CHAPTER V EVALUATION OF ENGLISH PEDAGOGY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS A study of the Survey results in Chapter III and reports of the Education Commissions/Committees in Chapter IV reveals a very positive attitude of the learners and the members of all the Education Commissions/Committees towards English and at the same time it brings , out a rather dismal picture of English pedagogy in Bangladesh. There are many factors responsible for the ,decline of teaching-learning of English in the country. But of all the factors that contribute to the poor teaching- learning the most prominent is the lack of efficient, trained teachers at all levels - from primary to tertiary. This has been singled out by the Task Force Report - 1976 as the prime cause of the decline of the standards of English teaching-learning in Bangladesh. After liberation in 1971 the education sector got top priority. So a large number of institutions at all levels especially Primary schools and colleges came up everywhere both at government and private initiatives. But unfortunately with this rapid expansion of education other related factors such as qualified teachers, library facilities, well-constructed buildings and teaching materials were not taken care of. As a result the standards of education as a whole and that of teaching-learning of English in particular started falling rapidly. This was something not unusual because "If an educational system is expanding fast, teachers are unqualified and suitable teaching materials are not available, standards are likely to fall" (Phillipson cited in H. Rahman \999:24).
Transcript
CHAPTER V
EVALUATION OF ENGLISH PEDAGOGY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A study of the Survey results in Chapter III and reports of the
Education Commissions/Committees in Chapter IV reveals a very positive
attitude of the learners and the members of all the Education
Commissions/Committees towards English and at the same time it brings ,
out a rather dismal picture of English pedagogy in Bangladesh. There are
many factors responsible for the ,decline of teaching-learning of English in
the country. But of all the factors that contribute to the poor teaching
learning the most prominent is the lack of efficient, trained teachers at all
levels - from primary to tertiary. This has been singled out by the Task
Force Report - 1976 as the prime cause of the decline of the standards of
English teaching-learning in Bangladesh.
After liberation in 1971 the education sector got top priority. So a
large number of institutions at all levels especially Primary schools and
colleges came up everywhere both at government and private initiatives.
But unfortunately with this rapid expansion of education other related
factors such as qualified teachers, library facilities, well-constructed
buildings and teaching materials were not taken care of. As a result the
standards of education as a whole and that of teaching-learning of English
in particular started falling rapidly. This was something not unusual
because
"If an educational system is expanding fast, teachers are unqualified and suitable teaching materials are not available, standards are likely to fall" (Phillipson cited in H. Rahman \999:24).
The analysis of the data shows that 93 per cent students are keenly
interested to learn English but the sad thing is that learning is not taking
place and instead the situation is getting from bad to worse day by day.
Language teaching-learning is a complex phenomenon involving a
lot of factors each of which contributes to language learning. The following
factors affect teaching-learning of English at all levels particularly at
Higher Secondary level in Bangladesh.
1. Lack of well-defined language teaching policy.
2. Faulty teaching methods.
3. Faulty syllabus.
4. Shortage of competent trained teachers.
5. Inadequate seminars, workshops etc. on language teaching.
6. Over-crowded classrooms.
7. Holiday culture in education sector.
8. Lack of adequate teaching aids.
9. Lack of motivation on the part of both teachers and learners.
10. Introduction of English in class I.
11. Faulty examination system.
The section on national policy about foreign language teaching in
Chapter III, depicts the inconsistencies in formulating a sound national
policy regarding the introduction of English, on the one hand, and lack of
uniformity about teaching English at the university level, on the other. So
the urgent need of the day is the formulation of a clear and stable foreign
language teaching policy. But the government should be very careful in
formulating language-teaching policies as they can be highly emotive.
Every care should be taken before implementing them.
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Bengali should be the medium of instruction at Primary, Secondary,
Higher Secondary and degree levels except for the SCIence group.
Adequate textbooks are available in Bengali for these stages. English
should be the medium of instruction for degree science, post-graduate,
medical, engineering, agricultural and other such branches of studies and
for research work English should be the medium because for all these
stages no adequate standard textbooks and journals in Bengali are
available.
In Chapter III it is seen that teaching English at Primary level under
the present circumstances is not fruitful at all. Rather, it is a colossal waste
in all respects. So, it should be dropped from the Primary curriculum with
immediate effect and should be introduced in class VI in the High School
where the size of the class is smaller and teachers are much more
competent than those in the Primary Schools. Moreover, the huge amount
of money saved by dropping English from the Primary School could be
utilized for intensive English teaching at High School level, by appointing
more efficient teachers, training them and buying teaching aids. Such steps
will be more effective for successful teaching-learning of English.
Regarding the methodology of teaching English, recently there has
been a serious attempt to introduce Communicative Approach at all levels.
As a part of this Communicative Teaching oriented textbooks have been
introduced in different classes of Primary and High Schools step by step.
The Communicative Approach has been adopted in view of the fact that the
traditional Grammar-Translation Method has failed to produce the
expected results.
In Bangladesh English is not used as a language of social interaction
nor is it the medium of instruction for the vast majority of students. It
serves as a medium of instruction for a small number of students who go
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for medical science, engineering, agriculture, research etc. For them the
acquisition of reading and writing skills is more important than the
acquisition of other skills in English. As such, the language pedagogy
should be designed to distinguish between purposes of language teaching
(goals, aims or objectives) and the procedures (approaches, methods,
strategies) needed to achieve these purposes.
