Download - EnglishAgenda - British Council

ability to equate them with Bangla numerals) that would prevent someone likeSuleiman Shahid from being at a disadvantage when buying products at the localmarket.SummaryIn summary, the perception across the cohort was that knowledge of English offersaccess to global systems, including technology, better employment opportunities,and work abroad. In addition there are several perceived specific needs forEnglish in the local community, including its use to understand the application ofpesticides and medicines, the need for knowledge of Roman script and Arabicnumerals for understanding prices on packaging and shop signs, and the sendingand receiving of text messages in transliterated Bangla. However, many of theexamples cited may indicate, not a need for English, but rather a need for furtheraccess to literacy and numeracy in general, or a need for the provision of essentialinformation in the national language. Despite this, even in those professions wheresome people voice doubts about the usefulness of English (e.g. farming), many ofthe people actually working in these fields express a desire to learn the language,for practical or other reasons (see below).English and cultural value/identityThe second category focused on the relationship between local and global cultureand identities among the participants, including whether the presence of Englishin society is perceived to have a detrimental effect on Bangla language or onlocal cultural and religious values. Again, opinions about the relationship betweenEnglish and cultural values were almost unanimous across the cohort, with noone suggesting that the language was harmful to the local culture. No perceivedproblems in learning English were expressed and no sense of fear that the nationallanguage, culture or religion would be lost or corrupted by learning English, as thisexample demonstrates:… we are Bangladeshi. We speak Bangla. For job, technology, and for goingabroad English helps a lot; however it does not have any negative effect on ourlanguage. (Shanto Hawlader, Mobile salesman, Toke)There seemed to be a very strong confidence in the nature and integrity of thelocal national culture, and the role that Bangla plays in this:Monish:Researcher:Monish:Researcher:Monish:We all are Bangladeshi. We always speak in Bangla. We have tospeak in Bangla regardless of how much English we have learnt.Is it possible to forget Bangla?No, it’s not possible [smile].Why?We have always spoken in Bangla. English comes later but Banglais before everything. (Monish Dev Barman, Fisherman, Toke)200 | Attitudes English Bangladesh