Language Power and Its Issues - "English Vinglish" Film Analysis

Hizkia Dwiatmaja

1400410023/Digital Communication

Subject: English for Communication

Lecturer: Yunias Monika

Language Issues and its Power in Communication

Analysis From “English Venglish” Film

 [Film Summary]

English Vinglish is an Indian drama film directed by Gauri Shinde and was released in 2012. The story is about Sashi, a housewife who feels degraded from her well-educated husband and daughter because of her inability to speak and understand english. One day, Sashi’s older sister Manu, invites Sashi’s family to her daughter wedding in New York. It is decided that Sashi will go alone first to New York to help Manu organizes the wedding and soon her family will follow during the wedding day. Traumatized by the accident in New York coffee shop due her inability to communicate in english, Sashi decided to secretly enrolls in english class for four weeks so the same accident will not happen again and the mocking from her family would turns into respect.

[Analysis]

English Vinglish depicts the most ordinary aspects in life, such as family values and relationships. Despite of the elements of family and respect, the film brings up another interesting phenomena in communication such as language issues and influences. Sashi’s lack of English skill makes her into a constant jokes by her husband and daughter. When conditions forced Sashi to go to New York, that’s where she must be able to win over the surfacing language barrier in communication.

Before Sashi went to New York, she is terrified with feeling of insecurity. Sashi who knows only Hindi language has to face with foreign language that became a great aspect that affects her life. Once in New York, problems and mistakes kept her in humiliations, such as the hardship to communicate or just when ordering food in a coffee shop. All of these happened just because she can’t communicate well in English, resulting in a border of communication. It is at this point that Sashi realized that her lack of English skill is holding her down. When Sashi saw an ad in a bus passed by, she decided to takes English class to improve the English of hers. Then the film shows the transformation of Sashi, from the mild housewife that only knows Hindi language to the confident woman that adapts in speaking English.

The communication in this film is shown to be limited and affected by the difference of language and the spaker’s social background. This is what we called as intercultural communication, a form of communication between individuals or group with different religious, ethnic, social, cultural backgrounds. It is a common thing that people from different countries will encounter problems when they communicate with each other, because of their difference in language and backgrounds. When Sashi’s husband hug an american girl in a way to say greeting, Sashi interprets it based on her beliefs and culture. When the receiver uses information from his or her culture to interpret the message, the message that they interprets may be different from what the speaker intended. Using the help of nonverbal cues such as facial expression and hand gestures are not enough to create mutual understanding between intercultural communication. Therefore, having knowledge of different cultures and understanding language skills create the most effective way to communicate. Sashi joined the English class to study the way of communicating between different languages, and so she is able to understand the message and their cultural stereotypes. 

            Understanding new language is a very powerful trait that gives great advantage in society. With the ability to speak well, peoples will not face troubles when they communicate with other from different background, culture, or language. They will be able to convey their opinion, and desire, motivate or persuade, which can creates understanding between each other. The language barrier will not be an obstacles for delivering messages anymore. For example in the film case, Sashi was able to order correctly and with such details when she went for eat with Lawrent after she took some of English class. Language is also the tool that can helps us build relations with others. When language is used well, it can sparks the emotion in others. True feelings expressed in the language can deepens the connection of peoples, and change their point of view. It is shown at the end of the film, Sashi also gains respect from their family by the power of English language. Her family views her as higher class woman in education, and regret that they had belitte her before. That’s why language can also be seen as a powerful tool. It helps to shapes how the world will respond to you, through the messages you deliver with your language in communication.