In Bangladesh the most widely used method for teaching English is
the Grammar-Translation Method. Most teachers of English are not even
aware of the recent development of other approaches to language teaching.
In training centres teachers are given a rudimentary idea about different
methods. After returning to their institutions they continue with their old
tradition or. find it difficult to apply their newly acquired knowledge in
teaching English owing to different reasons such as unwillingness of the
school authorities to break the tradition, unfavourable classroom situation,
prevailing examination system, lack of teaching aids etc.
As a result there is a mismatch between the objectives of the
curriculum and the teacher's adoption of teaching methodology. The
present curriculum and textbooks of Primary and Secondary levels are
modelled on the Communicative Approach requiring student-centred
activities and interactive methodology which demands students' active
participation in the class. But the classroom situation is mainly teacher
centred. The Communicative Language teaching usually requires a teacher
to have near native skills in the target language and pedagogical
competence. Like a mother a teacher should expand, modify or complete
the learners' incomplete utterances. "The teacher must assume the role of
psychologist-humanist in shaping the right personality required of the
learner for second language learning and dealing with his emotional state"
(Krashen cited in Sood 1988: 83-85).
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Most teachers of English in Bangladesh are not even familiar with
the Communicative Approach. In addition to this, their command of
English is far from satisfactory. The sitting arrangements in the class are
not suited to pair work and group discussions which are essential features
of the Communicative Approach. Under the circumstances the success of
the Communicative Approach in Bangladesh is rather doubtful. Moreover,
the experience of India, Nepal and Bangladesh with communicative
language teaching has not been very encouraging. Agnihotri and Khanna
( 1997) cite many expert opinions regarding the failure of the
Communicative Language Teaching. According to them learners are •
getting disenchanted and frustrated with EL T centres because "the
overemphasis on the communicative-functional aspect at the cost of
literary contents has not brought the desirable results" (Agnihotri &
Khanna 1997:132). In Nepal also the Communicative Language Teaching
has failed. Prof. Vishnu S. Rai (1999) attributes the failure of the
Communicative Approach to different factors. According to him, in Nepal
the curriculum and textbooks are designed on the principles of the
Communic~tive Approach. But most teachers are untrained and not
familiar with this approach. In -the class they use the Grammar-Translation
Method and mechanical drills method. Their competence in English is also
very poor. In Bangladesh "the communicative language teaching which is
tried by some trained ELT professionals does not seem to work well too"
(Shahidullah 1999:46). Regarding the success of second or foreign
language teaching-learning, the comment of Stern (1983) is worth
mentioning here. According to him the skills of a second language acquired
in the classroom, if not used out side the class, will not last long. In
Bangladesh there is hardly any scope for the use of English as a language
of communication. So the speaking skill acquired through the
Communicative Approach in the class will not have any environmental
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support outside the class. As soon as students leave the institutions they
will forget it because of disuse. So, it is almost useless to teach them
communicative English. A vast majority of our students mainly require
reading and writing skills which they can use outside the class room for
reading literature, journals, magazmes, newspapers etc. The
communicative English is useful for those who will go abroad or do jobs
requiring English speaki!1g skill. But their number is very few. They can go ,
in for the English speaking courses conducted through radio, and television
by Bangladesh Open University. Dhaka University also conducts short
term English speaking courses. ,.
As the vast majority of our students essentially need to master
reading and writing skills the teaching approach should, therefore, be
mainly eclectic based primarily on Gramar-Translation Method and
adopting all the useful techniques of other modem methods which
contribute to .helping our students acquire reading and writing skills in
English successfully. For this the English language teachers of Bangladesh
must be conversant with all the language teaching methods. In Wilga
Rivers' view the eclectics try "to absorb the best techniques of all the well
known language-teaching methods into their classroom procedures, using
them for the purpose for which they are most appropriate" (Rivers
1981:55). Moreover we should remember what Shahidullah says that
"experiences of learning and modes of teaching and learning methods
originating in one culture clashes with and does not work well in· other
contexts" (Shahidullah 1999:49). It is perhaps because of this that the
methods developed in the West in a situation where the learners have
enough exposure to the target language outside the classroom lessons, do
not work well in our context. Regarding the adoption of a method Stem
clearly says:
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"In our research we did not find a particular model or interpretation that one could recommend as a fully satisfactory expression to be confidently adopted for decision making or research" (Stern 1983: 497).
The most important thing is that if the teacher is sincere, devoted,
industrious and motivated, then any method will work in his hand.
Moreover, a good teacher can evolve his own teaching methodology as the
situation demands. The Grammar-Translation Method is suitable for ;
Bangladesh in the sense that our teachers were taught through this method
and our students think that learning a language means learning the rules of
grammar of that language. This positive attitude of the students should be
utilized to the maximum degree~ Finally, it can be said that it is not the
method but the whole-hearted effort of the teacher and the motivation of
learners that count for the success of second or foreign language learning.
Curriculum is the guiding force in teaching any subject. The
development of a new curriculum and its implementation affects the
classroom teacher most directly because a class teacher depends on
curriculum for what he has to teach.
