A Comparative Study of Teaching English in a Bangla Medium Rural Primary School and an Ibtedayi Madrasah

Abstract

This study explores English teaching in a Bangla medium rural primary school and an Ibtedayi madrasah. The study focuses on primary level English education because English is a dominant language in today’s world. It is also a compulsory subject for Bangla medium primary schools and madrasah in Bangladesh. Primary level education is considered as the foundation of a child and it is believed that what a child learns in his/her primary level has a very good impact on his/her later education. Teaching English is not the same in rural and urban areas because often in urban areas both teacher and students have more resources, logistics and opportunities that are not available in the rural areas. Again, Bangla medium primary school teachers teach English and Bangla language whereas madrasah teachers teach Bangla English and Arabic. Training facilities and teaching processes are in many cases identical for the teachers of these two institutions. In this qualitative study I explore how teachers teach English similarly or differently in the two types of institutions. The final result of the study shows that teachers of the selected institutes use traditional ways of teaching and they lack knowledge of methodology. Most of them are not proficient in English language and the modern technology facility is not adequate. The researcher suggests professional development training of teachers where they will be able to learn pedagogy, how to develop and deliver content along with an effective assessment and feedback system.