Bangladesh

from The Oxford Guide to World English

Tom McArthur
Oxford University Press, 2002

Prior to [Bangladeshs] secession, Urdu was the national language and English the
official second language, used for administration, higher education, and as a link
language between speakers of Bengali and Urdu. Bengali however came third, causing
resentment and a prolonged and violent language movement.

In 1987, the Bangla Procolon Ain/Bengali Implementation Act was passed. Bengali
became the main language of education, and English ceased to be the second official
language. It continues, however, as a language of education, in the higher law courts, and
for general South Asian communication, and has a place in radio and television, as well
as a number of newspapers and magazines. In 1989, as concern about falling levels of
education increased, English was made a compulsory language for primary and
secondary schools, and a school-leaving pass in both Bengali and English is mandatory.
Since Bengali is spoken in the Indian state of Bengal and in Bangladesh, and much of the
linguistic history of Bengal and Bangladesh has been shared, the English usage of the two
territories is similar, and Bangladesh English usage shares much with Indian English at
large. [p. 328]
http://ezinearticles.com/?Condition-of-English-in-Bangladesh:-Second-Language-
or-Foreign-Language&id=165151

Condition of English in Bangladesh: Second Language or Foreign Language

By S M Mehdi Hasan

The title of my research is "Status of English in Bangladesh: Second language or

foreign language?" I have selected this topic because from sociolinguistic point of view
the status of English is a very interesting one. On the one hand English language is
dominantly present in every side of our national life while on the other hand in our
constitution it is clearly declared that the language of the country is Bangla. In fact,
nothing is said about the status of English language in our constitution. On one hand,
economic activities in the private companies are carried out in English while there is a
government law (Bangla procholon ain1987) that government offices must use Bangla in
their official works. So from the government point of view Bangla is the national- official
language of Bangladesh and English is the most important foreign language. But in
reality English is the second language of the country and in many places English is more
important than Bangla in Bangladesh.

Second language:

A second language is any language other than the first, or native, language learned; it is
typically used because of geographical or social reasons. The term is to be distinguished
from foreign language; linguist Eric Lenneberg uses second language in his critical
period hypothesis to mean a language consciously learned or used by its speaker after
puberty. In most cases, people never achieve the same level of fluency and
comprehension in their second languages as in their first language.

If we look at the definition of second language then we can easily say that English is the
second language of Bangladesh. It is widely used in many parts of our national life. Many
people watch English television channels and also use Internet. The students have to
study it for twelve years and those who want to join civil service by attending BCS exam
also have to sit for English examination. The only thing that is missing from the above
definition is the fact that except for formal occasions no one speaks in English in
Bangladesh. It is not the language used in home among family members and among
friends in informal conversation.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/eumd-information-background-bangladesh.htm

8/09 In Bangladesh, the school structure is broadly divided into two types: the Bangla
medium and the English medium Schools. In the Bangla schools, Bangla is the medium
of instruction, and students follow the national curriculum, whereas the English medium
schools use English as their medium of instruction and they follow either the Cambridge
International Examinations (CIE) for IGCSE or EDEXCEL's GCE O- and A-levels.
These examinations are conducted by the British Council.

http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.js
p?
_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED279203&ERICExtSearch_Sear
chType_0=no&accno=ED279203

English Teaching Profile: Bsngladesh / British Council 1986

Abstract:
The main weaknesses of English language teaching in Bangladesh are poorly paid and
qualified teachers, a weakly coordinated educational system, reliance on meaningless rote
learning, and a gap between assumed and actual student proficiency levels. The main
strengths are found in the availability of textbooks and the planned revision program for
texts, the amount of inservice instruction directed to secondary teachers to improve
college-bound students' proficiency, the gradual change of the strong literature/language
imbalance, and increased awareness of the decline of English standards and the need for
improvement. An appended chart describes the structure of the educational system.
(MSE)
http://elf.georgetown.edu/projects/ay08-09projects/South_Asia/full_description.html

