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Research FindingsEnglish and access to global systemsEnglish was almost universally viewed among the entire cohort as being related tothe global knowledge economy and important for employment prospects – bothin the local area and elsewhere. There seemed to be no variation in this view,regardless of the location or occupation of the participant. A commonly-voicedreason for learning the language was in order to go abroad to work, not onlyin Anglophone countries, but also in the Middle East. English was particularlyassociated with information technology, especially mobile phones and the internet,and also for accessing information about medicines and pesticides, all of whichis apparently written in English. Knowledge of English was often equated withknowledge of the Roman script and thus with transliterated Bangla, as well as afamiliarisation with the Arabic numeral system and basic numeracy.English and employmentRegardless of the participants’ professions, it was generally seen as acceptedwisdom that knowledge of English is needed to get a good job, and thatproficiency in the language can bring improved job prospects, and therefore betterlives for those living in rural areas:… no matter what the profession is, if you have a better knowledge of Englishyou can improve your lifestyle. (Niranjan Sheel, Barber, Toke)There was the impression that knowledge of English can help someone gainemployment, particularly in the new industries that are springing up, e.g. officework, technology-related businesses.You have a better grasp of English then you can get jobs in all the offices thatare run in English … Many offices are springing up in our Lakshmipur also. Theknowledge of English is going to be a big help. (Shafi Islam, Farmer, Shak Char)There was a sense that knowledge of English allows people to gain more‘respectable’ jobs, and jobs that are easier or require less manual labour and thusprovide a more comfortable existence in rural areas:… people would get better jobs if they knew English. No one would then dothe job of digging the earth. People would do mobile business and computerrelated business etc. Then they would not have to work so hard. (Sumon Miah,Rickshaw-puller, Toke)English was seen as something that can enable people in rural areas to move toDhaka, where there are presumed to be more employment opportunities and morecomfortable living standards:People would have better work opportunities if they knew English. They couldhave got better jobs in Dhaka. (Devika, Cleaner, Shak Char)English was also associated with higher level jobs and positions of authority:I could be a ‘supervisor’ or an ‘in-charge’ if I knew English. Usually, people who196 | Attitudes English Bangladesh