In a narrow sense, a curriculum refers to subject matter or content
and in its broader sense it refers to the entire instructional process including
materials, equipment, explanation and the training of teachers, in short all
pedagogical means related to schooling or to the substan'ce of a course of
studies. In other words it can be said that a curriculum is concerned with
'what can and should be taught to whom, when and how' (Eisner and
Vellance 1974 cited in Stem 1983:434).
A good curriculum should have certain features. Firstly, it must be
very specific about the objectives of teaching e.g. desired goals of teaching.
Secondly, it should also be explicit about teaching method, time allocation,
the selection and arrangement of content, modes of presentation, the
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classroom, the media to be used and so on. The third feature is evaluation
which assesses whether teaching achieves the desired goals. It includes
classroom test, standardized test and internal and external examinations.
Utmost care should be taken while developing a new curriculum and
its implementation. It is often found that the finest and most up-to-date
curriculum ideas can be vitiated if they are imposed upon the teachers
concerned without making it sure that the changes made in new curriculum
are understood by them. "The willing participation of teachers in <
implementing curriculum changes is recognized as an essential aspect of
introducing a new curriculum" (ipid:441). In Chapter III we have seen that
in 1986 the textbook of Higher Secondary classes (XI and XII) based on a
new syllabus had to be withdrawn within a year in the face of hostility of
college teachers of English. It is therefore, essential to take the concerned
teachers into confidence by briefing and consulting them about the aims
and objectives of new curriculum before it is implemented.
In Bangladesh, generally, syllabuses are prepared by .
semor
academics on the basis of some perceived needs of the learners without any
empirical investigation of learners' needs. For an appropriate pedagogy this
approach to syllabus design has to be changed. Even an analysis of target
needs only will not prove enough, as it is necessary to take into
consideration the learners' needs that include such features as learners'
background, their preferred learning modes, their expectations and beliefs
regarding pedagogy. It is not enough to outline what the learners need to
learn and what the teachers are required to teach, it is important or perhaps
more important to recommend how the items have to be incorporated in the
modalities of pedagogical procedures for implementing the syllabus.
The curriculum published by the Secondary Boards under the title -
'Syllabus' contains only contents to be taught but no goals. As a result the
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teacher teaches so that the students can pass the examination. The existing
examination system is such that a student can pass it by means of rote
learning without acquiring language skills in English.
The curricula of Primary and Secondary Schools are language-based
whereas at the Higher Secondary level it is literature oriented. But the
syllabus is mute about whether literary pieces should be taught to develop
the aesthetic sensibility of learners or to develop their basic language skills
in English.
Theoretically, literature oriented curriculum for Higher Secondary •
level is the right step in the sense that students enter this level after having
studied English as language for ten years. So it is naturally assumed that
they have acquired enough command of English to enjoy literature at this
level. But the examination system implies that literature teaching at Higher
Secondary level is essentially instrumental in developing the language
skills of the students. So, while teaching literature it should be remembered
that "teaching of literature to a foreign student for aesthetic sensibility is
one thing while making literature a means and tool for teaching a foreign
language is entirely a different thing" (Srivastava 1995:128).
It has been now established after a lot of arguments in favour of
inclusion or exclusion of literature in language teaching that the study of
literature is of great importance if used appropriately (Widdowson 1975,
Bright and Mcgregor 1970, and Legenhausen 1991 cited in Chepkuto
1999: 168-169).
Literary text is used as "(a) substitute modes of colloquial
expression which learners master actively - here we are faced with
dialogues in fiction and drama; (b) as representatives of model cultivated
expression which the learners are encouraged to imitate and as language
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material on which various linguistic phenomena are acquired and (c) as
initial text for translation" (Srivastava 1995: 129). "They (literary pieces)
are very useful for teaching reading as they provide good material for
developing the reading skills" (P. Gurrey 1970: 171). According to Gilroy
Scott "Literature is not something to be ashamed of or avoided but an
indispensable part of the reading process in general" (Gilroy-Scott 1983:4).
Brumfit (1981) (as cited in Sood 1988:95) holds that the teaching of
literature in a foreign language can provide a valuable basis for a fully
communicative advanced work in language. Conversation/discussion is an
important activity in a foreign language learning programme. Literature ,
provides ample opportunity for this activity. This is why Alan Maley
rightly argues that "literary texts provide a stimulus to interaction between
students" (Alan Maley as cited in Sood 1988:95). It is, thus, clear that
literature plays a significant role in language teaching.
While teaching literature, our principal aim is to impart practical
training in reading of literary writings to students and in the process to
improve their own competence of the English language. Hence the
selection of material for study should be made on (1) linguistic rather than
aesthetic grounds, and (ii) teachability of the material. It is also necessary
to simplify and grade the literary text so that lessons pass gradually from
that which is easy to that which is difficult. In our grading and adapting a
text we should be cautious and take care that text does not become
unnatural in order to suit the gradual progress of linguistic complexity. The
principle of gradual progress in linguistic difficulty is sound, but it is
unsound to put it into practice in a manner that other pedagogical principles
which are just as sound are neglected (Jespersen as cited in Srivastava
1995: 131). About the selection of the literary test Widdowson (1975) (as
cited in Sood 1988:96) says that we need to choose initially what is
stylistically simple, culturally bridgeable, compatible with genu me
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literary utterance and likely to be most effective in developing
sensitivity of response.