Bangladesh
City Dhaka
Host Institution BRAC University
Type of Project Fellow
Project Dates September 2008 - June 2009

Project Focus
English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, English for Writing,
Teaching Methodologies, Teacher Training

Project Description
The EL Fellow will hold a joint appointment at BRAC University and the Bangladesh
Rural Development Committee (BRAC). At BRAC University the EL Fellow will be a
member of the team of teachers that provide ESL training to all BRAC students as well as
faculty and will provide additional professional development training for faculty and
staff. At BRAC s/he will take part in the Secondary Education Project which provides in-
service training to high school teachers, including English teachers, at satellite sites
throughout Bangladesh. The EL Fellow will also participate in BRACs in-service
training program for current English teachers around Bangladesh.

Project Objectives
At BRAC University, the EL Fellow will be teaching and participating in the
development of the curriculum for the newly established ESL program. BRAC University
is among the better private universities in Dhaka. Although the elite private universities in
Bangladesh use English as the language of instruction, BRAC University is among the
first to seriously address the issue of training its students in English as a foreign language.
Many aspects of the Bangladeshi educational system have been modeled after the British
educational system. There is even a thriving sector of English medium primary and
secondary schools that teach the standard UK curriculum (even to the point of sending O
level and A level examinations to the UK to be graded). University level English
programs have been modeled after British programs and tend to assume native fluency.
However, most of the students at BRAC University completed Bangla medium secondary
schools. Therefore, BRAC recently launched a new comprehensive English teaching
program for all of its students. The curriculum involves multiple teachers for each group
of students in order to expose the students to a range of teachers and to utilize each
teachers strengths. This arrangement is conducive to consultation among teachers. It also
provides flexibility in scheduling which will permit the EL Fellow to engage extensively
in the secondary project. The objective of this placement is to assist well qualified
Bangladeshi students to transition from studying in Bangla to studying in English and to
collaborate in the development of the teaching program. Although the Ministry of
Education has introduced a new English curriculum that focuses on communicative
methods, few Bangladeshi English teachers have the competency to teach such a
program. BRAC has multiple training centers in different regions of the country
(including one in Savar, within the Dhaka district) to which it invites current teachers for
four-week training sessions. The objective of this placement is to train trainers and to
acquaint trainers with the US. As the level of English competency of most Bangladeshi
English teachers (as well as most of the populace) is low, the EL Fellow will be teaching
English more than methodology. The two host organizations are linked institutionally and
geographically (at least at headquarters). This placement will permit the EL Fellow to
contribute to the teacher training project while also having the stability of a university
placement. In addition, in this dual capacity, the EL Fellow will be working with BRAC-
affiliated programs affecting English educators throughout Bangladesh. The current EL
Fellow has had a wonderful experience working with BRAC. BRAC has been extremely
supportive of bending university rules/policies to support improved methodology to the
point of agreeing to provide supplemental funding for rural programming by funding the
EL Fellow to visit/observe rural teachers and as well as provide funding for a conference.
By interacting directly with students, faculty, and administration, the EL Fellow, through
the medium of English instruction, conveys American values for democracy and human
rights in a uniquely personal manner. As the US Embassy continues its outreach efforts in
the Muslim world, this person-to-person approach to educating youth is critical in
shaping the views of Bangladesh's next generation of leaders.

About the Host Institution

BRAC University is a new private university in Dhaka. It is almost five years old and
recently graduated its first undergraduate class. It is affiliated with BRAC. Despite its
newness, BRAC already has several international partners including George Washington
University (supported by an ECA partnerships grant) as well as the Institute for Cholera
and Diarrhea Disease Research (ICDDRB) with which it is establishing an MPH program
(with substantial support from the Gates Foundation). It has approximately 2,000
students, including both undergraduate and graduate students. Although the standard
academic year starts in January, BRAC also takes in new students in September. The
Bangladesh Rural Development Committee (BRAC) is one of the worlds largest NGOs.
When its activities were confined to Bangladesh, it was the largest single country NGO in
the world. Now it also has programs in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and some African
countries. It has activities in multiple sectors including microcredit, banking, internet
service, healthcare, and education (BRAC operates about 34,000 non-traditional primary
schools). BRAC generates funds through some of its activities (stores, bank, ISP) and
also receives support from donors. At any time there are numerous international interns
volunteering at BRAC.

