* Dawane Chandrashekhar Ashokrao works with Dept. of English, Yeshwant Mahavidyalaya, Nanded.

English due to its international importance is a language to be aspired for. N. Krishnaswammy and Lalitha Krishnaswamy have rightly said:

Much like oil or the microchip, English, today, is used globally. Life will become paralyzed if petrol and computers are not available anymore similarly, we may find it difficult to function if we don’t understand or speak English.¹

There are various factors which contribute to the importance of English language. They make it one of the most important languages in the world. It is for this reason that English occupies an important plays in our educational system. In this short paper, we shall focus upon the historical background of ELT in India.

ELT before 1947

The English language came to India in the 17^th century with the East India Company. It was formed to conduct trade with India and other countries in the east. Initially the Britishers tried to learn Indian languages to communicate with Indians. They started special colleges for this purpose. They also took the help of the translators. But when their political powers increased, they created the British Indian provinces like Bengal, Madras and Bombay. So the English traders gave more importance to English rather than to Indian languages. Some missionary institutions taught English to Indians. (more…)