IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

English, Education, and Globalisation: A Bangladesh Perspective
Mohammad Akteruzzaman and Rakibul Islam

	
  
	
  

185

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

Abstract
As a third world country and a former British colony, Bangladesh has seen a dramatic upsurge
in the use of the English language. Built on the concept of imperialistic aspects of the English
language, this paper draws on responses from anonymous survey results and interviews andattempts to provide deeper insights into the global aspects of English as a language and thecredibility of this language in the minds of the populace. This paper assesses the English
language as a feature of globalization where English is considered to be of the utmost value.
Questionnaires were designed and interviews were arranged to evaluate the commercial andlinguistic aspects of English in Bangladesh to reach a conclusion whether the mass perceives
this very language as it should be or there are any other economic and cultural aspects. The
findings were presented graphically and the study showed that English fails to meet the
expectations of the stakeholders and policy makers of Bangladesh. The paper concludes withsome recommendations that could help resolve the situation and present English to the people
in a better light.
Keywords: linguistic imperialism; English as a global language; language contact; bilingual
education.

	
  
	
  

186

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

Introduction
Phillipson (1992) quoted a sentence from the Annual Report of British Council (1987/88, p.8)
which states ‘Britain’s real black gold is not North Sea oil but the English language’ (Phillipson,
1992, p. 49). From the ongoing trends, one is likely to perceive that the report writer was a far
better fortuneteller than Paul the Octopus, with a success rate beyond a hundred percent.
English is flourishing, English is in the air and above all and people are living in English now.
Even in a remote corner of a village, you will be enjoying great views of posters, banners or
festoons proudly upholding the prodigy of this great language, directly or indirectly. This is
not a one-way process; rather, the mass is merging themselves into the same flow. The
prominence and promotional activities of English have caused the spread of English teaching,teachers and obviously, a lot of learners. English is highly promising in providing them with
better chances in the fields of jobs, in society and at the ideological level (Phillipson, 1992). In
the case of Bangladesh, English is a mandatory subject for the learners from the very beginningof their academic life until the tertiary level. On the other hand, English still enjoys an EFL
status in Bangladesh. This survey research paper was by collecting and analysing the dataobtained from anonymous surveys, case studies, and interviews that had three very rudimentaryresearch questions at the roots:
a. What does English mean to the people of Bangladesh?
b. What is the most significant reason for learning English for the people of Bangladesh?
c. How far can the education policy of Bangladesh justify itself with the actual needs of thepeople learning English?
The Unquestionable Significance of English
The proliferation of English in the world can be effortlessly perceived only by elaborating on
the fact that it is the number one ‘lingua franca’ in the whole world (Jenkins, 2007; Kirkpatrick,
2010; Mackenzie, 2014) and the officially accepted language of more than 85% organizationsin the world (Crystal, 2012). It is often taken as the entryway to the modern world. Learning asecond language often comes in handy in terms of maintaining communication with the people
around the world as multilingualism helps greatly in this regard (Mansour, 1993; House &Rehbein, 2004). If this is the case, English has to be the first and foremost alternative next tothe mother tongue. However, the learners of English as a second language often face difficulties
as they have to bridle all the four horses namely Reading, Writing, Listening & Speaking at thesame time. Keeping these complications in mind, the English language courses are designed toassist them in the best possible ways. To supplement the process, numerous organisations offer
English language courses for the mass and there are some state organisations that have opened
the gates through which one can authenticate himself to be a potential and prominent speakerof English. In a word, English is in the air nowadays where one finds his ‘Querencia’ (Heard,
1995). Hemingway (1932) defines ‘Querencia’ denoting it to be ‘a place the bull naturally
wants to go to in the ring, a preferred locality... It is a place which develops in the course of thefight where the bull makes his home’. In addition, it is fairly out of any doubt that English
makes someone a part of the global village (McLuhan, 1964) due to the radical upsurge in theareas of mass media. The axiom of English has crossed the borders of any state transforming
the regular neighbourhoods into the segments of a globalised world (Crewe & Axelby, 2012;
Wolff, 2014). Everyone living inside the premises of a third world country bears the sense thatthey need something to get themselves merged with the people in the Inner Circle and English
inclines to be the easiest and the most accessible choice to acclimatize and implement in

	
  
	
  

187

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

pursuing the dream to become a part of the Inner Circle or, at least, go close to it (White, 2016;
Kachru, 1985; Nejad, 2011; Phillipson, 1992).
English in Bangladesh
English has been in the veins of Bangladesh since the periods of colonisation. Being a part of
the Indian Subcontinent, it has seen dramatic developments of English as the language of thedominators, rulers, oppressors and the decision makers. However, English was not taken into
the parts of the then society as a part of the subsidised class or the subdued section of the colony
and their popular culture. People had a disdainful stance towards English as the tongue of the‘Firingees’ (equivalent Bangla term for an Englishman), the patois of the authority, the voiceof their plunderers and anything that suits the same context. After that came the epochs ofPakistan government as India and Pakistan derived two different entities in 1947. Without
going much into that narrative, it can only be mentioned that the present national language of
Bangladesh, Bangla, is the outcome of a long lasting protest against the Urdu language and anationwide movement to give Bangla the place it deserves. Commemorating that blood marksin the history of language development in Bangladesh, UNESCO declared 21 February as theInternational Mother Language Day celebrated every year with remarkable grandeur andceremonial fashion. Now, it stands profoundly as the eighth language in the world by the total
number of speakers that engulfs 190 million native speakers and 20 million non-native speakers(List of languages by total number of speakers, 2016).
Generally, Bangladesh is taken as a monolingual country where the national language, Bangla,
is spoken by 98% of the people (LLC, 2010; Kirkpatrick, 2015; Kachru, Kachru, & Sridhar,2008). Kachru, Kachru, & Sridhar (2008) explain further that even the native speakers are notaware of the minority languages spoken inside the borders of their country and some of them
have not even heard the names of some dialects. Although there are 36 marginal groups with
their own languages (Mohsin, 2003), the government of Bangladesh denies the existence of
any indigenous people in Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts: “There are no indigenous people
in Bangladesh”, 2011). By this, it can be affirmed that, linguistically, Bangla is the only
language that has been serving the purposes of communication throughout the history.
However, with the emergent demand of global and intercultural communicative competence(Jackson, 2014; Dai & Chen, 2014), it became essential to cultivate an education policy thatwould serve the goals of creating global citizens (Dower & Williams, 2002; Mayo, 2005) as
well as reflecting the needs of the learners. In the case of education policy in Bangladesh, there
have been several testimonies of power practice and hegemony. Though literacy is always inthe focal point in designing educational policies (Datta, 2007), studies have revealed several
occasions that should be considered while taking account of educational policies. These
policies have moved from their traditional strands and now tend to integrate into a ‘postmodern
critical approach’ (Paciotto & Delany-Barmann, 2011). Mohsin (2003) asserts that ‘thegovernment of Bangladesh has deeply hegemonic and chauvinistic policies of its own’ whichputs it into a problematic situation. As more and more countries are reshaping and redesigning
their policies to keep a sustainable demand of English (Tsui & Tollefson, 2008), Bangladesh,along with the other third world countries, is forced to provide more and more space to English.
So far, the education policy of Bangladesh has been through significant number of amendments
and modifications e.g. introducing the English version of the national curriculum in the late
1990s, enactment of Private university Act 1992 that inculcated the classroom instructions in
all the private university to be completely in English, and, establishing mandatory English
courses in all the universities of Bangladesh in 1994 (Rahman, 2015). On the other hand, a
	
