Language and Dialect

Language and Dialects are two things.

One kills the meaning of the other.

I must start with one (Ranjith Ruberu) who was an excellent cricket commentator who had the correct balance and the command in spoken and written language.

In addition he had a sweet voice over the radio.

Unfortunately, his name is not in the list of cricket commentators in Wikipedia.

He came from my neighbourhood and was very polite and an unassuming man.

When ever, I see him on the road we exchanged pleasantries and he passed away few years ago in 2015 at the age of 75.

I may be wrong but I think he had an excellent command in French language,too.

The word ricochet, I picked up from him.

Please do not confuse Aubrey Kuruppu with Professor Ranjith Ruberu whose voice was not pleasant.

Please substitute Aubrey Kuruppu to Ranjith Ruberu above.

When I was in Science Prep I, he (Ranjith Ruberu) came to my class to teach Botany in Sinhala and I hated him from that time.

He had translated a Botany Text to Sinhala and he was doing a salesman job in our school.

I decided to do Science in English (5 others joined me) and the rest of my stupid classmates continued in Sinhala Medium and none entered the University.

I have to bare some secrets here.

My English was not good then (even now) but my understanding of science concepts was outstanding.

I decided to answer Botany and Zoology in Sinhala at the moment of answering the Advanced Level.

I was registered as a English Medium student and I asked the invigilator if, I could switch to Sinhala.

The flow of Science Ideas in Sinhala was so fluid and instantaneous (having digested the books in English).

My mother tongue was Sinhala.

By the way, I answered Physics and Chemistry in English (technically easy).

I was a fast reader.

I even read the book "POWER" by Bertram Russell with a dictionary by my side.

That habit extends to my twilight years. 

That prudent decision made me to enter the University, first time round.

I was the only one who was qualified for Medicine from all four science classes (over 200 students).

Of course, I decided  to improve my English long before entering the University.

Coming back to professor of botany,  he did not have the guts to oppose the politicians asking the dons to (switch to Sinhala abruptly) teach Science in Sinhala in 1960s.

It was antithetic to me and I was instrumental in opposing this tragic injustice to Ceylonese students, many years later when I entered as a Seconded Officer to the University and later as a teacher in Pathology.

Aubrey Kuruppu was his name.

Please leave Ruberu as it is but substitute Aubrey Kuruppu, instead.

He was an honours graduate in English in Peradeniya University and was the coordinator of the English Language Unit of the Faculty of Arts.

Mind you this English Department was ruined (abolished) by J.R.J including the Department of Pali when he became the  President (for political reasons of his own).

Slanting my piece to language and dialects, Kandy had three foreign language units in my time and I did not attend any except the British Council Library.

I literally read all Science books and Magazines including those not recommended for A Level.

We had a USIS Library, too. It had good computer books but nothing in science.

That may be the reason, I am very good at Linux and Linux Commands, now (Linux was not in existence then but Unix).

There was a Unit of Asia Foundation, too.

All are no more except British Council Language Unit.

1. British Council Library.

2. Alliance de France

3. Wille Heilm Geiger Center - German Center

Kandy gave adequate  importance to foreign languages, then but not now.

The German center is no more.

Language was not my interest but Science.

I improved my English by listening to Cricket commentaries in English, BBC News and Panorama, over the Radio.

Reading Daily News was a habit and we had excellent journalists and editors.

Listening to cricket in Sinhala is a pain  in the axxxz!

I had a good ear and thankfully there were no TVs, then.

It is a scientific truth that TV is bad for students when learning.

I have my reservation on AI and Video conferencing.

In UK I had to pass the Standard English Test which was not a barrier.

The English Test in New Zealand was horrible.

In addition, I had to pass all 2nd, 3rd and Final MBBS subjects at the age of 43, within two years of entering New Zealand.

Another reason, I hate New Zealand.

Please read the piece on New Zealand at this blog spot.

Coming to UK, I did not have any problem obtaining jobs.

But I hated all the dialects.

Yorkshire accent, Jodi, Welsh, Scottish, Irish  and Cockney dialects were not soothing to my ears.

New Zealand accent was the worst.

I kept to Aubrey Kuruppu's vision for English as a language and not as a dialect.

I never imitated their accents and kept to my Simple (Royal) English which was not an asset but a simple way of communication.

Communication skills are essential in clinical practice and in addition, I gave clearly written instructions in Ceylon and abroad.

No ASPIRIN after Tonsillectomy came good in New Zealand.

One woman after tonsillectomy was given aspirin by a local resident and she bled a lot almost to her death.

She almost chocked in her own blood.

By the way, my French is horrible.