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cultural and linguistic particularities of the community. Below we summarise someof the key elements that were involved in the collection of the data.Establishing rapportThe two-person Bangladeshi-based research team had a pre-existing familiaritywith the linguistic and socio-economic characteristics of rural Bangladesh, andboth members had been brought up close to one of the research areas. Theircultural knowledge of the environment, along with their verbal repertoire instandard Bangla and the local dialects helped them to communicate with thecommunity members. To the participants, being interviewed and recorded bystrangers was a new experience and therefore it was very important for the fieldresearchers to establish a good rapport with them, and to reassure them about thenature and purpose of the research process. The following are select examples ofhow the researchers undertook to do this.In Toke on the first day, a cricket match was taking place on the local collegefield. The occasion gave them a chance to introduce themselves and explainthe purpose of the research, and during the event they met many potentialparticipants. Following on from this, daily informal conversations with localcommunity members helped them to familiarise themselves with the setting ofthe area. Furthermore, the researchers’ profession as teachers (they both havepositions in universities in Bangladesh) was another advantage, as in most ruralvillages teachers (mastersaab) are usually held in high esteem.The experience in Shak Char was markedly different, and in many ways it was morechallenging. The locals appeared both curious and suspicious of the researchers’actions when taking pictures, writing notes and interviewing people. The localguide was from a distant area and had no real influence in the community anddid little to explain the reasons for the researchers’ visit. On the first day littleprogress was made. The researchers surveyed the area and found the local marketplace where people of all professions gather in the evening to talk and read thenewspaper over a cup of tea. The following day they returned there and sought outthe local leader, who became the first person to participate in the interviews. Astime went on, the process became easier. By the second day they were no longerbeing viewed as strangers, and the research process could begin in earnest.Semi-structured interviewsThe main element of the research was the interviews with members of the twocommunities. The interviews were structured around a number of key topics derivedfrom an analysis of discourse of English as a language for international developmentin Bangladesh, which has shown that English is often equated with economic value,technology and education (Seargeant and Erling, 2011). These topics included theparticipants’ perceptions of and attitudes towards the importance of education ingeneral and English language learning, and the significance this has for individualand community development (see Appendix for a copy of the interview schedule).Certain ethical considerations were important in approaching the interviews, asin both communities many of the participants had low incomes. Considering thatmany of the participants live below the poverty line, it seemed unethical not to192 | Attitudes English Bangladesh