status of English in Bangladesh: Second Language or Foreign Language

The issue of language has led to many conflicts and discontent. The first example of discontent is the language movement of 1952 in Bangladesh. On the other hand, we can not live in isolation. We must be in contact with speakers of other languages. Bangladesh is considered a monolingual country where over 98% of the population is Bengali speakers. However, there are more than ten languages ​​in a small country like Bangladesh. Monipuri, Urdu, Chakma, Santali, Garo, Rakhain, ICTR-are some of the other languages ​​present in Bangladesh.

The interesting thing is that Urdu is an Indo-European language, but written in Arabic characters, Santali belongs to the family of languages ​​Khemara any Chakma Barmese only belongs to the Chinese. Thus, while Bangladesh is often described as a land of linguistic unity on the basis of the Bengali language actually has a considerable linguistic diversity. To communicate with speakers of other languages ​​is that we need to know your language or communicate in a lingua franca that is understandable to us.

At present, the world has become a global village. Thanks to advances in communication system and technology. Each country is dependent on others for trade and commerce, education, politics, etc. Therefore, we must constantly communicate with other countries and speak other languages. Third World countries like Bangladesh have to depend on foreign aid, as they are not self-sufficient. As a result, many foreigners come to Bangladesh. A third factor is the factor of religion. The Muslim holy language is Arabic, Sanskrit for the Hindus, Buddhists in Pali and Latin for Christians.

All these remind us of the need to learn another language (s) as well as our mother tongue. According to the reality of many countries have adopted a European language as a second language is often used in education, judicial, economic activities and public works. These languages ​​are mostly state officials in the constitution of these countries. Many cases, countries have adopted the language of the colonial past as a second language. Sometimes, these languages ​​are called languages. In many African countries, we can see the image. On the other hand, some European languages ​​have become very important in the world of literature and economics. For example, Germany and France are considered the major world languages, as both have the literature and the economic influence associated with them.

For example, many people in our countries are interested in learning French, as it can help them get jobs in the United Nations and employment in multinational companies. Another attractive motivation to learn French in Bangladesh is that we can help you immigrate to Canada as a teacher of French language gives a person a couple of points in the system of immigration control in Canada.

The title of my research is “the state of English in Bangladesh: the second or foreign language” I chose this topic because in terms of sociolinguistic status of English is very interesting. On the one hand English is the dominant presence in all aspects of our national life any other in our Constitution clearly states that language is Bangla. In fact, nothing is said about the status of English in our Constitution. On the one hand, economic activities in private companies are conducted in English, while there is a government law (Bangla procholon ain1987) that government offices must use Bangla in their works officials. So in terms of government Bengali is the national official language of Bangladesh and English is the most important foreign language. But in reality, English is the language of the country and in many places English is more important than Bangla in Bangladesh.

Second Language:

A second language is a language that is not the first or native, language learned, usually used for geographical or social. The term is distinguished from the foreign language linguist Eric Lenneberg used second language in their assumption that the critical period for language learned or used voluntarily by the President after puberty. In most cases, people never reach the same level of comfort and understanding in their second language as mother tongue.

Historically in Europe, the most popular language in second (or lingua franca) was Latin. It was used by the Church by law (as is still today), drugs (much later), the organic classification and horticultural plants, animals, fruits, nuts, etc.

Latin was used throughout Europe as was called by the vulgar (or common language). This is why the Latin version of the Bible called the Vulgate

Today, English is considered the world’s second most popular language,. is used in fields as diverse as Internet, television and radio, and international aviation

The success of English around the world comes from two main causes. great influence of the British Empire and the 20th century (and continuing) dominance of the United States in the fields of business and leisure

French for a time was the lingua franca (the origin of the word) in Europe . In history, Britain and France were governed by a single crown – the language used by the royal court was French (English was considered the “peasant language”). Then, as was the case in English, French Empire spread its language through colonization. French is still one of the most spoken languages ​​in the world. (Source: Wikipedia)

If you look at the definition of a second language then we can easily say that English is the language of Bangladesh. It is widely used in many parts of our national life. Many people watch TV and English via the Internet. Students have to study for twelve years and those who want to enter public service by participating in the BCS exam must also pass an English test. The only thing missing in the above definition is that, except for formal occasions, no English is spoken in Bangladesh. This is not the language used at home between family members and friends in casual conversation.

languages ​​

:

A language is a language not spoken by the natives of a particular place: for example, English is a foreign language in Japan. It is also a language not spoken in the country of origin of the person in question, an English-speaking life in Japan can be said that Japanese is a language foreign to him.

