Of all the parameters the diversity along the lines of language is the most potent factor as far as the question of National Unity and integrity is concerned.

It is through education only that language attains a stage of development. The National Policy on Education emphasized development of regional languages, implementation of three language formula and developing Hindi as the National and link language.

While implementing  the three-language formula certain variations to suit local conditions and circumstances were unavoidable and may even be desirable, it was necessary that the three-language formula should be so implemented in the States as to secure the largest measure of uniformity in regard to the place of the languages in the school curriculum, the selection of languages other than the mother-tongue or the regional language for inclusion in the curriculum, and the standard of proficiency to be aimed at.

The Three-Language Formula emphasized that at the school stage at least three languages should be taught and the provision for teaching should ensure that a student passing out of the secondary school has an adequate knowledge of these languages. The teaching of a language should be provided for not less than three years in a continuous course.

The three-language formula helps in fostering bilingualism and multilingualism, traits that improve “cognitive growth, social tolerance, divergent thinking and scholastic achievement”, according to the National Curriculum Framework.

The multilingual, multiethnic and multi cultural character of India necessitates the inclusion of
several languages in the curriculum for school education. The three language formula has, therefore, been evolved as a strategy to deal with the situation.

The three language formula, very meticulously chalked out after Independence, was the wonderful brain child of stalwarts and eminent educationists. For a country like India with huge diversities, a combination of the local, the national and the English language is probably the best option. A clear understanding of any subject is best achieved if explained in the mother tongue. But it should not cause a frog-in-the-pond syndrome. As the child progresses in education and graduates to the upper primary and secondary levels, interaction with other parts of the country and even competence at the international level become a necessity. As most of the students at the higher secondary level aspire for higher education and selection is based on competitive entrance examinations, it is better to opt for English. One gets a working knowledge of the local language in the comparatively long period of five years after the primary class.

Most students aspire to learn technical subjects as they are aware of the impending changes in society. They also want to develop speaking and writing skills in English. They are conscious that these abilities will help wherever they go in future. It is a fact that the higher secondary education is the leverage to tertiary level for which they appear in entrance examinations. When the students complete the professional courses and get employment, they have to interact with people of different nationalities. English is the only language that will help them. If they should have the confidence to face the situation at the workplace, developing communicative skill is crucial. Following an English medium of instruction at the higher secondary school helps develop speaking and writing skills in a slow and steady pace.

However, the advocates of higher education in local languages have often raked the issue of mother tongue and patriotism.

At the secondary stage, the State Governments adopted, and vigorously implemented, the three- language formula which includes the study of a modern Indian language, preferably one of the southern languages, apart from Hindi and English in the Hindi-speaking States, and of Hindi along with the regional language and English in the non-Hindi-speaking States. Suitable courses in Hindi and/ or English should also be available in universities and colleges with a view to improving the proficiency of students in these languages up to the prescribed university standards.

The three-language formula does not speak of the mother tongue but only of the use of regional language along with Hindi/Modern Indian Languages and English. So, the formula leaves itself open for varied interpretation giving rise to controversy from time to time.

The three-language formula is restricted only to the secondary, stage. Consequently each State decides how many languages and to what degree fewer or more languages should be taught at other stages of education. The result is that different States have different policies at the primary level and at the higher secondary level.

The Andhra Pradesh government has proposed to focus secondary and higher education on building marketable skills and to actively involve private sector in higher education.

This appreciation is facilitated best by an understanding of the following sound considerations regarding language learning referred to in the report of Education
Commission, 1964-1966:-

* Creation of motivation for learning languages is a complex social process. This depends more on social and economic factors outside the school than on academic programs of the school itself.
* Learning of language should not be a burden on the child at the primary stage through imposition.
* Learning of other modern Indian languages in each region facilitates ‘multiple channels of internal communication’.
* Language learning should also be construed as a means of securing national and social integration. This would be facilitated by learning of English or Hindi as link languages.
* Learning of English may be facilitated in the upper primary or secondary stages considering that this would be needed as a ‘library language’ in the field of Higher Education and, consequently, a strong foundation in the language will have to be laid at the school stage.
* Learning of additional languages in general is a costly and difficult load which the education system is ill-equipped for. The States, most oft en, do not have adequate resources for provision of additional language teachers.
* Students (and parents) are often indifferent in the matter of school level learning of more languages which adds to their workload without directly providing skill or knowledge usable in immediate life.

The students are well conscious of the different advantages of learning several languages, serving as incentives to motivate them in doing so. The motivational pattern for learning languages is well balanced, almost evenly shared by the instrumental and academic incentives on the one hand, and the integrative and non-academic on the other.

According to a general review made of the present scenario of Language education, all the three –i.e.  Students, their parents and teachers –do not consider the inclusion of several languages in the school curriculum is to be unreasonable or waste of time. There is a welcome acceptance of the three language formula by all those who are concerned. In fact the students and their parents are well inclined to increase the limit even to four or more, though the teachers would not like to exceed the minimum of three. What is very heartening is that the students, parents and teachers are fully conscious of the multifold advantages accruing out of the learning of several languages.

However, in the fulfillment of their objectives the students come across several difficulties belonging to pedagogic, curricular and environmental areas. The most important ones, among them in order of descending difficulty, are, ‘confusing to learn grammars of different languages’ (pedagogic) ‘no occasion to use the language for practice’ (environmental), ‘no extra coaching at home’ (environmental), and ‘many other subject to learn’ (curricular).

The teachers and the parents are fully appreciative of the problems faced by the students in the task of learning several languages. Moreover, the teachers emphasize most the environment and the curricular difficulties, and the least the problems related to pedagogy of language teaching, which the students consider to be the most important. The curricular difficulties are least emphasized by them. The parents are in agreement with their children about the curricular handicaps, but not to the same extent about the pedagogic difficulty, ‘confusing to learn different grammars’ and the environmental one, ‘no extra coaching at home’.

The students do face difficulties in acquiring the four skills of language namely, understanding, speaking, reading and writing. This difficulty is most acutely felt for the third language and the least for the first language.

The teachers also face several difficulties in their task of language teaching. The most important ones among them are lack of modern teaching aids and training in the modern techniques of language teaching. The teachers particularly, have to face the problem of the presence of the mixed mother-tongue groups in the language class.

But, it is sad to note that tribal children’s home language is not used in school; in some cases, the school language is a “completely alien language.” Most teachers do not speak or understand the children’s language so there is no communication between teachers and children.  Even when the teachers come from the children’s home community, they often do not use the local language in teaching the curriculum as the textbooks are in the state language.

Using the language understood by learners -builds trust, initiative, and participation in the learning process - also promotes participatory teaching methods...stimulates the production of school and cultural materials in that language, broadens the body of knowledge to be learned to include local knowledge and facilitates learners’ integration into social and cultural life... can contribute very much at the political level to improving relations between the political leaders and the base of the society’s multilingual population.

Therefore, a renewed effort should be made to implement the three-language formula, emphasizing the recognition of children’s home language(s) or mother tongue(s) including tribal languages.

In spite of these difficulties, the students sustain themselves since they are highly motivated to learn several languages and are encouraged in this task both by their parents and teachers, who are equally willing and motivated.

The teachers need to ensure communication with all students. Children must be encouraged to express rather than suppress and material production could happen in the classroom itself—as a collective group process. Authority of textbooks needs to be questioned and importance should be given to the experience in learning.

Thus multilingualism in India is not new. In spite of the multilingualism there is so much communication among people that today India is acknowledged as one linguistic area by scholars all over the world.