LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 17:5 May 2017
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.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
         Renuga Devi, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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English in Bangladesh: Resistance versus Utility

Sukanto Roy, Ph.D. Candidate in Composition & TESOL
Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Abstract

This paper tries to investigate the causes of the resistance to speak in English by a group of people in Bangladesh. To accomplish the task, I have explored the complex linguistic background through which Bangladesh has evolved. Apart from this, this article expands upon earlier research on the historical perspective of linguistic background of Bangladesh. Finally, it suggests that the localization and contextualization of English in accordance with the Bangladeshi cultural values.

Keywords: resistance, English, Bangladesh, Banglalization, cultural values

Introduction

After completing MA in ELT (English Language Teaching) from the University of Dhaka, I joined Notre Dame College, Dhaka, Bangladesh on July 2009 as a Lecturer in English. It is a prestigious Christian Missionary College established in 1949. I was assigned to teach the English language class. I was also appointed as the Co-moderator of Notre Dame English Language Club which used to organize extra-curricular activities for students to enhance their fluency in English. While teaching at Notre Dame College, Dhaka, I came across several problems associated with the teaching of English. Since I had to teach English Language class, I used to speak in English and tried to motivate my students to speak in English as well. My motivation worked well as I saw; however, I discovered that a few students were unwilling to speak in English. As an English Lecturer, according to my personal observation, in Bangladesh nowadays most of the students want to learn English due to several socio-economic factors. However, somehow those students developed that notion of resistance from either their parents or from their surroundings. This paper makes an attempt to investigate the cause of this sort of resistance to speak in English by a particular group of people in Bangladesh by exploring the complex linguistic background from historical perspective through which Bangladesh has evolved.

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

Sukanto Roy, Ph.D. Candidate in Composition & TESOL
Department of English
Humanities & Social Science Building 506 S
981 Grant St.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA 15701
USA
s.roy2@iup.edu
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