Some children learn several languages ​​from birth or from an early age: they are bilingual. These children can be said to have two mother tongues: the language is no stranger to children, even if a language is a foreign language for most people in the country of birth. For example, a child to learn English to his mother English in Japan can speak English and Japanese, but it is a foreign language for her. (Source: Wikipedia)

From the above definition, we can see that the language refers to a language not native to a person. From this point of view of English can be considered as a foreign language in Bangladesh, it is not native to our country. Hardly anyone speaks English in Bangladesh, although many of them use in education and business. Official

:

an official language is something that is given a unique status in the country, states and other territories. This is usually the language of the legislative bodies of the nation, if the law in many countries requires that government documents are produced in other languages ​​too.

officially recognized minority languages ​​

are often mistaken for official languages. However, a language officially recognized by a state, is taught in schools and used in official communications is not necessarily an official language. For example, Ladin and Sardinian in Italy and in Portugal Miranda are officially recognized minority languages ​​not official languages ​​in the strict sense.

Half

countries around the world have official languages. Some have only one official language, such as Albania, France and Lithuania, although in all these countries, there are other native languages ​​as well. Some have more than one official language, such as Afghanistan, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Eritrea, Finland, India, Paraguay, South Africa and Switzerland.

In some countries, like Iraq, Italy, Russia and Spain, is an official language but other languages ​​are co-official in some important regions. Some countries, like Australia, Sweden, Tuvalu and the United States has no official language.

The official languages ​​of some former colonies, usually English or French language of the country or the language spoken.

However, as a result of nationalism, Irish is the “national language” of the Republic of Ireland and his first official language, although it is spoken by only a small fraction of its people. English is spoken by the majority, described only as the second official language (the Irish Constitution, Article 8).

In some countries, the question of which language is used in this context is a major political issue. (Source: Wikipedia)

From the above definition, we see that the notion of language is complicated. In our Constitution can not be named English as the official language of Bangladesh, as it has a status in our Constitution. The only language that is mentioned in our constitution is Bangla. But English is allowed in our parliament and government events. For example, when a government activity in which some foreigners attend then in many cases, speakers use the English language. Many important government documents are written in Bengali and English. Parliament’s deliberations are conducted in both languages. When a government body organizes a fair then often the memory is available in English.

Constitution:

On the language of the Constitution of Bangladesh clearly states:

“The language of the state.

The official language of the Republic [Bangla ].”

(Source: [http://www.pmo.gov.bd/constitution/consti2.htm # 3].)

In the Constitution there is nothing mentioned about the status of English. English is not mentioned as a second language or official language. So if we take the state of English in our constitution we can not say that English is their second language or official language in Bangladesh

English law court Bangladesh:.

After independence, the government took the initiative to implement the Bengali language in court. As a result, lower courts and to conduct business in Bengali, but English is still very influential in the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court. If a lawyer wants to practice in the Supreme Court and have a good command of English. Many judges give their verdict is always in English. It seems that this trend in the use of English will remain the future by force

Education Sector in Bangladesh

English: ..

formal education system and institutionalized

started in Bangladesh during the British rule at that time, Bangladesh was part of British India. There was discussion of the educational community. Raja Rammohan Roy argued that the environment must be in English rather than Sanskrit or Persian. During the British period, the average education was largely in English. Calcutta University, took the initiative in 1935 to introduce Bangla as a means of education with English. In Bangladesh, the use of Bangla in college began in the 1960s. Now, students can answer the exams in Bengali or English. In college and university after 1971, the government tried to Bangla sponsor and its application by replacing English in the education sector, but is not in reality due to some fundamental problems. The first problem is that there were not enough books of any land in the Bengali language. This problem is most acute in science and technology. For example, almost no books in Bengali in computer technology that can be used as a reference book in college.

In fact, there are three types of educational systems in our country Bangla Bangla-medium schools, half English, and the madrasa system. medium can be divided into two sectors of government and nursery schools. In the nursery there is more emphasis on English language public schools. Some nurseries are famous Vikarounnesa Dhaka, Holycross, Willes little flower, and so on Although these schools belong to the students of Bangla books 3-4 half studying English as:. Radiant Way, Active English, desk, basic English, grammar brighter, and so on. On the other hand in public schools is primarily a book in English (English for the moment) issued by the Council of Bangladesh Textbook. English language schools do not follow the Bangladesh education system under the supervision of the British Council. The medium of instruction in these schools is English and many students of English are still very low in the Bengali language. There are two types of madrasas -. And Dakhil madrasas Kawm Kawm are not recognized by the government and receive no government assistance in this emphasis is given madrassas in learning Arabic, Persian and Urdu while Bangla and English. are neglected. On the other hand, Dakhil Madrassas emphasis is mainly in Arabic and Bengali and English is not so careless.

So we can clearly see the difference in the education system in Bangladesh is based solely on the difference in the world of education. Although Bangla is the national language of Bangladesh is the official English institutions educational environment to get more money. The emergence of private universities has only increased the status and importance of English in Bangladesh. Currently there are over 50 private universities in Bangladesh and the educational community on each of them is English. These universities cost 2-5 lakh lakh taka for a degree course. If the medium of education in Bengal was then just a student or parent would be interested in paying big money for education in private universities.

