ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING AT SECONDARY AND HIGHER SECONDARY LEVELS IN BANGLADESH.

Md. Tariqul Alam¹

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of English, Britannia University, Bangladesh Email: tariqul_sust@yahoo.com.

ABSTRACT

Keywords: English Language; Teaching; Learning; Secondary; Higher Secondary; Bangladesh; .

Language is the means of communication. As a medium of communication English enjoys the position of World Language. So a good English Language Teaching and Learning is of Paramount importance to determine the standard of our system of education. On the other hand the teaching of English depends to a large extent on the policy adopted by the Government. During the last decade the education sector of Bangladesh has been very well organized and updated in congruent with the global standard. But it is a matter of great grief that only for proper English Language policy and Teaching method we cannot achieve our ultimate success in English in compare to other neighboring countries. There is no denying the fact that in our country we do not use the right approach in English teaching and learning (Prescribed by GoB). Though our Government is giving emphasis on CLT method but in reality in our schools, and colleges there is no practice of communicative English. Some teachers never follow the CLT method in their classroom teaching. They always engage their students busy in memorizing grammar rules and other syllabus oriented lessons so that they can commit the things to vomit it in the examination and thus gain a good grade. So the students are very afraid of communicating in English. But we have to find out a technique suitable to all to be well-equipped so that we can cope up with the changing world. This study will give us a clear picture about the English language teaching and learning in Bangladesh since 1974 to present time and try to explore the solution of the problem. Publisher All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION

English is an international language and the only one language to communicate with the outer world internationally. All higher educational institutions and high government officials use this language to perform their institutional activities. It is very essential language for Computer and ICT oriented study. Where there is life, there is the necessity of English. Now a days English language is considered as the most useable language in the world. Almost all the continents of the world are using this language as first language or second language. Statistics shows that about 350 million people in the world are using English language as first language or mother tongue where as 300 millions are using it as second language. In the global context it is used as official or demi official language by more than 60 countries and many international organizations. At present 80% information stored in computer are written in English language. As a result, the demand of English language is increasing in the world day by day. Bangladesh is no exception. But it is very much regretful matter that the condition of English in Bangladesh is very deplorable and unsatisfactory.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

AND TECHNIQUES

The study is explanatory in nature. Primary data were collected through in depth interview with few teachers at School and College levels from both public and private institutions in Bangladesh as respondent, those who are selected by snowball sampling technique (Linking one from another with same case).Different magazine and journal articles, newspaper columns, books and reports also have supported the study as the sources for the secondary data. Moreover, relevant statistics are shown and analyzed in order to authenticate the postulates put forward throughout the paper. The variables of the study have been selected through extensive literature survey.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study suffers from a number of problems. The numbers of respondents were very few. There might have some limitations in data collection for the shortage of time. Performance analysis and their long time impact needs more time to asses. The research found the Lack of cooperative attitude of the samples as well as Lack of sufficient secondary online data regarding the research problem in Bangladesh. To do this study the researcher had limited books and resources regarding the subject.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND DISCUSSION

The Scenario of English language Teaching and Learning in Bangladesh:

The situation of English language teaching and learning in our country is not up to the mark. English is the global language as well as the language of necessity to survive in the world. English language teaching and learning method in Bangladesh are not well satisfactory because of some instrumental and methodological problems. The causes are given successively as below:

a) The number of experienced and well trained English language teachers is very few. They are not expert enough to teach English language to the learners by using modern language teaching aid or audio-visual method of ELT.

b) The number of class rooms or practice rooms is inadequate for practice listening and speaking.

c) The teachers are very inapt in using audio-visual aid and they are unskilled to teach English language with proper Pronunciation and Accentuation.

d) Our education system always gives emphasis on Reading and Writing skills rather than learning spoken English as though speaking is very essential part of four basic skills.

e) The students are very reluctant to learn English properly. They always think about learning English in short cut method through which they can only manage pass marks or achieve good GPA. The students are not well motivated to realize the necessity of learning English. They have Anglo -phobia and Socio- phobia problem in the way of their English learning.

f) The English Teachers are not very much well concentrated to their students because they had to conduct a large class with huge students in a chaotic milieu.

g) There are scarcities of study materials for English teaching and Learning for both of the teachers and students.

h) Some English medium schools and kindergartens don’t use any method of Teaching and Learning in English. They only try to engage their wards in memorizing the lessons .They make them busy in practicing spoken English rather than practice reading and writing. They never stress on developing the students personality and inter communication skills.

i) There are a lack of proper guidance and monitoring by the govt. high officials. Some extent non-English teachers teach English.

j) Our institutions are not well structured to arrange good environment for practice speaking and listening. Most of the English teachers at school or college levels are delivering their lecture in Bangla instead of English. So the students are deprived of proper practice of English language.