  
	
  

188

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

third world country like Bangladesh is rigorously affected by the ‘imperialism’ imposed on thelanguage policies through the gates of ‘aids’, ‘English language promoting organisations’ and‘language agents’ (Phillipson, 1992) and from the sociolinguistic aspects, this very nation isstill to find it’s way to the global prospects of English. Phillipson (1992) also affirms that ‘thedominance of English is asserted by the establishment and continuous reconstruction of
structural and cultural inequalities between English and other languages’ (p. 47) andunfortunately, in our case, Bangla represents the other language. He terms this as ‘linguicism’that occurs when ‘there is a policy of supporting several languages, but priority is given onteacher training, curriculum development and school timetables to one language’ (p. 47). Suchprocesses have also been labelled as ‘neocolonialism’ in education (Altbach, 1971) as ‘theeducational systems of most developing countries, on almost all levels, remain rooted in theadministrative structures of the former colonial rulers. The colonial power may not be the directcause of this situation, but the fact that the structure and organisation of the schools reflect a
foreign model necessarily has an impact on the nature of the education provided’ (p. 237).
Contemporary Practices in English Teaching
To match with the advent of English, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) for teaching
English was first introduced in the secondary and higher secondary levels of Bangladesh in the
1990s by the National Curriculum and Textbook Bard keeping the notion of developing
communicative competence in the global context (Binoy, Sultana, & Basu, 2007). In
Bangladesh, English is taught as a compulsory subject (English Part I & II) included in thesyllabi of Secondary School Certificate and Higher Secondary School Certificate examinations(Secondary Curriculum, 2016; Higher Secondary Curriculum, 2016). However, there havebeen several disputes over the success of CLT in Bangladesh and most of them concern thecomplications regarding classroom management, less supportive infrastructure and a shortageof competent teachers (Haque, 2015; Rahman & Karim, 2015; Islam & Bari, 2012). One more
peculiar specimen can be the passing rate of Dhaka University. A newspaper report publishedon 25 September 2014 in www.bdnews24.com reported hat only two students could make it to
the gates of admission into the English Department of Dhaka University. Furthermore, English
courses have been made obligatory by the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh forthe undergraduate levels of all disciplines and the latest reform in educational policy (2010)
evidently projects that ‘English will be taught as a compulsory subject at the degree level of allcolleges and universities. It will carry 100 marks/3 credits’ (National Education Policy 2010,
p. 32, clause 09). Along with these aids, students have better chances of receiving alternative
assistance from the international organisations, e.g. British Council, to replenish their skills of
the English language. Moreover, there are different streams of learners with their own
curriculum and teaching system. Right now, the mainstream of the students falls under the
category of the national curriculum or, the Bangla curriculum that follows the national
curriculum of Bangladesh designed by the government. All the books are distributed free ofcost to the learners which are written in Bangla and the testing system aims at evaluating theiranalytical abilities which is termed as ‘Creative Learning and Teaching’. The second majorgroup comprises of the students from the English medium schools. These schools follow thecurricula designed internationally and Edexcel is the most common one of them. The next
cluster encompasses the pupils who follow the English version of the national curriculum.
These books are the English translations of their original Bangla counterparts and the same
system of testing & evaluation is followed in this case. The fourth group consists of the learners
opting for the Islamic system of learning and teaching referred as ‘Madrasa Education’ with
their own authority or, education board and individually designed books. At last, there isanother stream of education namely ‘Vocational Learning’ that is dedicated to occupational
	
  
	
  

189

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017training. Their books are also designed separately and have a distinct evaluation process. To
elaborate over the higher-secondary education of Bangladesh, it would be enough to say that
all these secondary levels have their own advanced or higher level examinations. Also, students
have the freedom to switch to any module of teaching at certain periods which enables them toopt for any mode of teaching they prefer (An overview is provided in Table 1). Considering allthese viewpoints, it is certainly conceivable that English is already in the brains, minds, andhearts of the students who have gone through the national curriculum or English medium
curriculum before they begin their tertiary education.
Table 1: Overview of the secondary and higher secondary examinations
Secondary Exams

Target learners

Secondary School
Certificate (SSC)
DakhilSSC (Vocational)

Students following the national curriculum (bothBangla & English version)
Students following Islamic system of teachingStudents aspiring for job placement training morethan institutional education
Students following international curricula

