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The language of transaction in the organised side of the business world in India, today and tomorrow -- is English. A large part of where you will end up in your career will depend on your comfort with this language in different modes of communication, oral and written, from talking on the phone to making that killer presentation. So, how does one cope with this 'animal'? The first step, I feel, is to assess ones proficiency with a great deal of honesty. If you don't realise and admit that you have a long way to go, you may never get there! I am often asked the question -- if I could make myself understood, how does it really matter whether my English was correct or not? A valid question. You have to decide your path in life and ask basic questions -- like why should you strive for quality in anything at all that you do. It's an attitude thing. Plus, most of the people who have the power to fashion your career probably reached there because they cared about quality. Some of the best English we hear today is spoken by some of our business leaders and CEOs' of business conglomerates. A coincidence? I don't think so. The silver lining is that learning to communicate well (correctness of language being only a part of this) is fun. Yes, languages are tricky and mastering them is an interesting and life-long exercise. But there is a monster called "common errors". You never know when you have become a victim, because, as the name suggests, it is "common" -- everyone around you makes the same errors. Besides, we are constantly bombarded with incorrect English on radio, television, newspapers, in classrooms and even boardrooms. Can we afford to be oblivious to the existence of this monster? Is it as dangerous as we are making it out to be?