k) The students as well as the teachers are very dependable on guide books instead of studying main text (Prescribed by the government). In guide books the English is written wrongly and some extent the spellings and pronunciations are also found faulty. So by studying those books both the teachers and students are suffering from learning good English. Moreover, Memorizing English without understanding make a student dull and it decreases confidence level of students.

l) Some teachers are very unethical and commercial minded. They teach English in various coaching center or doing private tuition from dawn to dusk by taking handsome honorarium.. Having exhausted they enter into their classroom at schools and colleges and they only give their students some lessons to read out. Thus they are performing their duties. Due to their tiredness and lack of liveliness they can’t concentrate them in proper teaching. So most of the cases they fail to deliver good lecture in the class. As a result the general students are suffering a lot in receiving quality education.

m ) Most of the guardians of our country are very serious about their wards to achieve good GPA. They never bother how much knowledge is gained but they only engage there wards in different coaching centers and make them busy in memorizing notes without good understanding. To cherish the guardians dream come true, the students are always busy in their private coaching. Having exhausted they attend the classes. But they don’t have any concentration on the class lecture. Thus they are becoming a good crammer but in course of time it hampers their academic career.

n) The non-government teachers are not well evaluated. Their salary structure is not satisfactory. So they had to adopt alternative source of income for their livelihood. As a result the students are severely hampered.

o) Most of the classroom in schools and colleges are overcrowded and unfriendly. So the teachers feel very uncomfortable to deliver quality lecture. Thus the students are depriving of quality education.

p) We don’t have positive attitude. All of we know that to be a successful person we require three things like:

i) Knowledge

ii) Efficiency and

iii) Positive attitude

We have the first and second one but we don’t have 3^rd one which is the key to success in life.

The Necessity of Learning English in Bangladesh: Global Perspective

In global context at present English is not a mere language but it is a weapon to survive in the world. The demand of English is increasingly increased day by day. English is used all over the world. We know that to learn any language first of all we need to know about first language and second language clearly. In our country there is no clear cut policy about English language whether it will be considered as second language or foreign language. Since we are using English language in our academic and official purposes so we can consider it as foreign language. We have to emphasis on learning English language for the following reasons:

i) English is a living language. In Bangladesh it is taught as foreign language. So intense enthusiasm is needed to learn English language.

ii) In Bangladesh we use English language as foreign language. Our students use this language to communicate with foreigners. Bangladesh is a developing country. We are very dependent on foreign countries for foreign aid. We have to use English language with the foreign delegators to ensure our financial aid. Without having good command over English it is quite impossible to communicate with them.

iii) English language is very essential to receive higher education. Because in tertiary level of education all the good books are written in English and exam system is in English. So English is dire necessity.

iv) We must learn English to get the real flavor of life. We know that English literature is the store house of knowledge. It dealt with life, society and the Humanity. It broadens our mental outlook and opens the door of knowledge. To learn and understand English literature English knowledge is required .Then we will be a global citizen. This is all about why should we learn English?” Now let us have a look “how should we learn English.”

THE FOLLOWING MEASURES WILL HELP

US TO LEARN GOOD ENGLISH

To ensure teachers’ training:

Teachers’ training is a continuous program to make them up-to-date and well skilled. The government should train their respective English teachers at schools and colleges all the year round to make them techno expert and modern language teacher. This training is basically very helpful for the high school teachers. Because the high schools work as the root of producing future primary teachers. So keeping it in mind we must make our high school teachers very well equipped and well trained. To ensure our teachers’ training well polished at all levels we must stress on the following three things:

a) The Government must train up minimum one teacher from a school with modern language teaching method and provide them with all kinds of language learning materials. We also help them to create native English Speaking environment.

b) The training centre will arrange different professional and diploma English courses for the professionals and job seekers.

c) In recession the teachers training college can arrange various short course programs for the experienced and apprentice teachers.

d) The education ministry can form an “expert team” by taking some ELT specialists from inside or outside of the country to teach the English language teachers at secondary and higher secondary level. The expert team would guide them about the multiple uses of English in all spheres of life. They arrange workshop, Seminar, Symposium and open discussion program for the trainers (teachers).

To Provide Study Materials

To ensure English education properly we must need curriculum, study materials, prescribed grammar book (Published by NCTB), composition book, updated and well equipped study aid etc. All of the above-mentioned study materials will help us to learn better English.

To Increase Infrastructural and Administrative Facility

In Bangladesh most of the schools and madrashah’s infrastructures are not well constructed to teach English language. The classrooms are very small. The class rooms are overcrowded and chaotic to learn and teach English language properly. The classrooms are not sound proof. The teachers feel very uncomfortable to deliver their Lecture in a large class of 80/90 students. The students cannot understand the lecture because of unhygienic noisy class. Since English is a common class so all students take part in the class amidst of chaos. Moreover, the numbers of inexperienced and inept teachers are teaching English. The situation is very worst in rustic area. In some of the schools internal politics and the authoritative power of Headmaster determine the distribution of English classes among the teachers. More over the college or university teachers have to take more additional classes beyond their regular classes. As a result they cannot deliver quality lecture spontaneously. So, sound proof class room, and good teacher’s enrolment is very mandatory for good English teaching and learning.

