The role of English in waste picker communities in Bangalore

The increasing use of English as a language of business and exchange means that language proficiency circumscribes a person''s ability to affect economic and social power structures. Using a grounded theory methodology the researcher explores the relationship between English language proficiency and social mobility among the Wastepicker communities of urban Bangalore. The study also addresses teaching-learning strategies for language acquisition within the larger framework of the means and ends of Education.