LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 12 : 1 January 2012
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.

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The Status of Bangla and the English Language in Post-Colonial Bangladesh -
Resistance versus Utility

Sheikh Mehedi Hasan, Ph. D. Scholar
Adilur Rahaman, M.A. in English

Abstract

There has been a considerable debate in the postcolonial world as to the language choice of the writers, since there is an inseparable connection between language, ideology and identity. Ngugi Wa Thiong’O (1986) argues that people should write in their ethnic languages to liberate their productive forces from foreign controls. On the contrary, Chinua Achebe is concerned with the pragmatic necessity of English. Bangladesh, being a former colony of Anglophone Empire, is not free from this debate.

In this study, the issues like how a language hegemonizes a community, how the imperial language in Bangladesh operates to re-colonize the mind of people are, addressed. Moreover, the paper examines the present status of Bangla in the face of the spread of English in Bangladesh and leaves the question of resisting linguistic imperialism to be considered.

Introduction

Language defines and determines one’s place and identity in the world. According to Alastair Pennycook, language is an element of a broad semiotic system and it is formulated and infused with ideological, historical and political symbols (Akbari, 2008: 277). Therefore, language does not simply mean a set of sounds. It is completely intertwined with the lives of people. Sometimes, suppression of a language denotes subjugation of a community whereas enrichment of a language ensures the development of a nation (Siraji in Ullah, 2008: 34). A language demonstrates the identity of a person, his culture, values, and worldviews. Thus, using a language means viewing the world in a particular way.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Sheikh Mehedi Hasan, Ph. D. Scholar
The English and Foreign Languages University
Hyderabad-500605
Andhra Pradesh, India
mehedi_08@hotmail.com

Adilur Rahaman, M.A. in English
East West University
43 Mohakhali C/A
Dhaka-1212
Bangladesh
adilr.1987@gmail.com
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