O LevelHigher Secondary
Counterparts
Higher Secondary School
Certificate (HSC)
Fazil
HSC (Vocational)
A LevelBesides, there is one more underlying society that consists of the working people. For thesepeople, most of whom have obtained their education in a Bangla-medium environment, English
often poses to be a threat and sometimes burden. The above case study or, seemingly
unnecessary elaboration in the introduction part is just a casual phenomena.
Methodology
The respondents for this survey research paper come from versatile socio-economic
backgrounds. The first portion comes from the university students. The university students
were selected from four public and private universities in Bangladesh specifically Universityof Rajshahi (RU), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University(BSMRSTU), Hamdard University Bangladesh (HUB) & United International University(UIU) among which the first two are government-run universities and the other ones are
privately owned educational institutes (University Grants Commission of Bangladesh, 2016).
The second group of informants are the people working in various sectors of the country. The
first part was comprised of the members of the upper class (economically or intellectually), forexample, directors or managers of public and private organisations, university teachers,
journalists, writers, education researchers and experts. The second part involved the middle
layer of the organograms, for instance, executives, officers, medical promotion officers,
reporters and filed workers of different organisations. The last part incorporated the people
from the grassroots level like fruit sellers, small grocery owners, rickshaw pullers, street
hawkers, road-side tea sellers and drivers of public vahicles. For ensuring the objectivity of theresearch, their names have not been revealed, however, their occupations and positions areincluded in the transcriptions.
Data were collected through two different methods. The first method included the distributionof 240 copies (including both Set A and B) of questionnaires among the respondents and thesecond method involved interviews in the form of researchers’ notes. It was made sure that the
respondents had a clear understanding of the survey and the impacts before starting delivering
the responses. Only the respondents enthusiastic for participating were approached and noneof them had been persuaded by any means to contribute to the survey. All the responses are
	
  
	
  

190

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

deliberate & spontaneous derived from a group of respondents with Informed Consent(Switankowsky, 1998; Marshall, 2007). Also, all of them were aware of the fact that theirnames or any sort of identifiers would be kept undisclosed thus preserving a thorough level ofConfidentiality and Anonymity (Kulakowski & Chronister, 2008; Wiles, 2012).
The first set of questions was designed for the students studying at the above-mentioned
universities. In total, 120 copies were distributed and all of them were submitted with responses
as both the researchers have direct access to all the universities. After that, another set ofquestions was distributed among the working people of the country. The rest 120 copies weredivided into three parts and distributed in groups. It is also to mention that there was a third set
as well which was the Bangla translation of the second set. This was used in case the situationnecessitated one. Findings from both of them have been analysed and incorporated under one
figure. Out of 120 of them, only 89 were submitted.
To obtain a clearer view of the selections made by the respondents and inquire about additional
responses, five short interviews were conducted. All the interviews have been recorded andtranscribed by the surveyor. The findings have been presented (in percentile) through Figures
1 and 2 and the transcriptions are included in the Appendices. The responses of thequestionnaires were tabulated and have been presented in the Findings.
Findings
All the figures provided below are the results of an anonymous survey conducted in Bangladesh
where all the figures represent the percentile of the responses for each choice. The
questionnaires are provided in the Appendices section along with the transcriptions of theinterviews. Studying the finding has brought some interesting facts to light.
Table 2: Responses to Set A (in percentile)
Strongly
Agree
23

Agree

NeutralDisagree

22

26

7

Strongly
Disagree
12

48

16

12

17

7

S3. I believe that without English I cannot shine in life.

53

3

14

13

17

S4. I want to achieve fluency in speaking rather than inwriting or reading.
S5. English courses are highly effective in my university.

69

16

7

5

3

17

21

16

31

15

S6. My goal is to achieve a decent command over English
only to maintain external communication.
S7. I want my English classes focus more on real life
communications rather than theoretical aspects.
S8. English does not attract me as a subject other thanbeing a part of the core courses.
S9. I do not want to study English after finishing the
mandatory credits for my degree.
S10. English is only necessary for my future career andhigher studies abroad.

57

24

6

8

5

61

19

2

12

6

54

27

1

7

11

76

19

1

4

0

64

9

12

14

1

S1. I learn English because I love to enrich my knowledgeof English.
S2. English is necessary for me to get a better job.

	
  
	
  

191

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

Table 3. Responses to Set B (in percentile)
Strongly
Agree
42

Agree

NeutralDisagree

27

5

15

Strongly
Disagree11

S2. I cannot communicate with my clients without
English.
S3. I use English for all my local correspondences.

12

31

9

39

9

1

2

0

14

83

S4. I use English for all my internationalcorrespondences.
S5. It is alright for me if I can make sense in my writing
without maintaining accuracy.
S6. I try to avoid speaking in English with my bosses andclients.
S7. I would not even try to learn English if I had option to
do so.

56

19

11

12

2

82

13

1

1

3

67

21

6

4

2

41

34

8

12

5

S1. English is necessary for my job.

Discussion
It becomes obvious from the survey results that the current practices in teaching English in thetertiary levels clearly reflect the government’s aspirations underlying ‘…we need to upgrade
the quality of our higher education to match the international standard. It is very important for
the young people to acquire professional skills and we will have to take all necessary steps toensure this.’ (National Education Policy 2010, p.5) and it is obvious that in the echelons ofhigher studies in Bangladesh, the significance of studying English is irrefutable. It has been socompelling on the parts of the learners that they believe that English is a mandatory part intheir career and without English they do not stand a chance of survival in the global world.
There also lies a shortage in their intrinsic motivation as they are learning English merely as apart of their education, not as a subject that can enhance their future learning or has the capacity
to aid them in entering the world of great scholars and literature (S1, S2, S3, S9, S10 from Set
A & S1, S2 from Set B).
Keeping this focus in mind, it is expected that the learners will have a firm grip on the English
language before starting their higher education. However, the present competency level of thelearners does not comply with this picture completely. The findings produce a clear image ofthe discrepancies that are eventually built inside the learners and transformed to them throughthe faulty teaching system in the secondary and higher secondary levels. The findings alsosuggest that the learners are not satisfied with the effectiveness of the English language courses
at the universities (S5 from Set A). One of my professors, Md. Jahurul Islam, from the
Department of English, University of Rajshahi, once expressed his view regarding the
vocabulary used by an average learner at a university and he was shocked to discover students
using sentences like ‘I have ill’, ‘I absent for sick’ and many more. While attending the classes,
we had to bear his reconciliations over the students and he termed these sentences as ‘Mad
English’. As he was one of the designers of the National Textbook of English (Higher
Secondary Level) in Bangladesh, he doubted whether these books are actually followed as they
meant to be or not. If these books were used in the real sense in the secondary and higher
secondary classes, the learners would have gained at least six thousand new words before
entering the premises of the universities. Our findings point directly to the faulty teachingsystem in the lower levels which created a fearful appearance of English in the minds of theyoung learners. S6, S7, S8, S9 from Set A & S5, S6, S& from Set B clearly indicate that thelearners are at a stage where they try to avoid the use of English as the teaching system of
secondary and higher secondary levels does not provide them with an opportunity to practice
	