To Change the System of Examination:

The main purpose of English examination is to justify the language skills (listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing) of a student. But our examination system only stress on the Reading and Writing skills. So most of the students are lagging behind .They don’t practice spoken and listening though these two skills are very compulsory to communicate with the outer world. Therefore we have to reorganize our exam system considering the four basic skills. Only then our students will be the real beneficiary of using English Language. Keeping it in mind our Government formulated new English syllabus in 2013.But in reality there is no practice of that in maximum institutions. So proper practice should be implemented.

To Arrange Oral Examination:

Oral examination is very important for a student to build up his courage, confidence and communication skills. But it is a matter of great regret that in Bangladesh there is no provision of taking any oral test in English at schools and colleges. The following are the main reasons behind this:

a) The number of students is proportionately larger.

b) The teachers are not well spoken and expert in English Language. Sometimes they feel bore to take oral test for a long time.

c) We have constraint of audio-Visual aid and other Listening –speaking module for oral test.

However, it is very important to resume oral test in all institutions. Research shows that if a student is very good at listening and speaking then he can develop his Reading and Writing skills properly. So proper practice and motivation is very necessary.

RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN ENGLISH

LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING

We know that since the inception of Bangladesh seven national education commissions have been formed, all of which placed various degrees of emphasis on the planning , Pedagogical practice and learning of English in Bangladesh. Recent Development in English Language Policies is as follows:

(National Education Policy) 2010:

Ø This is the first education policy which published its report in consistent with the present demand of the needs of English language.

Ø With the review of the curriculum equal emphasis has been given on all the four skills of English.

Ø To strengthen further so for neglected two skills listening and speaking have been included in assessment.

Ø Twenty percent of the total marks allotted for English has been set for listening and speaking.

Ø To ease the load of the teachers, NCTB provided CD’S for class room practice.

Ø Teachers of all the levels are provided lots of training on both pedagogy and content knowledge.

Ø URCS and PTIS have been strengthened with both software and hardware.

Ø English recognized as essential tool to building knowledge based society.

Ø Emphasis on English writing and speaking from the very beginning of primary education.

Ø English to be set as compulsory subject adopted in all stream from the secondary level.

Ø English as medium at instruction could be introduced from the secondary level.

Ø Emphasis on appointing adequate number of English teachers at secondary level.

Ø English to be a compulsory subject in all colleges and universities.

Ø English (along with Bengali) to be the mediums of instruction at the tertiary level.

Ø Emphasis on the need to translate books written in English to Bengali.

Neo liberal turn

Presence of English increased in past several decades .Here is a table to understand Neo-liberal turn in English Language

:

Bangladesh Education Commission 1974

National Education Policy 2010

Ø English given priority as foreign language, to be taught from class 6. Ø General emphasis on English Language.

Ø English recognized as essential tool to build up knowledge-based society. Ø Emphasis on English Writing and speaking from the very beginning of primary education. Ø English to be set as compulsory subject adopted in all streams from the secondary level. Ø English as medium of instruction could be introduced from the secondary level Ø Emphasis on appointing adequate number of English teachers at secondary level. Ø English to be compulsory subject in all colleges and Universities. Ø English (along with Bengali) to be the mediums of instruction at the tertiary level Ø Emphasis on the need to translate books written in English to Bengali

Privatization of education:

· English medium school

· English medium private universities.

Public Sector- classical Macro LPP( Language Planning and policy)	Private sector- Neoliberalism driven LPP (Language Planning and policy)
Ø Motivated by nationalism and the national language	Ø Driven by open market economy
Ø Language is a tool for uniting people and for creating national identity	Ø Language is a communicative tool; the role of language in national identity is not on the agenda.
Ø Politics of national language denies minority languages.	Ø Politics of language involves the instrumentality of languages promoting or denying languages is not the explicit focus.
Ø Languages require state protection and control.	Ø Languages do not require control or protection
Ø Promotion of global languages may have adverse effects on national languages and identities.	Ø No language can harm any other languages or identities. The use of languages and identities changes over time.
Ø Language planning is a balancing act.	Ø Balancing between languages is irrelevant.

NGO-ization of education

· BRAC Education Program (http://brac.net/ education) ,PACE

· Teach for Bangladesh (http:// www.teachforbangladesh.org)

· English in Action, TQISEP,SEQAEP,SESDP,ELTIP

CONCLUSIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

While preparing the article I had an intensive study and survey of different data sources and as such, it encompasses in the subject matter: the teaching and learning English in Bangladesh, English education Policy , Recent Development in English Language teaching and learning and its reflection on our academic career and society ’in conjunction with the main topic in particular sequence. It is expected that this paper will help the professionals of English as well as students of schools and colleges to learn English Language teaching and learning method and will also pave a way for further researchers to undertake an advanced research.

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