http://elf.georgetown.edu/projects/ay09-10projects/SCA/indexSCA.html

Bangladesh
City Dhaka
Host Institution BRAC University
Type of Project Fellow
Project Dates September 2008 June 2010

Project Focus
American Culture, Democracy/Civics, English for Listening, English for Reading,
English for Speaking, English for Writing, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching
Techniques

Project Description
The EL Fellow holds a joint appointment at BRAC University and the Bangladesh Rural
Development Committee (BRAC). At BRAC University s/he is a member of the team of
teachers that provide ESL training to all BRACU students as well as faculty and provides
additional professional development training for faculty and staff. At BRAC s/he takes
part in the Secondary Education Project which provides in-service training to high school
teachers, including English teachers, at satellite sites throughout Bangladesh. Secondary
project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, American
Culture, English Camp, Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars.
The EL Fellow is also participating in BRACs in-service training program for current
English teachers around Bangladesh. During the upcoming academic year, outreach will
include lectures, classes and workshops at Islamic universities, military academies and
the Access program.

Project Objectives
At BRAC University, the EL Fellow is teaching and participating in the development of
the curriculum for the newly established ESL program. BRAC University is among the
better private universities in Dhaka. Although the elite private universities in Bangladesh
use English as the language of instruction, BRAC University is among the first to
seriously address the issue of training its students in English as a foreign language. Many
aspects of the Bangladeshi educational system have been modeled after the British
educational system. There is even a thriving sector of English medium primary and
secondary schools that teach the standard UK curriculum (even to the point of sending O
level and A level examinations to the UK to be graded). University level English
programs have been modeled after British programs and tend to assume native fluency.
However, most of the students at BRAC University completed Bangla medium secondary
schools. Therefore, BRACU recently launched a new comprehensive English teaching
program for all of its students. The curriculum involves multiple teachers for each group
of students in order to expose the students to a range of teachers and to utilize each
teachers strengths. This arrangement is conducive to consultation among teachers. It also
provides flexibility in scheduling which permits the EL Fellow to engage extensively in
the secondary project. The objective of this placement is to assist well qualified
Bangladeshi students to transition from studying in Bangla to studying in English and to
collaborate in the development of the teaching program. Although the Ministry of
Education has introduced a new English curriculum that focuses on communicative
methods, few Bangladeshi English teachers have the competency to teach such a
program. BRAC has multiple training centers in different regions of the country
(including one in Savar, within the Dhaka district) to which it invites current teachers for
four-week training sessions.

About the Host Institution

BRAC University is a new private university in Dhaka. It is almost six years old and
recently graduated its first undergraduate class. It is affiliated with BRAC. Despite its
newness, BRACU already has several international partners including George
Washington University (supported by an ECA partnerships grant) as well as the Institute
for Cholera and Diarrhea Disease Research (ICDDRB) with which it is establishing an
MPH program (with substantial support from the Gates Foundation.) It has approximately
2,000 students, including both undergraduates and graduate students. Although the
standard academic year starts in January, BRACU also takes in new students in
September. The Bangladesh Rural Development Committee (BRAC) is one of the
worlds largest NGOs. When its activities were confined to Bangladesh, it was the largest
single country NGO in the world. Now it also has programs in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka,
and some African countries. It has activities in multiple sectors including microcredit,
banking, internet service, healthcare, and education (BRAC operates about 34,000 non-
traditional primary schools). BRAC generates funds through some of its activities (stores,
bank, ISP) and also receives support from donors. At any time there are numerous
international interns volunteering at BRAC.