  
	
  

192

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

English, mainly speaking and listening, for real life communications and when they have tointeract with the people using English, they become frightened. It is also a noticeable in the
English language classrooms at the universities where the learners are highly reluctant to speakin public although they are very good at writing and reading.
Moreover, the previous studies had found that CLT stumbled in its roots because of integrating
unsuitable approach in response to the social setting of Bangladesh, less motivation in thenorms of T-S interaction, and above all, insufficient and indecorous training facilities for the
EFL teachers (Rahman & Karim, 2015). Earlier researchers also found that CLT becomes very
hard to implement as Bangla is the medium of instruction in the lower levels and this severely
hampers the communicative practices intended to be carried out (Siddique, 2004). Barman,
Sultana and Basu (2006) pointed out several issues that had negative impacts on theimplementation of CLT in Bangladesh which included unavailability of expected number of
proficient facilitators, socio-economic limitations, less reliable administrative system,
inadequate infrastructure and management system, mismatch of the method with the culture,class size, seating arrangement and assessment. They also blamed the poor remuneration for
the teachers of schools and colleges and less funding support as the leading causes for the lessqualified populace of educators in these levels. All these problematic factors have an overall
effect in the minds of the learners and in the findings, S4 from Set A and S5 from Set B
evidently express that the learners are doing the same mistake in their higher education. As
speaking and listening has not been enforced in the lower levels, they tend to put more emphasison speaking & listening which creates another problem. They take it granted that the use ofEnglish is all about oral communication with the people giving less importance on writing or
reading.
Furthermore, Hamid and Baldauf (2008, p. 17) stated that the English teaching of Bangladesh
in most cases is ‘basically the same over two decades’. Collectively, these issues are reflected
in a broader spectrum when these students enter the tertiary education and are put into thecommunicative practices of English. The findings (S6, S8, S9, S10 from Set A and S6, S7 fromSet B) also suggest that these learners fail to internalise the aspects of English as it is anticipatedto be and they consider English merely as a means of accomplishing their higher studies andobtain the degree. This situation compels them to overlook the literary and ornamental featuresof English that can be used in enhancing their own language aptitude and leaves English simply
as a means of survival in the world. For both the groups, the students and the working people,
English does not possess a position that could be utilised in gathering more knowledge,
developing an understanding of the contemporary trends, augmenting a sense of progressive
thoughts and literary acquaintance. As most of them generally keep themselves away from theuse of English, they fail to keep pace with the world of scholars as most of the books are written
in English. Apart from the specific situations mentioned in the questionnaire, the best exposure
they have in English relies mostly on the use of social media and computers.
Another study focused on less available opportunities for in-class activities, students
inclination towards accuracy over fluency and deficiency in necessary ELT materials (Islam &Bari, 2012). Furthermore, Ansarey (2012) adds some other issues e.g. inconsistency between
the curriculum and testing system and learners’ low level of motivation and communicativeskills. At last, Farooqui’s (2014) case study presents that in most rural or semi-rural institutions,
Grammar Translation Method (Byram & Hu, 2013; Tetzner, 2006) is used for teaching English
and Bangla is used as the medium of instruction. This unswervingly affects their exposure to
the target language as well as their Critical Period of language learning as this hypothesis
considers the younger age to be the better age for language acquisition (Birdsong, 1999;
	
  
	
  

193

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

Penfield & Roberts, 2014; Singleton & Ryan, 2004). Thus, from the findings, it can beeffortlessly assumed that the apathy towards English is not born overnight, rather, it is the resultof instigated practices that have created an anxiety towards English in their minds and thelearners have taken it granted inwardly that English is tough to learn and we should not messwith it.
Moreover, they tend to make haste while preparing for this very subject which generates more
complications. The ever growing demand of English makes it harder on their parts by getting
dissolved with their fear. In fact, they cannot match their knowledge of English with the
expected level in their higher studies or job sectors because of having a superficial
understanding of English. To add more, the learners of Bangladesh are more dependent on theirteachers in terms of classroom teaching and they can hardly accept the communicative normsof English as a major focus is premeditated on improving reading and grammar skills (Rahman& Karim, 2015). They fail to realise that English teaching in a university is not the same as it
happened to be in their schools and colleges. As more and more qualified ELT practitioners
join the crowd of university teachers every year, it can be undoubtedly presumed that thelearners can interact with better and more skilful educators than they used to encounter in theirpast. Still, the learners cannot internalise the concepts of English for a greater benefit whichmust be addressed on an urgent basis. It can be associated with the concept of ‘banking’education as defined by Freire (2005) where:(a) the teacher teaches and the students are taught(b) the teacher knows everything and the students know nothing(c) the teacher thinks and the students are thought about(d) the teacher talks and the students listen-meekly(e) the teacher disciplines and the students are disciplined(f) the teacher chooses and enforces his choice, and the students comply(g) the teacher acts and the students have the illusion of acting through the action of the teacher(h) the teacher chooses the program content, and the students (who were not consulted) adapt
to it(i) the teacher confuses the authority of knowledge with his or her own professional authority,
which she or he sets in opposition to the freedom of the students(j) the teacher is the subject of the learning process, while the pupils are mere objects (p.73)
As an aftermath, pupils struggle with their credibility in writing and cannot harvest an expectedlevel of oratory skill when they are exposed to the physical situations in the universities. As
projected earlier through different studies, they rely on the teacher completely who will guidethem through the annulled realms of English. Students cogitate about English in a way thatthey just want to get over with it anyhow. They fail to intellectualise the significant aspects ofthis language and take it as customary that it is only a technique for their lives which isevidently identifiable through the responses (S1, S2, S3, S7, S9, S10 from Set A and S1, S2,
S3, S6, S7 from Set B).
Another finding can be addressed as the incapability of realising the real benefits of learning a
new language. Bearing the importance of learning English in mind, learners should be
motivated enough to conceptualise this language and comprehend that learning will help themin their own higher studies as most of the books are written in English. This will also bebeneficial to their L1 and future career as well as improving their cognitive and analyticalabilities (Trimnell, 2005; Smith, 2016). On the other hand, Hasan (2015) describes that ‘many
people in our country are interested to learn French because it may help them to get UN jobs
	
  
	
  