The analysis of data in Chapter III reveals that more than ninety five
percent students were very interested in acquiring speaking skill in English.
But there is no textbook at the Higher Secondary level for teaching
speaking skill nor do we have teaching aids like radio, tape recorder,
language laboratory etc. So there should be some literary selections that
will help the teacher to teach the spoken English to some extent though the ,<
main objective would be to develop the reading and writing skills of the
students. The selection of modem plays might prove very useful in this
respect.
Care should be taken to see that initially the selections are not too
long nor too difficult in style. The texts must be interesting and
representative of authentic language use and must appeal to the young
minds of the learners. While selecting text it must be remembered that "the
basic skill to be developed by the study of literature is the skill of reading"
(H.L.B. Moody 1983: 35). In selecting the literary materials for the Higher
Secondary level attention should be given to the fact that colleges remain
closed most of the time of the year because of innumerable reasons (see
Chapter III). So, the teaching load should be less. The teacher of English
should carefully avoid the lecture method which is essentially teacher-
centred and instead he should adopt a leamer-centred approach
encouraging each and every student to participate in the discussion of the
text and thus it will provide a chance to practise speaking in English to
some extent.
In Bangladesh grammar teaching is of great importance in order to
enable the students to attain accuracy in English on the one hand and to
meet the curriculum requirements of the Higher Secondary classes, on the
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other. The learners need to develop their grammatical knowledge in order
to make out accurately the meaning of the written texts and write correctly.
Since traditional grammar is in practice now, any break-through in
grammar teaching requires, first of all, preparation of a pedagogical
grammar by expert pedagogues who should remember while writing the
grammar that - "a teacher oriented pedagogical grammar takes a detour via
contrastive linguistics while a learner - oriented pedagogical grammar
takes a detour via error-linguistics" (Srivastava 1995: 144). Before
introducing it the teachers must be given intensive in-service training in
this grammar in order to ensure .that they have understood the content of
the book and are capable enough to teach it in an effective way. Otherwise
there is every possibility of the teaching of grammar being a failure. If the
teacher cannot make grammar teaching effective, learners would get
bored in grammar classes. Moreover, pedagogical grammar in Bangladesh
context should be introduced at the post graduate level first as an integral
part of M.A. English course. If the students are taught well, they will in
tum be able to impart the knowledge of the pedagogical grammar when
they become teachers of English. And there should be adequate in-service
and pre-service training for teachers about the methodology of presenting
the elements of pedagogical grammar.
But we should not play down the role of traditional grammar. It is
true that it has many defects but it has a lot of virtues. About the merits and
usefulness of traditional grammar, Allen and Corder have this to say:
"Much has been made of comparatively trivial shortcomings, and the considerable achievements of the traditional grammarians have been belittled or ignored. Teachers who wish to maintain a balanced view of linguistics should not overlook the fact that traditional grammar has many useful virtues. The traditional handbooks provided the array of terms and distinctions which most of us used in learning to talk about our own language, and
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which many educated people continue to find serviceable throughout their lives. The scholarly reference books moreover, contain a great deal of material which can be expected to appear, with only slight modifications in any description of English. The current trend in linguistic studies, involving any attempt to describe the abstract system of rules that underlies the surface forms of utterances, has led to a marked revival of interest in the methods oftraditional grammar" (Allen & Corder 1975:51).
In Bangladesh, therefore, we can continue the teaching of English
'traditional grammar as it has many advantages. Firstly, all teachers of
English are trained in traditional grammar. Secondly, good textbooks on
traditional grammar are available in the market. Thirdly, there is a positive
attitude towards the traditional grammar and students, therefore, can take
help in case of difficulty from any educated person other than their teachers
when they are outside the classroom.
Finally, regarding grammar teaching it can be said that a teacher of
English must be trained in all kinds of grammars and he "must make his
own choice from among the various models of grammar available in
linguistics and decide for himself what kind of grammatical statement is
most likely to be suitable for the particular group of students he has ill
mind" (ibid:4 7).
Since the Higher Secondary course is an intermediate stage, study of
grammar is essential for the students in order to achieve accuracy in
English. At present all our teachers are educated in literature and traditional
grammar and our students have also a foundation in traditional grammar.
So the job of our teachers at this level is , so to speak, a remedial one and
also involves building up the students' knowledge of grammar on a more
solid foundation for better accuracy. For achieving this a teacher may adopt
any of the four devices suggested by Stevick (see Chapter III) according to
its suitability or he may follow any of his own devices for effective
teaching. While teaching grammar the concerned teacher must be cautious
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not to turn the class into a dull one. Otherwise students will lose interest
and the grammar class will be boring for them.
Professional training of the teachers is an important factor which
affects the quality of teaching-learning. Teaching is a complex activity
involving both subject matter knowledge and pedagogical skills. General
education endows the teacher with knowledge of the subject matter, while
training equips him with pedagogical skills. A teacher who is fully trained
and has a good command of the subject is likely to be very successful in
his profession.
