English as a Foreign Language in Indian Political Discourse: A Review of Oratorical Styles, Language Proficiency, and Sociolinguistic Identity
Abstract
English has travelled a long road in India, from a colonial medium to a powerful public language used in politics, media, and international diplomacy. In contemporary India, political speeches delivered in English carry symbolic value, shaping public attitudes and national identity. This review paper explores how English functions as a foreign language in Indian political communication and how leading political figures use it to project authority, credibility, and identity. The study brings together theoretical ideas from EFL studies, Sociolinguistics, and Critical Discourse Analysis to understand how Indian politicians handle English in their public speeches. The paper reviews iconic figures such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and J. Jayalalithaa, and moves toward unavoidable contemporary personalities like Shashi Tharoor and Narendra Modi, who stand at two ends of the English-proficiency spectrum. Their unique linguistic choices show how English in political life is not just a language but a tool of image-making. The review highlights code-switching, rhetorical moves, pronunciation patterns, vocabulary choice, and audience design. The conclusion argues that English in Indian politics is a living, shifting performance, revealing how power, identity, and language walk hand-in-hand in the public sphere.
Keywords:
Political Discourse, Language Ideologies, Power Dynamics, Rhetorical Strategies, Public Narratives, Socio-linguistic FramingDownloads
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