Formulating a foreign language policy for Bangladesh

The policymakers should include other important languages besides English regarding foreign language education practices in Bangladesh

Formulation of a language policy involves three kinds of tasks: i) assignment of status and function of a language (or languages) of national priority over some other indigenous and foreign language(s), ii) promotion of language(s) of national priorities to be selected by means of the methods of revitalization or vernacularisation and iii) the cultivation of those languages of national priorities with the provision for education of those languages. It is to be reminded that globalization- as an extension of sociolinguistic ideology of internationalization- provides a basis for the provision of English Language Education as a part of an all-encompassing foreign language education policy in the language situation of Bangladesh.
Globalization as a linguistic ideology does not provide a forthright basis for formulation of a language policy. It rather creates a basis for a language policy in consolidation with the fundamental principles of Bangladesh. It, however, has been appeared as antagonistic to some of the national fundamental principles, therefore a language policy underpinned with the globalization requires to be formulated in such a way that it does not withheld four fundamental principles of the country Bangladesh: Bengali nationalism, socialism (meaning economic and social justice for all), democracy and secularism with the provision of a national religion, i.e. Islam. Each of the Bengali nationalism and socialism (meaning economic and social justice for all) and Islam respectively endorses a policy favouring the status, function, cultivation of languages into different extent.
Bengali nationalism as a national ideology creates a basis for a language policy favoring Bangla language. Socialism (meaning economic and social justice for all) and democracy create a basis for the recognition of languages of minority speech communities, e.g. Garo, Santali and Tripura. Islam creates a basis for the promotion of religious languages including Arabic and auxiliary languages, i.e. Persian and Urdu.
Bengali being the fundamental national ideology bear preeminence over all other ideologies whatever the importance or support they receive in line with the fundamental principles of socialism, democracy and Islam as national religion. Therefore any policy aiming to undermine the status, and discard the process of promotion and cultivation of Bangla language require reconsideration. Hence a language policy underpinned with the Bengali nationalism allows the policy that elevates the status and function of Bangla language over all other minority languages, e.g. Garo, Santali and Tippera as well as foreign languages, e.g. Arabic, English and Persian. It endows the authority to enact a regulation helpful to elevate the status of Bangla language and impose ban on the use and practice of English language in the institutions of national importance, e.g. armed forces, government offices and judiciary system. Accordingly this policy will allow the authority of Bangladesh to promote and cultivate Bangla language with the optional provision of the English Language Education. To speak from the perspective of patriotism, the more important are the government, public and private institutions, the more oblige would be they in using and practicing Bangla in their premises except in their foreign affairs desks. They require to oblige a set of principles helping to use and maintain Bangla language in their official works.          
Though globalization creates a basis for a foreign language policy, it requires to be complying with the fundamental principles of the nation. Therefore the foreign language policy requires to be formulated in such way that it does not obstruct the policy for the promotion and cultivation of Bangla language. A foreign language policy primarily entails the studies of globe distinguished into area studies as well as the foreign language associated with each of those areas. The typical area study involves the study and research of history, political science, sociology, cultural studies, languages, geography, literature, and related academic topics of a particular area. Hence it has been customary to study the area of the globe divided in terms of national/federal, geographical and cultural lines in the global studies.
Therefore area/regional studies entail the study of languages associated with those areas/regions of national priority. For example, Asia as a continent which can be divided into five different areas, i.e. subcontinents: i) West Asia, ii) Central Asia, iii) South Asia, iv) Southeast Asia and v) East Asia, each of which has one or more languages of global importance, therefore the foreign languages of global importance associated with these area studies from i)~v) can respectively be i) Arabic (West Asia), ii) Persian (Central Asia), iii) Hindi-Urdu, Bangla (South Asia), iv) Malay-Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese (Southeast Asia), and v) Chinese and Japanese (East Asia). Similarly continent of Europe divided into four different areas, i.e. subcontinents: i) Eastern Europe, ii) Northern Europe, iii) Southern Europe and iv) Western Europe, each of which has one or more regional languages, therefore the foreign languages of global importance associated with these area studies from i)~iv) can respectively be i) Russian and Polish, ii) English, Swedish and Norwegian, iii) Italian and Spanish and iv) Dutch, France and German.    
Hence ideology of globalization leads to making a decision in the selection of areas/regions of national priorities in consideration with historical, cultural, diplomatic and economic relation that exit between Bangladesh and a particular region. It subsequently entails making decision on the selection of a language associated with each area/regional studies for the provision of language education. Thus globalization as an ideology supports a policy covering a policy of area studies and that of foreign languages associated with those area studies, which may include the Anglophone studies, Chinese studies, German Studies and Malay-Indonesian studies as well as the foreign languages associated with each of these area studies are respectively English, Chinese, German and Malay-Indonesian.
Hence globalisation provides a basis for the education of foreign languages as well as the area/regional studies associated with these languages; it accordingly endorses English Language Education as it is associated with the Anglophone studies. The policymakers should include other important languages besides English regarding foreign language education practices in Bangladesh.

