Part II.pdf - MTB-MLE Network
Part II.pdf - MTB-MLE Network
Part II.pdf - MTB-MLE Network
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From past experience, ASHRAI has realized that a congenial environment in the learning centre or<br />
school is an important factor in developing interest in learning, and in avoiding attrition among<br />
tribal children and adult learners.<br />
5. The Oraon<br />
The Northwest prefecture of Bangladesh exhibits a luminous mosaic of about eighteen different<br />
ethnic groups with over 10 languages and dialects mostly belonging to Austro-Asiatic, Dravidian<br />
and Indo-European linguistic families. The Oraon are the second largest group in northwest<br />
Bangladesh. The Oraon mother tongue is either Kurukh or Shadri, while their wider social setting<br />
is largely Bengali in orientation.<br />
The need for a functioning system of communication<br />
The Oraon community of Northwest Bangladesh is located in remote rural areas, but they are<br />
increasingly coming into contact with and participating in national life. Kurukh or Shadri, the Oraon<br />
languages, are exclusively and uniformly the languages of the home. Skills in Bengali are, however,<br />
a precondition for developing wider connections, since government officials are Bengali and service<br />
providers in all sectors are Bengali. Moreover, the association of Bengali language with education<br />
and literacy requires the Oraons to learn Bengali for survival and existence.<br />
6. Project Description<br />
In 2002, the project “Action Research on Literacy and Curriculum Development in the mother tongue<br />
for the Oraon Community of Northwest Bangladesh” was launched with assistance from UNESCO.<br />
Objectives of the Project<br />
The purpose of the project was to explore the means and tools for the development of education<br />
materials in the mother tongue. The viability of basic education in the mother tongue project required<br />
a comprehensive overview of the language structure and linguistic relativity of the language.<br />
Study Goals<br />
The specific study goals were to:<br />
• Prepare an inventory of the basic phones and grammatical rules of the language<br />
• Reveal the existing lexicon and semantic structure of the particular language<br />
• Explore the perceptions of local interest groups in relation to different linguistic modes<br />
of communication<br />
• Examine interactions, i.e. reading, writing, speaking, and listening<br />
• Unveil the perceptions of local interest groups on solutions to resolve identified constraints<br />
• Introduce and develop education in mother tongue<br />
• Determine the positive and negative impact of the perceived constraints and explored<br />
solutions on various interest groups<br />
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