, The Task Force Report 1976 reveals the pathetic state of our ELT
professionals. The report says:
"At all levels there is a grave shortage of trained teachers of English . ... The biggest single obstacle to English teaching in Bangladesh is the lack of competent teachers at all levels" (The Task Force Report 1976:2).
During the last twenty-five years the situation instead of improving,
has become worse. In this regard Kamal Uddin Ahmad, a professor of
Chittagong University regrets that: "In Bangladesh more than sixty percent
of those who teach English at the Secondary level have no professional
knowledge and competence. English is offered at the Primary Training
Institutes of teachers but very few trainees take it seriously. As a result
more than ninety percent of the teachers who have to teach English do so
without any professional background" (K.U. Ahmad 1999:330).
Under the circumstances one can easily imagine what a piteous state
of English teaching-learning situation prevails in Bangladesh. It is because
of the incompetent teachers that most of students studying English for
fourteen long years can neither speak nor write a correct sentence. This
state can be expressed in words of Agnihotri and Khanna who say that
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"the whole project of English teaching in its present shape was regarded as
a colossal national waste" (Agnihotri & Khanna 1997: 130).
Prof. Shamsul Hoque has depicted the sorry state of English
teaching in Bangladesh thus:
"The weak students from the primary level become weaker at the secondary level and they become still weaker at the tertiary level. And these weaker students graduating from universities and colleges become teachers at the primary and secondary levels producing still weaker students. A vicious circle indeed!" (S. Hoque 1999:98).
There are some training institutes to train the teachers. But this ,
training is too inadequate to bring about a qualitative change in their
attitudes and teaching behaviour. So, the present dismal situation of
teaching English is the result mainly of the lack of adequate training for the
teachers. Pattanayak (1981) strongly argues for the need of teacher
training.
"According to Pattanayak (1981) trained teachers, well written
textual materials and improved methods of teaching are more important
than length of time for which it is taught. In absence of these, the teaching
English at lower stages has resulted in a wastage of time and resources"
(cited in Hamidur Rahman 1999:24).
Expert opinion is that innovations in methodology will reqUIre a
change in the role of teachers and to adjust with the changed role, teachers
need both pre-service and in-service training. It has also been mentioned
earlier that implementation of a new curriculum demands teacher training
in order to make them aware of the new directions. "The training needs to
concentrate on developing teacher's skills for which there must be some
micro-teaching programmes for the trainee teachers. Some specialised
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institutes for training English teachers to cope with the changing needs of
the time are necessary for the purpose" (M. Shahidullah 1999:59).
The incompetence of the language teacher "must be attributed to a
large extent to poor teacher-training in many countries having, until
recently, been rather meagre, we do not need to elaborate on the need of
good teacher-training programmes and what teacher-training must consist
of, suffice it to say that Ii badly informed teacher will obstruct the progress
of FLT. He will cling to his established methods and be averse to change.
He will be suspicious of new or rather different ideas, basing himself on a
pragmatism which is the result ,of a tradition of self-sufficiency" (Kelly
1969 as cited in Theo Van Els et al 1984: 143). This is why the training of a
teacher is very crucial in any educational programme. "The training of a
teacher lies partly in his study of pedagogical theory of the psychology and
sociology of education, and partly in gaining practice in a range of
classroom techniques and familiarity with aural, visual and other teaching
aids" (Halliday, McIntosh and Strevens: 1964:276). Different studies
carried on the effectiveness of teaching have revealed that an adequately
trained teacher is more friendly than authoritarian with his students and he
also exhibits better professional attitudes and relationships and better
lesson preparation.
The role of the teacher of English in the context of Bangladesh is
very important. Since Bangladesh is a monolingual state, there is hardly
any exposure for the students to English outside the classroom. In such a
situation, Krashen (1985) notes that 'the teacher is both the primary source
of input and the model for learners'. In case of L I situation , the
acquisition is natural since the learner is exposed to all varieties of the
language throughout the day while in learning a foreign language like
English in Bangladesh, the Bengali speaking learner of English has limited
215
amount of time for learning it and limited exposure to it. What actually
happens in such a situation is that what the L2 learner is able to get from
the language classroom and school environment constitutes the primary
data available, while there is little or no reinforcement outside the class. In
such learning environment the role of the teacher of L2 is of paramount
importance. A well trained teacher is competent to teach his subject
effectively and is well-equipped with teaching skills to enable the students
to acquire the language skills easily.
The field of English language teaching is constantly flooded by new
theories of learning and new methods of teaching. So comprehensive
general training is not enough for teachers of English. They need to be
constantly retrained in in-service workshops, seminars, conferences etc. in
order to be abreast of the new developments in English pedagogy.
Otherwise teaching will be outdated and may be unproductive. If they
attend seminars, conferences and workshops they will have opportunities to
exchange ideas concerning teaching problems and they will also get
acquainted with research findings which will benefit them greatly. In this
way teacher-education is a continuous process.
In Bangladesh Primary and Secondary school teachers are given ten
months training. In these training courses English occupies a very meagre
and inadequate position. Moreover, the instructors imparting training in
English are also not adequately qualified. As a result the teacher training in
English continues to be rather unsatisfactory.