From the above discussion it is clear that in our system of general education English plays an equally important, if not more than Bangla. English in our educational system is actually the second language that all students have to study as a compulsory subject for twelve years

English Law:.

During the movement of the tongue of the people of Bangladesh were afraid that if Urdu was established as the official language of Pakistan and all government activities will be conducted in Urdu and suffering our people. As a result of movement of the tongue, the Pakistani regime remains on the implementation of Government Activities in the English language. After Bangladesh became independent of the Awami League government has decided to replace English with Bangla in administrative work, but after the death of Sheikh Mujib this process is over and the English language also remains dominant. It was during the reign of Ershad Bangla Procholon ENEA 1987 was created and implemented. Since that time the English began to lose its importance in the administration. However, it should be noted that all international communications of the Government of Bangladesh is in charge of English

English in economic activities.

Bangladesh’s economy depends on foreign aid and export of certain common elements such as ready-made garments, jute, tea, fish, etc, and also import a lot of things. Bangladesh is not financially self-sufficient. Trading is more popular than production. Trading requires constant communication with foreign companies. Many of the companies involved in trade has to use English in the treatment of foreigners. Suppose a company does business with China is not an English speaking country. Then the company must contact the company in China in English. If you look at job listings in the private sector can then easily notice that most jobs are displayed in English. Even the most jobs in the private sector advertising displayed in Bengali newspapers are in English. Almost all private jobs state that candidates must have a good command of English. Almost all public companies to publish their annual reports in English. Some of these companies produce a Bengali version of its annual report, but the emphasis is always in English. It is clear that English is the dominant language in our economic activities.

comparison of English and Arabic, Sanskrit and Pali in Bangladesh:

Arabic, Sanskrit and Pali languages ​​are religious Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, respectively Even the uneducated and try to learn languages. are regarded as saints. If you compare the English language to language, then we can see that English is given more importance. For example, tuition at the training center in English is much higher than that of a training center in Arabic. English tutors get 4.5 times more money than Arabic tutors (Huzur). Thus, although the religious sentiment related to Arabic English is considered more important because it has an economic advantage

comparison

English foreign languages ​​like French, German and Persian.

French and German have become very popular for economic reasons in our country. Learning these languages ​​helps us increase our ability to obtain employment in the United Nations. Learning French is also useful for immigration to Canada. There are good facilities for language learning at the University of Dhaka, the Alliance Française and the Goethe Institute. Courses Recently, the Institute of English at North South University has been introduced in French. On the other hand, under Muslim rule Persian was the language of the royal administration and the court of justice in Bangladesh. Currently, a student can take a course in Persian for a semester and only pay TK. 250 in the center of cultural Iran, but there are many students who are interested in learning Farsi, French and German. In addition, hundreds of students each year are for the TOEFL and IELTS in English.

In the photo above, it is clear that the status of English is much larger than other languages ​​like German, French and Persian. We can not deny the reality that if a person is good at English so you can make money in any part of Bangladesh, but if a person is good in German, French and Persian, which has little room to make money by using their experience in these languages ​​

Recommendations

.

From the discussion so far, there is no doubt that English is the language of Bangladesh but this is not reflected in our constitution. Officially Bangladesh is not known as an ESL country to the outside world. So Bangladesh should be declared as an ESL country by the government without any delay. We learned about the English is not because we like Shakespeare or Dickens. Learn English all day needs. If Bangladesh is declared as an ESL country and English is given a clear position on the constitution so that not only reflect reality but to help us internationally. Now Bangladesh is desperately trying to attract foreign investors. Before any company is in Bangladesh to explore investment opportunities in a key area that are looking for is the availability of the pool of graduates in English and also expect that workers have basic knowledge of normal English. If we become an ESL country then these foreign companies, while seeking security in Bangladesh will have a strong presence of English in this country.

The same image is in the education sector. Many of the students of Bangladesh wants to go to developed countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia for higher education. If Bangladesh is declared as an ESL country then these students will benefit, because then the universities of these countries have the idea that English has. special significance to Bangladesh

So, to recommend to the Government of Bangladesh that English should be declared as the second language of the country by amending the Constitution

Conclusion

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Bibliography

1. Dr. Musa, Monsur. BHASHACINTA PROSONGO O PORIDHI. Dhaka.
Bangla Academy, 2002

2. Dr. Musa, Monsur. BANGLADESH RASHTRABHASHA. Dhaka.
Bangla Academy, 2002

3. Dr. Musa, Monsur. Bhasha PORIKOLPONAR SHOMAJ
… Bangla Academy Dhaka BHASHATATTA, 1996

4 Dr. Musa, BANGLA Monsur PARIBHASHA: … Or Itihaad SAMASYA Bangla Academy Dhaka
, 2002

SM Mehdi Hasan writes regularly for http://write-translate.blogspot.com