4. Grassroots Attitudes to English as a Language for International Development in Bangladesh

Erling, Elizabeth J.; Hamid, M. Obaidul; Seargeant, Philip

doi:10.21832/9781847699473-008

Cited by 24 publications

(30 citation statements)

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“…Loan and aid agencies can be identified as key stakeholders in English language teaching in Bangladesh. The majority of the ELT initiatives in Bangladesh are fully or partially funded either as a loan or as aid by various organisations and countries (Hamid, 2010;Earling, Hamid, & Seargeant, 2013).…”

Section: Loan and Aid Based English Teaching Development Projects ñ Wmentioning

confidence: 99%

The UN Sustainable Development Goals and Teacher Development for Effective English Teaching in Bangladesh: A Gap that Needs Bridging

Amin

Greenwood

2018

Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability

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This article takes up the opportunity offered by the United Nations’ Strategic Development Goals to examine provisions for the selection, recruitment, training and professional development of secondary English teachers in Bangladesh. Qualified and trained teachers are considered as essential to effect the changes in English teaching and learning planned in national education policy. Since the adoption of a communicative approach to language teaching, initiatives have been taken to train teachers to teach English in this approach, and particularly to use multimedia equipment in their teaching; however the adequacy of these provisions is questioned in existing research and in media debates. This article starts with a brief description of the education context, highlighting the global Strategic Development Goals and local secondary English teaching. A review of existing recruitment and professional development provisions for secondary English teachers follows. Then project-based training programmes, which are funded and managed by external donors and aid agencies, are critically examined. Finally emerging issues and recommended changes are discussed.

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Section: Loan and Aid Based English Teaching Development Projects ñ Wmentioning

confidence: 99%

The UN Sustainable Development Goals and Teacher Development for Effective English Teaching in Bangladesh: A Gap that Needs Bridging

Amin

Greenwood

2018

Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability

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“…According to Begum (2012), code-mixing between Bangla and English is present in the classroom environment. Rahman (2012) echoed saying that code switching is present among students and different professionals. People have accepted this mode of language use happily.…”

Section: Translanguaging Between Bangla and Englishmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As of now, English in Bangladesh has become the second most, often considered even more important than the native language Bangla, language. In education sector it has gained a superior position as it is seen as a mode of development at a personal and national level (Erling et al, 2012). Now we find English language as an omnipresent phenomenon in every sphere of Bangladeshi life.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Foreign Language or the Second Language: The Future of English in Bangladesh

Ara

2020

ijole

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Bangladesh does not have an official second language. However, apart from Bangla, English is the only other language widely used in the country. There has been a sustained debate whether English is a foreign language (EFL) or English is the second language (ESL) in Bangladesh, for often it is found that the function of English in the country is much closer to that of the second language. English in Bangladesh had a turbulent past as well as has an undefined but overwhelming present. Due to globalization and major economic connections with the outer world the presence of English has always been there. The all-embracing state of English in Bangladesh now is undeniable. The function of English in Educational sectors, Government sectors, courts, private organizations, media and communication etc. reveal the overpowering effect of English in the lives of people in Bangladesh. As such the all obtruding impact of English in the present life posits the enquiry on the future of the language in the land. This paper is a qualitative study that analyzes the domains of language use. The results reflect an urgency of change of the official status of English in Bangladesh from a foreign language to a second language.

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“…Due to the way English is often positioned as the pre-eminent international lingua franca as well as a language of global economic development (Erling and Seargeant 2013), the language is frequently viewed as a necessary or at least highly helpful tool for "success" or for "economic gain". Previous research undertaken in Bangladesh revealed that one of the most oft-cited reasons for wanting to learn English given by people from rural areas was that the language would provide them with the tools for pursuing economic migration; in this way, English was perceived as a means of helping them to ensure a better life for themselves and their families (Erling et al 2012). It is within this context that the language skills of Bangladeshi migrant workers have become a matter of increasing concern in discussions of the country's economic development.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Successful” migration, (English) language skills and global inequality: The case of Bangladeshi migrants to the Middle East

et al. 2019

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Migration has become a vital element of the Bangladeshi economy, which has led to an increasing focus on providing Bangladeshis with the skills needed on the international labour market. English is often cited as one of these skills, and previous research has shown that a primary reason why Bangladeshis wish to learn English is due to its perceived value for pursuing work abroad (Erling, Elizabeth J., Philip Seargeant, Mike Solly, Qumrul H Chowdhury, & Sayeedur Rahman. 2012. Attitudes to English as a language for international development in rural Bangladesh. London: British Council. Available online at http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/attitudes-english-a-language-international-development-rural-bangladesh.). The extent to which English is of value in economic migration, however, has been underexplored in research (Coleman, Hywel. 2010. The English language in development. London: British Council. Available at http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/english-language-development.). Drawing on data from a qualitative study which provides new insights into the experiences and perceptions of a cohort of returnee migrants, this article investigates the perceived value of (English) language skills for migration. The study finds that economic migrants see the advantages of having particular skills, especially English, for economic gain. However, applying a capabilities lens to their narratives (Sen, Amartya. 1999. Development as freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press.) reveals the difficulties of classifying their experiences in terms of “success” given the deeply embedded structural issues and challenges the participants report facing. This article therefore questions assumptions that language skills can be transformational when social inequality is (re)produced in the context of migration.

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4. Grassroots Attitudes to English as a Language for International Development in Bangladesh

Cited by 24 publications

References 0 publications

The UN Sustainable Development Goals and Teacher Development for Effective English Teaching in Bangladesh: A Gap that Needs Bridging

The UN Sustainable Development Goals and Teacher Development for Effective English Teaching in Bangladesh: A Gap that Needs Bridging

A Foreign Language or the Second Language: The Future of English in Bangladesh

“Successful” migration, (English) language skills and global inequality: The case of Bangladeshi migrants to the Middle East

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