Since the command of English of the majority of teachers is very
poor, training institutes of English should be set-up at different places of
the country where every effort will be made to improve their knowledge of
English along with their pedagogical skills. They will also impart short
term in-service training for already trained teachers in order to give them
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an idea of the up-to-date methodology of English teaching. Since college
teachers of English are educated in literature and have no knowledge of
how to teach literature effectively or how to teach literature as a tool for
improving the English language skills of their students, adequate
arrangements should be made for their training in this direction. There is
hardly any seminar or conference or workshop on teaching English. So
steps should be taken on government initiative for holding seminars and
workshops from time to time at least at district headquarters. In order to
encourage participation either the respective institutions of the teachers or
the government should pay all expenses for the participating teachers. ,
Imparting training and holding seminars etc. are of no use if the concerned
teacher does not use his newly acquired knowledge in teaching in the
classroom. So, government should set up a separate cell in order to
supervise and monitor English teaching in every institute.
The existence of a large number of students in a class stands in the
way of effective teaching-learning of English. 'Classes must become
smaller if English is to be taught effectively' (H. Rahman 1999:25) ..
The Task Force Report 1976 recommended that Bangladesh needs
7000 teachers of English for the H.S.C. level only for effective teaching
learning. It is not possible to appoint such a huge number of teachers.
Under the circumstances "conditions for teaching can certainly be
improved by reducing the load of syllabuses where necessary, preparing
more effective teaching materials and giving adequate training" (ibid: 17).
The problem of the large number of students can be solved by making
small classes and serving teachers should be encouraged to take extra
classes on payment of adequate remuneration.
Another variable which affects teaching-learning of a foreign
language is motivation. The standards of English in Bangladesh have gone
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down because of the lack of motivation. The teachers cannot motivate our
young learners to learn English. The fact is that the teachers themselves are
not motivated to teach effectively. Motivation is a very important factor in
learning a foreign language. "Motivation is commonly thought of as an
inner drive, impulse, emotion or desire that moves one to a particular
action. More especially human beings universally have needs or drives that
are more or less innate, yet their intensity is environmentally conditioned"
(H. Douglas Brown 1987: 114). Motivation concerns itself with "those
factors that energize behaviour and gives it direction''''(Hilgard et al (1979)
cited in Theo Van Else et al 1984:116). According to Brown "motivation ,
is a key to learning" (Brown 1987: 114). Bell also says that "as any teacher
knows strong motivation will go a long way to repairing the efforts of poor
facilities and materials but poor motivation will be impervious to all our
efforts. No one can be forced to learn but individual who truly wishes to
learn will learn somehow" (Bell 1981:127).
Gardner and Lambert (1977) and Brown (1987) are of opinion that
"integrative motivation is absolutely essential for successful second
language learning" (Brown 1987: 116). But in the Indian sub-continent the
people learn English with instrumental motivation. In this context
Agnihotri and Khanna say that "People in India learn English for a variety
of reasons but all of them have an unmistakenly instrumental colour: some
are integratively instrumental, some instrumentally instrumental, some
manipulatively instrumental and some instrumental despite resentment"
(Agnihotri & Khanna, 1997: 83). The same is true in case of learning
English as a foreign language in Bangladesh. In addition a learner may also
be motivated to learn a language in order to please his teachers, parents,
getting a reward or being inspired by success (Theo Van Els et al 1984:
I 17). In Bangladesh the strongest motivation for learning English is
essentially instrumental in nature. English is primarily learnt for higher
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education, 'career enhancement' and 'to upgrade one's prestige and
personality' (Agnihotri & Khanna 1997: 89). Majority of the students study
English to pass their examinations with high marks. So, students are
motivated more for memorizing answers of some specific questions
(memorizing contents of the texts) and practising some grammatical
exercises than for acquiring skills in English. In order to motivate our
students to learn Englis.h the role of our teachers and guardians is very ,
crucial. The Government of Bangladesh also wants our students to pass the
examinations only. English haS'; thus, become examination oriented rather
than a skill oriented subject.
It has been mentioned earlier that our teachers are not motivated to
impart language skills to our learners. Most of them, having failed to obtain
a better job, have come to this profession. So, they are not happy with their
jobs. They have taken teaching as a mere means of earning their livelihood
instead of considering it the mission of their life. Moreover, their salary
and other related facilities are poorer than those in other jobs. In addition,
in non-government schools and colleges there is hardly any scope for
promotion. The honorarium paid to a non-government primary teacher is
not even worth mentioning. In such circumstances one cannot· expect any
improvement of teaching-learning of English. Talented persons are not
attracted to this profession and those are already in service look for other
jobs. The terms and conditions of teaching profession should be improved
in such a way as to attract talented people and there should be adequate
scope for promotion for the teachers, otherwise gifted persons will not be
interested to join this profession and the bright teachers cannot be retained.
and so the on-going deterioration of standards of education as a whole in
general and English in particular cannot be checked.
219
The analysis of the data reveals that more than ninety five percent
students are interested to acquire speaking skill in English. But the present
system has no provision for teaching speaking skill. There is a serious
mismatch between students' needs and expectations and, the pedagogical
philosophy and methods ofteaching, resulting in unsatisfactory outcome.
In this respect Wilga Rivers says "the early introduction of the
speaking of the language is also important for reasons of motivation.
Students come to the study of another language with the strong conviction
that language means 'something spoken'. They are often discouraged and
lose interest when they find th~t studying a language is just like other
subjects learning a whole lot of stuff from a book" (Rivers 1981: 189).