194

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

and jobs in Multinational companies’ which can be taken as another indicative of the treatmentof English in the hearts of the people of Bangladesh. English still enjoys an EFL status in
Bangladesh where people are adhering to it only for a better prospect in future that may include
a handsome salary, migration to a developed country and so on. It is evident that these people
are just the common victims of a third world country who aspire to reach the pinnacle which is
fashioned to them as the Adam’s Apple namely the English language. English has proved itself
to be the elixir that can turn the table of anyone’s fortune. In Bangladesh, one will find a lot of
persons who completed tertiary degrees in English just to move on swiftly in the job market
without any intention of serving the mankind. The responses undoubtedly provide evidencesof such attitudes towards English.
One more alarming point is the number of students enrolling in the Department of English of
Bangladeshi universities. Either they are forced to get themselves admitted just because they
could not make it to their dream subject or they want to enjoy a hassle-free life during theirhigher education. So, the complicated factors are on the rise from both the parties e.g. those
who did not opt for studying English and those who opted for it in reclusion. However, both
the groups have one common intention which is to achieve a sound knowledge of English. By
any means, the education policy of Bangladesh does not conform to this state. Still, English iscelebrated to the fullest as remarked by Phillipson (1992) that the expansion of English isbacked by ‘ethnocentricity’ and ‘professionalism’ that creates a ‘regression’ in the minds ofthe people leading them to become more and more calamitous to learn English. He further
designates the ‘ideological functions’ of English where it is taken as a goal for material
advancements and a means for efficiency thus placing English in the pinnacle of ‘patriarchal
mode of production’ (p.68). In our context, Imam (2005) justifiably notes that ‘In Bangladesh
it is now essential for even factory worker, who earns less than the minimum wage, to knowsome English, the language of the labels on goods and packaging’ (p.480). In terms of survival
and job opportunity, the people are swivelling towards English at their levels best. As depicted
by Gramsci, this vision turns them to an objective form of knowledge, rather than a subjective
one which is not palpable for society in the long run as ‘knowledge’ should be used as ‘science’,
not as a ‘technique’ (Hoare & Smith, 1971). Also, by achieving a shallow knowledge of English,
a massive part of our population is transforming into ‘traditional intellectuals’ (Brooker, 1999)
who only hold the information of bits and pieces of English and are bound to the order that is
bestowed upon them as a result of hegemony, unlike ‘organic intellectuals’. This study also
reveals that 53% of the respondents of a particular group think that they cannot even do
anything better in life without knowing English. That is why they have turned their attention
towards English allowing the erroneous notion of ‘knowledge’ sink in which results from the“coercion” and conformation to the state without any resentment (Gramsci, 1980).
The massive globalisation of English similarly takes it one step forward by creating a sense of
superiority by using English mixed with Bangla. A large portion of the respondents evenbelieves that they will never shine in life without English (S3 from Set A). The young
generation is so obsessed with the use of English in their speaking, that currently, we have a
new dialect which is often termed as ‘Banglish’ that involves the concoction of Bangla andEnglish words (Manzoor, 2006; Nordquist, 2016). It can be mentioned that the education policy
and current teaching practices fail to propagate the effects of ‘language attrition’ (Schmid,
2011; Seliger, 1991; Köpke, Schmid, Keijzer, & Dostert, 2007) and as a process, more spacefor English to sink in is getting fashioned day by day. The education policy is a puzzle in itself
considering some perilous issues. For example, English is never used in dispensing any official
document by the government except few instances and English is never reinvigorated in thegovernment offices the way English is proliferated in the educational institutions. This creates
	
  
	
  

195

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017a void backwash effect in the minds of the learners which forces them to accept that English is
only necessary for their student lives and that is why 76% of them do not want English any
longer after the completion of their mandatory credits. The education policy, by any means,does not propagate this belief it itself. The findings do not project any intense circumstancethat could prove the success of the education policy and reforms.
Recommendations
Grounded on the findings, some recommendations have been listed below:a.   English teaching has to be made more contemporary and either the existing educators haveto fathom the implication of modern approaches leaving their cocoons or they have to makespace for newer, more enthusiastic and more energetic teachers who have a passion for teachingrather than reading out the texts to the class. Still, in most schools and colleges, the teachers
follow the traditional grammar translation method making it a habit for the learners to be
carried forward even in the universities. CLT should be practised to its accurate perception.
b.  Infrastructure and funding have always been our common problem, however, educators haveto be aware of the fact that beavering on this issue, they cannot let go the future of the learners.
They have to meditate over the alternatives so that the learners can get the utmost benefit. Theircongression should be more focused on the real life practices so that the students canpromulgate their authentic potentialities in learning English and nurture this language from the
beginning of their academia.
c.   The government has to be more vigilant in appointing the English teachers, especially in thesecondary levels to shape the learners from the roots. The learners are fearful to English interms of speaking mostly as they get the prospect of English speaking hardly. To sort out thisissue, more exertions should be given on dragging them to the podium and let them replenish
their skills in front of the audience from the very beginning. If possible, Task Based Learning(Ellis, 2003) can be applied. Prabhu (1987) has set some decidedly competent and practicalapplications of TBL which can also be adopted.
d.  The stakeholders have to be more thoughtful in designing and implementing the education
policy so that it equals with the current practices. By any means, it cannot be accepted that thenational education policy has been crammed up by the stimuli arising from globalisation andlinguistic imperialism. The modification of education policy can never be an erratic process
without paying admissible attention towards the tangible level of the individuals who will beessentially under the practice of the policy. Canagarajah (1999) has conferred the aspects ofimperialism in language teaching detailing the looming realities in curricula design andpedagogical practices that can also be taken into consideration while formulating the policy in
our context.
Conclusion
This was a small-scale survey to inquire into some impending facts of English learning and thisstudy divulges some of the realities from the minds of the participants. The results and findings
project that the driving force behind the policy makers is immensely ill-advised which demands
an apposite amalgamation of needs analysis and enactment for a fruitful output. If this disputeis not rehabilitated on an urgent basis, the days are not far when it will get over the heads ofthe learners in the course of their fight in terms of escalating the concrete resolutions of learning
	
  
	
  

196

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

and Bangla will facing more language attrition in the process of paving more pathways forEnglish. It is also to be clearly itemized that our intention is not to demean the education policy,
current practices in teaching English in Bangladesh or the substantial diffusion of English as a
global language; rather, our insignificant venture is to point out some conjectures that mightprove to be fruitful for the betterment of the teaching practices in Bangladesh.

