An Ethnographic Exploration of the Presence of English and Its Roles in the Socio-Economic Development in the Rural Context in Bangladesh

Abstract

It is one of the very few ethnographic studies on the English language in Bangladesh that was carried out to explore the usage of the English language in the rural context of the country. It is hard to design life-oriented and suitable materials and practicaloutcome- based English curricula to support an effective national education policy to develop the economic capacity of the rural people without in-depth studies about the usage and necessity of the English language and skills. A remote rural area of Bangladesh was explored through qualitative ethnographic methods and tools, such as ethnographic participant observation, individual and group interviews, open discussions, photography, audio and video recording, etc. The interviews with fifty-seven research participants were transcribed and thematically analysed to explore the major themes regarding the presence and roles of English in the research site. Based on the findings, the major themes and patterns about the necessity and prospect of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) as well as a tool of socio-economic development and the present domains of usage of English have been presented in this paper. The findings have suggested specific directions for modifications of the English textbooks to make English education and learning at the primary and secondary levels more productive in real life in rural settings.