The writer is Professor
Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka
E-mail : [email protected]

Formulating a foreign language policy for Bangladesh

The policymakers should include other important languages besides English regarding foreign language education practices in Bangladesh

Formulation of a language policy involves three kinds of tasks: i) assignment of status and function of a language (or languages) of national priority over some other indigenous and foreign language(s), ii) promotion of language(s) of national priorities to be selected by means of the methods of revitalization or vernacularisation and iii) the cultivation of those languages of national priorities with the provision for education of those languages. It is to be reminded that globalization- as an extension of sociolinguistic ideology of internationalization- provides a basis for the provision of English Language Education as a part of an all-encompassing foreign language education policy in the language situation of Bangladesh. Globalization as a linguistic ideology does not provide a forthright basis for formulation of a language policy. It rather creates a basis for a language policy in consolidation with the fundamental principles of Bangladesh. It, however, has been appeared as antagonistic to some of the national fundamental principles, therefore a language policy underpinned with the globalization requires to be formulated in such a way that it does not withheld four fundamental principles of the country Bangladesh: Bengali nationalism, socialism (meaning economic and social justice for all), democracy and secularism with the provision of a national religion, i.e. Islam. Each of the Bengali nationalism and socialism (meaning economic and social justice for all) and Islam respectively endorses a policy favouring the status, function, cultivation of languages into different extent. Bengali nationalism as a national ideology creates a basis for a language policy favoring Bangla language. Socialism (meaning economic and social justice for all) and democracy create a basis for the recognition of languages of minority speech communities, e.g. Garo, Santali and Tripura. Islam creates a basis for the promotion of religious languages including Arabic and auxiliary languages, i.e. Persian and Urdu. Bengali being the fundamental national ideology bear preeminence over all other ideologies whatever the importance or support they receive in line with the fundamental principles of socialism, democracy and Islam as national religion. Therefore any policy aiming to undermine the status, and discard the process of promotion and cultivation of Bangla language require reconsideration. Hence a language policy underpinned with the Bengali nationalism allows the policy that elevates the status and function of Bangla language over all other minority languages, e.g. Garo, Santali and Tippera as well as foreign languages, e.g. Arabic, English and Persian. It endows the authority to enact a regulation helpful to elevate the status of Bangla language and impose ban on the use and practice of English language in the institutions of national importance, e.g. armed forces, government offices and judiciary system. Accordingly this policy will allow the authority of Bangladesh to promote and cultivate Bangla language with the optional provision of the English Language Education. To speak from the perspective of patriotism, the more important are the government, public and private institutions, the more oblige would be they in using and practicing Bangla in their premises except in their foreign affairs desks. They require to oblige a set of principles helping to use and maintain Bangla language in their official works. Though globalization creates a basis for a foreign language policy, it requires to be complying with the fundamental principles of the nation. Therefore the foreign language policy requires to be formulated in such way that it does not obstruct the policy for the promotion and cultivation of Bangla language. A foreign language policy primarily entails the studies of globe distinguished into area studies as well as the foreign language associated with each of those areas. The typical area study involves the study and research of history, political science, sociology, cultural studies, languages, geography, literature, and related academic topics of a particular area. Hence it has been customary to study the area of the globe divided in terms of national/federal, geographical and cultural lines in the global studies. Therefore area/regional studies entail the study of languages associated with those areas/regions of national priority. For example, Asia as a continent which can be divided into five different areas, i.e. subcontinents: i) West Asia, ii) Central Asia, iii) South Asia, iv) Southeast Asia and v) East Asia, each of which has one or more languages of global importance, therefore the foreign languages of global importance associated with these area studies from i)~v) can respectively be i) Arabic (West Asia), ii) Persian (Central Asia), iii) Hindi-Urdu, Bangla (South Asia), iv) Malay-Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese (Southeast Asia), and v) Chinese and Japanese (East Asia). Similarly continent of Europe divided into four different areas, i.e. subcontinents: i) Eastern Europe, ii) Northern Europe, iii) Southern Europe and iv) Western Europe, each of which has one or more regional languages, therefore the foreign languages of global importance associated with these area studies from i)~iv) can respectively be i) Russian and Polish, ii) English, Swedish and Norwegian, iii) Italian and Spanish and iv) Dutch, France and German. Hence ideology of globalization leads to making a decision in the selection of areas/regions of national priorities in consideration with historical, cultural, diplomatic and economic relation that exit between Bangladesh and a particular region. It subsequently entails making decision on the selection of a language associated with each area/regional studies for the provision of language education. Thus globalization as an ideology supports a policy covering a policy of area studies and that of foreign languages associated with those area studies, which may include the Anglophone studies, Chinese studies, German Studies and Malay-Indonesian studies as well as the foreign languages associated with each of these area studies are respectively English, Chinese, German and Malay-Indonesian. Hence globalisation provides a basis for the education of foreign languages as well as the area/regional studies associated with these languages; it accordingly endorses English Language Education as it is associated with the Anglophone studies. The policymakers should include other important languages besides English regarding foreign language education practices in Bangladesh. The writer is Professor Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka E-mail : [email protected]