	
  
	
  

197

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

References
Altbach, P. G. (1971). Education and Neocolonialism: A Note. Comparative Education Review,
15(2), 237-239. https://doi.org/10.1086/445534
Ansarey, D. (2012). Communicative Language Teaching in EFL Contexts: Teachers Attitudeand Perception in Bangladesh. ASA University Review, 6(1), 61-78.
Binoy, B., Sultana, Z., & Basu, B. L. (2007). ELT: Theory and Practice. Dhaka: Friends' Book
Corner.
Birdsong, D. (Ed.). (1999). Second Language Acquisition and the Critical Period Hypothesis.
New Jersey: Routledge.
Brman, D. B., Sultana, Z., & Basu, B. L. (2006). ELT: Theory and Practice. Dhaka: Friends'
Book Corner.
Brooker, P. (1999). Cultural Theory: A Glossary. Arnold.
Byram, M., & Hu, A. (2013). Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning.
Oxon: Routledge.
Canagarajah, A. (1999). Resisting linguistic imperialism in English teaching. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Chittagong Hill Tracts: “There are no indigenous people in Bangladesh”. (2011, June 21).
Retrieved from Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). Retrieved
January 10, 2017 from http://unpo.org/article/12784
Crewe, E., & Axelby, R. (2012). Anthropology and Development: Culture, Morality and
Politics in a Globalised World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139030403
Crystal, D. ( 2012). English as a Global Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139196970
Dai, X., & Chen, G.-M. (Eds.). (2014). Intercultural Communication Competence:
Conceptualization and its Development in Cultural Contexts and Interactions. New
Castle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Datta, M. (2007). Bilinguality and literacy: Principles and practice (2nd ed.). London:
Continuum.
Dower, N., & Williams, J. (Eds.). (2002). Global Citizenship: A Critical Introduction. NY:
Taylor & Francis.
Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford: OUP.
Farooqui, D. S. (2014). The Struggle to Teach in English: A Case Study in Bangladesh. Journalof Education and Human Development, 3(2), 441-457.
Freire, P. (2005). Pedagogy of the Oppressed (30th Anniversary Edition ed.). (M. B. Ramos,
Trans.) NY: Continuum.
Gramsci, A. (1980). Selections from the Prison Notebooks (6th ed.). London: Wishart
Publications.

198

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

Hamid, M.O. and Baldauf, R.B. (2008) ‘Will CLT bail out the bogged down ELT in
Bangladesh?’, English Today, 24(3), pp. 16–24.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078408000254
Haque, M. M. (2015, Jan). dspace.ewubd.edu. Retrieved January 10, 2017 from
dspace.ewubd.edu/handle/123456789/133
Hasan, S. M. (2015, Feb). Condition of English in Bangladesh: Second Language or Foreign
Language. Retrieved January 10, 2017 from http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgibin/asia/index.pl?read=158
Heard, G. (1995). Writing Toward Home: Tales and Lessons to Find Your Way. NY: History
Ink Books.
Hemingway, E. (1932). Death in the Afternoon. Charles Scribner's Sons.
Higher Secondary Curriculum. (2016, Jan). Retrieved January 10, 2017 from National
Curriculum&
Textbook
Board,
Bangladesh:
http://www.nctb.gov.bd/index.php/curriculum-wing/higher-secondary-4/
Hoare, Q., & Smith, G. N. (Eds.). (1971). Selections from the Prison Notebooks. (Q. Hoare, &G. N. Smith, Trans.) NY: International Publishers.
House, J., & Rehbein, J. (Eds.). (2004). Multilingual Communication. Amsterdam: John
Benjamins Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1075/hsm.3
Imam, S. R. (2005). English as a global language and the question of nation-building educationin Bangladesh. Comparative Education, 41(4), 471-486.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03050060500317588
Islam, M. J., & Bari, I. S. (2012). Implementation of CLT in Bangladesh and Thailand:
Problems and Challenges. Outlooks: VUB, 87-105.
Jackson, J. (2014). Introducing Language and Intercultural Communication. Abingdon:
Routledge.
Jenkins, J. (2007). English as a Lingua Franca: attitude and identity. Oxford University Press:
Oxford.
Kachru, B. B. (1985). Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: the English languagein the outer circle. In R. Quirk, H. G. Widdowson, & Y. Cantù (Ed.), Progress in English
Studies. Cambridge University Press for the British Council.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511619069
Kachru, B. B., Kachru, Y., & Sridhar, S. N. (2008). Language in South Asia. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Kirkpatrick, A. (2010). English as a Lingua Franca in ASEAN: A Multilingual Model. HongKong: Hong Kong University Press.
https://doi.org/10.5790/hongkong/9789888028795.001.0001
Kirkpatrick, R. (Ed.). (2015). English Language Education Policy in Asia. Springer.
Köpke, B., Schmid, M. S., Keijzer, M., & Dostert, S. (Eds.). (2007). Language Attrition:
Theoretical Perspectives. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.33
Kulakowski, E. C., & Chronister, L. U. (2008). Research Administration and Management.
Boston: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