No doubt, in Bangladesh our learners need to master reading and
writing skills more than the skill of speaking, yet they should be given
some practice in speaking in a communicative way. This will give them an
idea of English as a living language meant not for reading and writing only
but also for communicating in day to day life. Here it is worth
remembering that if there is a balance between the instructional method
and students' needs and expectations they will be more highly motivated to
learn the language with more enthusiasm.
Examination is the common feature of any formal education to test
how far the learners have mastered the contents of the syllabus. In applied
linguistics it is known as achievement test. It may be either internal or
external. Internal tests are conducted by classroom teacher or institutional
authority. But the external ones are conducted either by some government
agency or a university. Such examinations represent what is taught in the
class on the basis of curriculum (Stern 1983: 353). "Achievement tests are
closely related to a curriculum, they only test what has been taught" (Theo
Van Els et al 1984: 313).
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The final external examination is very powerful in the sense that it
controls classroom teaching, internal tests, learning etc. In other words
teaching-learning in schools and colleges is essentially governed by the
patterns of external examination. That is why formal education of any
institution is generally examination oriented. In Bangladesh external
examinations like S.S.C.; H.S.C.; Degree and Master's affect teaching
learning of English very adversely. The pattern of setting stereotype
questions in all these examinations has instead of making the students
develop their language skills in English, pushed them to rote learning and
adopting unfair means in the examinations. Mariam Begum has discussed •
the examination system of Bangladesh thus:
"There is a mismatch between the learning out-come and the system of evaluation, no purposeful testing in English language or any other course is possible without a clear definition of the objectives of the course. The teacher, the student, the paper setter and the examiner should be familiar with the objectives of the course and the syllabus should reflect those objectives. Then it is possible to measure the quality and level of achievement of the students by means of suitably devised tests and examinations. The objectives of the course, the syllabus and the examinations are all interdependent. Unless we understand this relationship examinations are bound to be what they are: unsatisfactory instruments of evaluation. Ifwe do not know why we are teaching, what we are teaching then we would not know what we want to find out through examinations" (Mariam Begum 1999:217).
I t is also a reality that no reform in methodology or textbook
preparation, is possible unless the examination system is reformed.
Because examination system supports heavily the reforms initiated in other
aspects of language teaching. Any reform in language teaching must be
accompanied by a reform in examination system in order to make the
former successful. But any reform in examination system must be brought
about very cautiously. While implementing any reform in examination
"testees should be aware of what is expected of them right from the start.
They should know what content is tested, how it is tested and what criteria
221
will be used in rating. For this purpose, the testees could be given a number
of specimen tests" (Theo Van Els et al 1984: 312).
Examination reform is a must in Bangladesh in order to prevent the
students from rote learning and adopting unfair means in the examination,
on the one hand, and to develop their language skills in English on the
other. A sudden change in the examination system will prove disastrous.
The H.S.C. Examination of2000 is ample proof of this. Only 37% students
have come out successful in the H.S.C. Examination - 2000 according to a
Dhaka - based Bengali daily - 'The Sangbadh' 27.8.2000. (Among the
failures about 90% fail usually jn English - according to the Report of
Bangladesh Education Statistic Book - 1995).
Many educationists have pointed out the following reasons for the
disastrous result of this year.
a) Teachers do not teach with care.
b) Students do not attend classes regularly.
c) A sudden change in the pattern of questions in the H.S.C. Examination of 2000.
In such circumstances a reform in English teaching, including
the evaluation process, has become the crying need of the day. A
committee of language experts should be constituted with
immediate effect to reform the existing examination system.
In order to improve the overall teaching-learning of English
in Bangladesh the following steps should be taken-
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1. Objectives
a) Objectives of English teaching at all levels should be clearly
specified.
b) The main objectives of teaching English in Bangladesh should be to
enable students to read and write with accuracy. And students
should be given some practices in speaking English too.
2. Contexts
(a) English should be abolish~d from Primary level.
(b) It should be taught from class VI onwards.
3. Method
(a) The present teacher-centred methodology should be replaced by the
learn-centred one. It will mainly be eclectic in nature.
(b) The existing traditional grammar teaching should continue at Higher
Secondary and degree levels with adequate modifications.
4. Textbook
(a) At Higher Secondary level, the classical literary pieces should be
replaced by simplified and adopted versions of classics and the
writings of modern writers.
(b) Literature oriented textbook at Higher Secondary level should be
used as an instrument for developing students' skills in English
language.
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5. Examination
(a) Examinations should be reformed for testing students' skills in
English instead of their knowledge of the content of the text.
6. Teacher Training
(a) A separate English training institute should be set up for pre-service
and in-service training of teachers of English for improving their
command of English in general and pedagogical skills in particular. .
(b) M.A. (English) course sqould be remodelled in order to produce
English language teachers.
For the success of English teaching-learning it should be
remembered that "The availability of teaching materials and adequately
trained teachers is integral parts of foreign language teaching. If these are
not available, it is useless to decide to introduce certain subject in schools"
(Buckly 1976, Kunkle 1977 cited in Theo Van Els et aI1984:166).
