中国和印度战后几乎在同一基础上起步，60年后比一比，中国全面领先，人均GDP超3000美元，在世界上排名97位，而印度人均GDP只有1000美元，排名131位。尽管如此，印度人对中国一直瞧不大起，其中一个重要原因就是印度人大都英语好，说起话来满嘴里跑舌头，中国人甘拜下风。印度人在软件开发方面的优势也得益于语言优势。

不过，最近，印度人对自己的这点优势似乎也产生了危机感。11月21日的印度经济时报的一则报道的题目居然是：China learning English to beat India？（英语原文附后）

这则报道引述英国文化协会18日在印度发布的一份报告说，虽然世界上大多数人认为“印度人说英语”，但是印度人在英语教育方面进步缓慢，落后于其他一些国家。印度的发展需要更多会说英语的劳动者，但印度眼下英语教育的进步无法满足需要，原因之一是师资严重短缺。

虽然印度号称是英语国家，但是英国文化协会的这项研究指出印度说英语的人还不到全国人口的5%，也就是说印度只有5500万人口能说一口流利的英语。这个数字比人们一般认为的数字要低很多，比如维基百科上说印度有9000万英语人口。

相比之下，在中国英语教育受到高度重视，估计每年“新增”英语人口高达2000万，也许中国的英语人口已经超过了印度。

IT: China learning English to beat India?
21 Nov 2009, 1521 hrs IST, IANS
LONDON: UK: India is falling behind China in its attempts to increase the use of English, risking squandering a key economic advantage, a new report

says.

A "huge shortage" of teachers and quality institutions means China may now have more people who speak English than India, says the study by the British Council, Britain's international cultural relations body.

The study estimates less than five per cent of the Indian population speaks English, which would mean that only about 55 million people in India will be fluent English speakers by 2010.

In comparison China adds 20 million English speakers each year as a result of new education policies that require English to be a compulsory subject in primary schools. According to an earlier British Council study, China had 200 million English users in 1995.

India's emergence as a major software and IT hub has in part been possible due to its English-educated workers, but the study says English is a "casualty of wider problems in Indian education".

"The rate of improvement in the English language skills of the Indian population is at present too slow to prevent India from falling behind other countries which have implemented the teaching of English in primary schools sooner, and more successfully," says the study, English Next India, written by British author David Gradoll.

"China may already have more people who speak English than India," it said, adding India will need many more people speaking English to sustain its economic growth, according to the BBC. "Poor English is one of the causes" of Indian universities falling far short of rival countries in the quality of teaching and research.

The study says a range of approaches is required to improve English proficiency in India, and no single method will help.