199

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

List of languages by total number of speakers. (2016, April 04). Retrieved January 10, 2017from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_total_number_of_speakers
LLC (2010). Languages of Bangladesh: Pali, English Language, Bengali Language, Burmese
Language, Bishnupriya Manipuri Language, Rakhine People. General Books LLC.
Mackenzie, I. (2014). English as a Lingua Franca: Theorizing and Teaching English. London
and NY: Routledge.
Mansour, G. (1993). Multilingualism and Nation Building. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Manzoor, S. (2006, April). Why do Asian writers have to be 'authentic' to succeed? Retrieved
January
10,
2017
from
Guardian
News
and
Media
Limited:http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/apr/30/1
Marshall, P. L. (2007). Ethical Challenges in Study Design and Informed Consent for HealthResearch in Resource-poor Settings. France: World Health Organization.
Mayo, M. (2005). Global Citizens: Social Movements and the Challenge of Globalization.
Toronto: Zed Books.
McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding Media. McGraw-Hill.
Mohsin, A. (2003). Language, Identity, and the State of Bangladesh. In M. E. Brown, & S.
Ganguly (Eds.), Fighting Words: Language Policy and Ethnic Relations in Asia.
Cambridge: MIT Press.
National Education Policy 2010. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2017 from Ministry of Education,
GovernmentofthePeople’sRepublicofBangladesh:
http://www.moedu.gov.bd/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gi
d=2046&Itemid
Nejad, A. S. (2011). The Third World: Country or People? Titan Inc.
Nordquist, R. (2016, Jan). Banglish. Retrieved January 10, 2017 from abouteducation:
http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/Banglish.htm
Only two eligible for Dhaka University’s English Department! (2015, Jan). Retrieved January
10, 2017 from bdnews24: http://bdnews24.com/campus/2014/09/25/only-two-eligiblefor-dhaka-universitys-english-department
Paciotto, C., & Delany-Barmann, G. (2011). Planning micro-level language education reformin new diaspora sites: two-way immersion education in the rural Midwest. Language
Policy, 221-243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-011-9203-x
Penfield, W., & Roberts, L. (2014). Speech and Brain Mechanisms. New jersey: Princeton
University Press.
Phillipson, R. (1992). Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford: OUP Oxford.
Prabhu, N. S. (1987). Second language pedagogy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rahman, A. (2015). Secondary English education in Bangladesh: A critical review. In B.
Spolsky, & K. Sung (Eds.), Secondary School English Education in Asia: From Policy
to Practice (pp. 85-102). NY: Routledge.

200

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

Rahman, M. S., & Karim, S. M. (2015). Problems of CLT in Bangladesh: Ways to Improve.
International Journal of Education Learning and Development, 3(3), 75-87.
Schmid, M. S. (2011). Language Attrition. NY: Cambridge University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511852046
Secondary Curriculum (2016, Jan). Retrieved January 10, 2017 from National Curriculum &Textbook Board, Bangladesh: http://www.nctb.gov.bd/index.php/curriculumwing/higher-secondary
Seliger, H. W. (Ed.). (1991). First Language Attrition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511620720
Siddique, R. (2004). CLT: Another Assumed Ideal from the West?. The Dhaka University
Studies, 61(1), 15-28.
Singleton, D., & Ryan, L. (2004). Language Acquisition: The Age Factor. Clevedon:
Multilingual Matters.
Smith, J. (2016, Jan). The benefits of learning a second language. Retrieved January 10, 2017from Omniglot: http://www.omniglot.com/language/articles/
benefitsoflearningalanguage.htm
Switankowsky, I. S. (1998). A New Paradigm for Informed Consent. Maryland: University
Press of America.
Tetzner, R. (2006). The Grammar-Translation Method. GRIN Verlag.
Trimnell, E. (2005). Why You Need a Foreign Language & how to Learn One. Ohio:
Beechmont Crest Pub.
Tsui, A. B., & Tollefson, J. W. (2008). Language Policy, Culture, and Identity in AsianContexts. TESL-EJ, 12(2).
White, R. (2016, Jan). Going round in circles:English as an International Language, and crossculturalcapability. Retrieved January 10, 2017 from http://host.uniroma3.it/docenti/
boylan/text/white01.htm
Wiles, R. (2012). What are Qualitative Research Ethics? NY: A&C Black.
Wolff, E. (2014). Political Responsibility for a Globalised World: After Levinas' Humanism.
transcript Verlag.
Corresponding author: Mohammad Akteruzzaman
Email: shumon0413@gmail.com

201

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

AppendicesA. Questionnaire Set 1 (for the university students)
Please select only one option for each statement that suits your standpoint.
1. I learn English because I love to enrich my knowledge of English.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
2. English is necessary for me to get a better job.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
3. I believe that without English I cannot shine in life.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
4. I want to achieve fluency in speaking rather than in writing or reading.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
5. English courses are highly effective in my university.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
6. My goal is to achieve a decent command over English only to maintain external communication.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
7. I want my English classes focus more on real life communications rather than theoretical aspects.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
8. English does not attract me as a subject other than being a part of the core courses.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
9. I do not want to study English after finishing the mandatory credits for my degree.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
10. English is only necessary for my future career and higher studies abroad.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
Thank you.
B. Questionnaire Set 2 (for people working in different sectors)
Please select only one option for each statement that suits your standpoint.
1. English is necessary for my job.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
2. I cannot communicate with my clients without English.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
3. I use English for all my local correspondences.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
4. I use English for all my international correspondences.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
5. It is all right for me if I can make sense in my writing without maintaining accuracy.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
6. I try to avoid speaking in English with my bosses and clients.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
7. I would not even try to learn English if I had option to do so.
Strongly Agree
Agree
NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree
Thank you.

202

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

C. Translated version of Set 2অনুগ্রহপূর্বক প্রতিটি তর্র্ৃতি থেকক শুধুমাত্র একটি তর্কল্প তনর্ব াচন করুন থেটি আপনার
দৃতিককাকের সাকে সামঞ্জসযপূেব ৷
১. ইংরেজি আমাে চাকজেে িন্য প্রর ািন্ ৷জিাোর াভারে সম্মত
সম্মতজন্েরেক্ষ
অসম্মত
জিাোর াভারে অসম্মত
২. আজম ইংরেজি ছাডা আমাে ক্লার ন্টরেে (মরে রেে) সারে জ াগার াগ কেরত োজে ন্া ৷জিাোর াভারে সম্মত
সম্মতজন্েরেক্ষ
অসম্মত
জিাোর াভারে অসম্মত
৩. আজম আমাে সে স্থান্ী জ াগার ারগে িন্য ইংরেজি েযেহাে কজে ৷জিাোর াভারে সম্মত
সম্মতজন্েরেক্ষ
অসম্মত
জিাোর াভারে অসম্মত
৪. আজম আমাে সে আন্তিজাজতক জ াগার ারগে িন্য ইংরেজি েযেহাে কজে ৷জিাোর াভারে সম্মত
সম্মতজন্েরেক্ষ
অসম্মত
জিাোর াভারে অসম্মত
৫. এটা আমাে িন্য ঠিক আরছ জে আজম জ রে ভাে প্রকাশ কেরত োজে, জসটা জন্ভভজ ন্া হর ও৷জিাোর াভারে সম্মত
সম্মতজন্েরেক্ষ
অসম্মত
জিাোর াভারে অসম্মত
৬. আজম আমাে েস এেং ক্লার ন্টরেে (মরে রেে) সারে ইংরেজিরত কো ে াে এডারন্াে জচষ্টা কজে৷জিাোর াভারে সম্মত
সম্মতজন্েরেক্ষ
অসম্মত
জিাোর াভারে অসম্মত
৭. জেকল্প োকর আজম ইংরেজি জশোে জচষ্টাও কেতাম ন্া ৷জিাোর াভারে সম্মত
সম্মতজন্েরেক্ষ
অসম্মত
জিাোর াভারে অসম্মত
আপনাকক ধনযর্াদ
D. Questionnaire for interview
Q.1. Do you speak English? (আেজন্ জক ইংরেজি ে রত োরেন্?)Q.2. Why do you think English is necessary? (আেন্াে জকন্ মরন্ হ জ ইংরেজি প্রর ািন্ী ?)Q.3. In what circumstances, you use English? (জকান্ জকান্ জক্ষরে আেজন্ ইংরেজি েযেহাে করেন্?)Q.4. Do you use English always, even if it is not necessary? (আেজন্ জক সেসম ইংরেজি েযেহাে
করেন্, প্রর ািন্ী ন্া হর ও?)
Q.5. Do you enjoy using English or, you do it as you have no other option? (আেজন্ জক ইংরেজি
েযেহাে উেরভাগ করেন্ ন্াজক উো জন্ই ের েযেহাে করেন্?)E. Audio transcriptions of the interviews203