Here it must also be added that an ideal examination system for
testing students' skills is a very important factor for making English
teaching-learning a success in Bangladesh. Until and unless we have a
better examination system, all other efforts for improvement of teaching
learning of English will remain most unsatisfactory.
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Appendix A Questionnaire
Please put tick (~) lnark in the appropriate box
Name: Year of birth: Profession: Male D FemaleD
Your educational qualifications:
Your competence in English
Good Moderate Little Listening comprehension •
Speaking ability Reading skill Writing skill
Do you often watch/listen to English films and other English programmes in the following media?
Name of the medium Regularly Sometimes Never Television Radio Cinema
How often do you listen to English news in the following media? Name of medium Regularly Sometimes Never Television Radio
Do you often read the following? Regularly Sometimes Never
English novels English dailies English magazines
Do you often listen to the following programmes? Programmes Regularly Sometimes Never English songs English sport commentaries
Which class do you prefer for introduction of English in Bangladesh? (Mark tick (--J) against your choice) Class I Class VI Class II Class VII Class III Class VIII Class IV Class IX Class V Class X
Please give your opinion regarding the medium of instruction at the following stages of education. (Put a tick (--J) against your choice).
Stages Bengali English Stages Bengali Primary B.A. Hons. High school B.Com. Hons. Higher secondary , B.Sc. B.A. M.B.B.S. B. Com. Engineering B.Sc. M.A. Tourism M.Com. Computer M. Sc.
English
Put a tick (--J) mark in the appropriate box to indicate \vhether you agree, disagree or like to remain neutral with the following statements.
I) English-knowing Bangladeshis are generally liberal.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
2) English-knowing Bangladeshis are indifferent to their culture and traditions.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
3) English is very essential for us because it enables us to interact with the world communities.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
4) Students need English for higher studies at home and abroad.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
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5) English-knowing-Bangladeshis are not honest
I Agree I Neither agree or disagree I Disagree
6) English is no longer the language of the Britishers and Americans only, it is now an international language.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
7) English is essential for me because it adds to my personality and knowledge.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
8) Since Bangladesh is a monolingual state, English should be abolished from the country.
I Agree I . I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
9) Use of Bengali in English class is helpful for learning English.
. I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
10) Nowadays the study of English textbooks is not essential for passing examinations
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
11) Memorization of notes and guides is enough for passing the· examinations
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
12)Many students use unfair means in the examinations
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
13) Small classes are suitable for learning English
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
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14) The standard of English has gone down.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
15) Teachers of English are not devoted to their work. I Agree I I Neither agree nor disagree I I Disagree
16) There is a great dearth of suitable English textbooks.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
17) English is now a popular language in Bangladesh.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
18) Students in Bangladesh cannot speak or write English correctly because they are not taught English grammar well.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
19) The competence of our H.S.C. students is so poor in English that they cannot enjoy Shakespeare, Maugham, Coleridge, Browning, Wordsworth and other writers.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
20)Because of common questions in the examinations students are encouraged to memorize answers to some specific questions and/or copy in the examinations.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
21 )The present literature oriented textbook should continue in H.S.C. classes.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
22) "I feel nervous while speaking English in the class"
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
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23)"1 speak English in the class"
\ Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
24) "I speak English outside the class too".
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
25)"When I attempt to speak English in the class, I feel everybody is laughing at me."
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
26)"The H.S.C. English textbook appears very difficult to me."
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
27) "I want an English text that will help me learn speaking English."
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
28) One can learn English well from a private tutor.
I Agree I Neither agree nor disagree I Disagree
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Appendix B '\ " .
SURVEY RESULTS Table -1
Total Number of Informants: 263 --
Claimed Proficiency in Language Skills ---- ---
Listening Speaking Reading WI'iting
Good Average Little Good Average Little Good Average Little Good Average Little
Dearth of suitable texts The present text is Students cannot enjoy The present text should Students need a text that will difficult for students Shakespeare, Browning continue help them speaking English
Table 9 (a) Table 9 (b) Table 9 (c) Table 9 (d) Small class is suitable for Use of Bengali in English Teachers are not devoted Teachers do not teach learning English class is helpful for to teaching English grammar well
Table 10 Attitude towards English in H.S.C. Examination
Total Number of Informants: 263
Table 10 (a) Table 10 (b) Table 10 (c)
Text reading is not Memorization of guides Because of common necessary for passing the and notes is enough for questions in the H.S.C. examination passing the examination Exam. students are
encouraged to memorize the answers to common questions
Agree Neither Dis- Agree Neither Dis- Agree Neither Dis-agree agree agree nor agree agree agree nor disagree nor disagree disagree
Many students copy in the examination hall to pass the examination
Agree Neither Dis-agree nor agree disagree
% 0/0 0/0
63 17 18
55 19 24
73 15 11
69 11 19
43 38 17
66 21 11
46 17 26
56 20 22
73 13 13
Table 11
Attitude towards Skills Total Number of Informants: 263
Table 11 (a) Table 11 (b) Table 11 (c) Table 11 (d) Table 11 (e) Table 11 (f) I feel nervous I speak English in [ speak English I feel every body Bangladeshi [n these days of while speaking the class out side the class laughs at me when I students need globalization English in the also speak English in the reading and writing Bangladeshi class class skills only students need
