to be careful when I speak to you in English.” Such comments point to a widespread confusion between language proficiency and the study of literature. This is a misconception that needs clarification.
Literature is more content-driven and deals with ideas and experiences and communicates to the reader through an emotional quotient. On the other hand, language is more about the structural aspects, such as understanding grammar, vocabulary, and syntax, and about knowing the underlying structure.
Language training
Although students and scholars of literature need to use language, most often their skills are deficient. Without recognising this difference, a common conjecture is that members of the English department— whether students, scholars, or teachers — possess strong English language skills. This has also led to many debates and discussions regarding the poor knowledge of English of students and scholars in the English department across Indian universities.
An important need in higher education today is training in language. This is not to say that literature students are unable to use language. They do but in a different way. They can analyse and deconstruct plots, stories, and narratives, explore cultural nuances, recognise discrimination, ponder social and political backdrops, and identify the plural meanings that a text offers.
Yet, they are unable to draft an essay with the nuanced perspective by which they read a text. In my personal experience, time and again, I have noted that submitted assignments lack coherence, grammatical accuracy, syntactical clarity, and clarity of meaning.
We need to, therefore, find a methodology to improve this. One solution is to set up a language centre that can provide training in English language skills and help scholars and students in academic writing. It is not just literature students who lack the skills necessary to author academic articles. Students and scholars in the sciences and other fields also find it difficult to communicate their research ideas clearly.
This lack of language proficiency also has implications for employability, as students and scholars struggle to write clear resumes, articulate confidently in interviews, and communicate well in professional settings.
In the case of researchers, inadequate language skills limit their ability to produce well-structured dissertations or critically engaged conference papers. Over time, these issues also erode confidence and make students hesitate to participate boldly and positively in academic forums.
Improved presentation
Another lacuna lies in presentation skills. Too often, scholars, including faculty members, prepare dull slides and speak without preparation, leading to frequent miscommunication and a sense of boredom among listeners. Therefore, a language centre may help by providing support to prepare strong, attractive slides and offering training in seminar presentations and speaking coherently. Additionally, it could also offer structured modules in grammar, vocabulary building, academic writing, and critical reading, along with workshops on citation practices, editing skills and communication.
Such a centre might also collaborate with different departments by designing specific writing sessions such as scientific writing for science students, report writing for social sciences, and research papers for humanities. The centre could be staffed by English language tutors who combine strong language skills with patience and a supportive approach to learners. Many universities abroad run such writing centres and communication labs that function as academic support hubs offering consultations and skill sustenance across the university.
It is significant that higher education institutions recognise that language is not merely a medium of instruction but a tool for thinking, shaping how students organise ideas, construct arguments and engage intellectually at a global level. This does not mean that literature is not necessary. On the other hand, literature nurtures critical consciousness by providing readers to analyse varied perspectives, recognise power structures, and explore the complexities of human experience. Higher education needs both these dimensions to exist side by side so that learners understand how language enables clear, precise communication and how literature cultivates insight and empathy through in-depth interpretations.
The writer is a former professor of English at Pondicherry University and now volunteers as the editor for the literary section of the online journal, Muse India. Email: hkalp.eng@pondiuni.ac.in
Published – August 08, 2026 01:59 pm IST
