English proficiency for empowerment: Modi’s SCOPE vision contrasts Amit Shah’s remark

While Union Home Minister Amit Shah may have asserted that soon a time would come when those speaking English in the country would “feel ashamed”, it is ironic that Narendra Modi, when he was Gujarat chief minister, had launched what was called the SCOPE programme, actively involving the University of Cambridge to provide opportunities to the youth of Gujarat to "become not just job seekers but job creators (entrepreneurs)."

Standing for the Society for Creation of Opportunities through Proficiency in English, SCOPE was initiated in 2007 by the Education Department of the Government of Gujarat. It claimed to have "enrolled 6,00,000+ candidates across Gujarat", with the state government's SCOPE website calling it a "great achievement." Open the SCOPE site (scope.gujgov.in) and a prominent announcement greets you:

"COMING SOON: Empowering Youth through English Proficiency. Stay tuned for an exciting new initiative to boost your English skills and career opportunities."

SCOPE, says the site, "in association with Cambridge English, part of the University of Cambridge, UK", provides "assessment, evaluation and international certification" in English. The programme is said to take into account "the key concepts of governance like convenience, affordability, equity, inclusivity and accessibility."

To quote the site: "SCOPE is the brainchild of the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Hon. Shri Narendra Modi, operating under the auspices of the Education Department, Government of Gujarat. Founded in 2007, SCOPE emerged with the primary objective to enhance English language proficiency among the youth of Gujarat so they become not just job seekers but job creators (entrepreneurs)."

Revealing its objectives, the regularly updated site states, "SCOPE actively organizes diverse training sessions, workshops, exams, seminars and other initiatives for the promotion and dissemination of the English language, as well as the development of language skills, so that the students and youth studying in various colleges do not lag behind in getting employment opportunities due to lack of English language proficiency."

It claims, "Since its establishment, it has enrolled 6,39,900+ students who have acquired certificates accredited by Cambridge University." The site adds that its objectives include building "English language proficiency in the youth of Gujarat and thereby creating employment opportunities for them," and "to aid and promote advancement of communication skills in English by imparting training to the youth of 15-35 years of age group."

Other objectives include helping "imbibe reading, listening and speaking skills of the English language among the youth of Gujarat for achieving opportunity through proficiency in English Language," and achieving "excellence through convenience, affordability, equity, inclusivity and accessibility."

The website underscores that, in order to enhance "employability and to showcase proficiency in English," SCOPE has partnered with Cambridge English, part of the University of Cambridge, UK, as the assessment and certification partner, hoping this would "reach the maximum number of youth across Gujarat and create awareness among them to learn the English language."

The site claims that SCOPE would help students "suitably place themselves in a course of study and choose the right Cambridge examination," enabling them to achieve a "fast and effective way to determine the right level for your students and to determine which Cambridge exam they are ready to study for." The courses assess reading, listening, and language knowledge skills so that they can appear in a single test that "covers reading and listening skills as well as language knowledge (grammar and vocabulary)."

Pointing out that SCOPE "is suitable for all candidates aged 12+", the site states, "Each learner gets a test score as well as a CEPT (Cambridge English Placement Test)," which features "a variety of accents and texts from a range of English-speaking countries" — calling it a "fast, accurate and affordable online test designed to evaluate learners’ level of English and relate it to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)."

Highlighting that the test has been conducted with the help of authorised Cambridge partners since 2008, the site also mentions that SCOPE offers a Linguaskill programme, a "quick and convenient online test to help organisations check the English levels of individuals and groups of candidates, powered by Artificial Intelligence technology." It adds, "It tests all four language skills — speaking, writing, reading and listening — in modules."

The site claims that Linguaskill "provides accurate results within 48 hours and is easy to administer," and that one can "administer the test at any time or place, even to candidates at home." It notes that "Linguaskill is distributed through our network of authorised agents who run and administer the test."

SCOPE seeks the cooperation of educational institutions to adopt Linguaskill "to measure a candidate’s level of English for admission, progression over time or graduation," telling them, "You can then make informed decisions about course placement and any language support requirements," and attract "the best employers by highlighting students’ excellent communication skills," while helping "mobilize a large number of students on their dream to study abroad."

Insisting that "the ability to communicate well in English is essential for any business," the site states that Linguaskill can help businesses "ensure their workforce has the skills needed to perform effectively, either through administering the test at the point of recruitment or for measuring skill levels among current employees to develop their ability through training." A downloadable brochure provides fee details, noting that the maximum amount students need to pay for training under the SCOPE programme is Rs 1,400.

It highlights that "Linguaskill is an internationally recognized exam and test for educational institutions," calling it a "globally accepted examination. It is a quick and convenient online test to help in checking the English levels of individuals." The site adds, "Linguaskill is a modular test, which assesses reading, listening, writing and speaking." This gives one the choice of which skills to assess. It provides fast and accurate results within 48 hours and is easy to administer. Results are aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), the international standard for describing language ability. The reading and listening module is adaptive. A YouTube link showcases the programme.

Pointing to various activities undertaken by SCOPE for improving English language skills, the site lists events such as an essay and letter writing competition, inter-college group discussions, a webinar on the importance of technology to sustain in the professional world, e-quizzes on topics like the G20 Summit and the celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, an open forum on ‘Does our technology connect us more or isolate us more?’, a seminar on ‘Beyond Education: How to Achieve Success in Career and Life’, and a workshop on ‘English Language and Communication Skills in Commercial Fields’.