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

All the interviews have been conducted in a secure & convenient environment without theintervention of any third person ensuring an entirely stress-free mental condition of theinterviewees. Nobody has been persuaded by any means and all the responses have beenrecorded as they sentences have been uttered out by the actual participants. However,corrections have been made only in the cases of grammatically inaccurate, incomplete,fragmented or run-on sentences and to guarantee the objectivity, all the names have been
omitted mentioning only their speculative role in the society as a participant. In addition,translations have been provided where applicable.
Interview A: A CNG (auto-rickshaw) driver
Q.1. Do you speak English? (আেজন্ জক ইংরেজি ে রত োরেন্?)Answer: অল্প অল্প োজে ৷ (I know bits and pieces of English.)Q.2. Why do you think English is necessary? (আেন্াে জকন্ মরন্ হ জ ইংরেজি প্রর ািন্ী ?)Answer: ইংোজি ছাডা জকমন্ কইো হইরো কন্? একটভ আরগই একটা ভাডা ই া ন্ামা আই ামএ ােরোরটজ ৷গু শান্, োজেধাো, উত্তো এই সে িা গা জতা ইংোজি ন্া িান্র অরন্ক ভাডা জমসহই া া গা ৷ (What can be done without English? I just dropped a passenger at the airport.
A lot of deals are missed at Gulshan, Baridhara, Uttara and places like these if you don’t know
English.)Q.3. Q.3. In what circumstances, you use English? (জকান্ জকান্ জক্ষরে আেজন্ ইংরেজি েযেহাে
করেন্?)
Answer: আজম শুধভ ভাডা ইোে টাইম কই াইরো ক টাহা জেরো এইডা জিগাই আে জকছভ ন্া
৷ (I only ask about my fare and destination, not more than that)
Q.4. Do you use English always, even if it is not necessary? (আেজন্ জক সেসম ইংরেজি েযেহাে
করেন্, প্রর ািন্ী ন্া হর ও?)
Answer: ন্া ন্া ৷ েেকাে ন্া োকর আজম কইোে ামভ কান্ ইংোজি? শুধভ জেেে আেে এোইগা ২–৪ টা শব্দ জশো ইজস ৷ মারে মারে ভাে ইরত হ জতা জেরেশীরগা সামরন্ ৷ (No no!
Why would I use English without necessity? I have just learned some words for circumstantial
cases. It helps create an impression in front of the foreigners.)
Q.5. Do you enjoy using English or, you do it as you have no other option? (আেজন্ জক ইংরেজি
েযেহাে উেরভাগ করেন্ ন্াজক উো জন্ই ের েযেহাে করেন্?)Answer: ন্া মিা ইর জতা আরো জশো ইতাম ৷ এইডা হই জেকা েইডা জশো আে জক ৷(No, I would have learned more if I enjoyed it. It’s just I have no other way to overlook it.)Interview B: Senior Officer of a private bank
Q.1. Do you speak English?
Answer: Yes, I do.
Q.2. Why do you think English is necessary?
Answer: It is necessary for communication mainly.
Q.3. In what circumstances, you use English?

204

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

Answer: To be frank, I do not need to use English for speaking. I hardly use it for writing as
we have to write emails sometimes and in most cases, we have a preset template.
Q.4. Do you use English always, even if it is not necessary?
Answer: No.
Q.5. Do you enjoy using English or, you do it as you have no other option?
Answer: Not really. I use it only when I have no other option.
Interview C: A lecturer of a public university
Q.1. Do you speak English?
Answer: Yes of course.
Q.2. Why do you think English is necessary?
Answer: For me, it’s necessary for teaching and my research.
Q.3. In what circumstances, you use English?
Answer: I use English for writing papers and sometimes in class for lecturing.
Q.4. Do you use English always, even if it is not necessary?
Answer: No, I don’t.
Q.5. Do you enjoy using English or, you do it as you have no other option?
Answer: I only enjoy it if I can find someone to converse with, otherwise, no.
Interview D: A government employee
Q.1. Do you speak English?
Answer: Yes.
Q.2. Why do you think English is necessary?
Answer: For talking in some cases when we have foreign guests.
Q.3. In what circumstances, you use English?
Answer: Only when we have to talk to foreign delegates, though, it is very rare for me.
Q.4. Do you use English always, even if it is not necessary?
Answer: No, never.
Q.5. Do you enjoy using English or, you do it as you have no other option?
Answer: No, I use it when I have no choice.
Interview E: A university student
Q.1. Do you speak English?
Answer: Yes, but, I hardly use it.
Q.2. Why do you think English is necessary?
Answer: It is necessary to understand some parts of my class lecture and give presentations.

205

IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 5 – Issue 1 – Spring 2017

Q.3. In what circumstances, you use English?
Answer: I only use it in my presentations.
Q.4. Do you use English always, even if it is not necessary?
Answer: No, I do not.
Q.5. Do you enjoy using English or, you do it as you have no other option?
Answer: To be honest, I prefer using Bangla while speaking. English makes it hard for me totell exactly what I am thinking. However, for writing, I have no option other than English.

206