ELT:

Abstract

English language, the language of development, scientific advancement, information, opportunity, employment, power, and prestige in Bangladesh, has become the synonym of all progresses in recent years. English language teaching has acquired new dimensions in as much as it has crept into diverse methods of ELT at various levels of education. The Western paradigm of English teaching has occupied a prestigious position in the educational system of Bangladesh for decades. It is a well-known fact to all that language teaching and learning is affected by a host of factors ranging from the macro political and cultural environments of a country or region to the micro perceptions and practices of individual teachers or learners. Hence, the demand for different methodologies for different learners or learning situations arises gradually. The changes in the classrooms, ruled by traditional methodologies for years, regarding the adaptation of communicative language teaching, can be seen to be a direct result of the paradigm shift in the realm of English language teaching and learning. This article attempts to explain the shift in practice and reality of English language teaching by taking a close look at various features that affected the choice of the varieties of English taught and learned.