How Effective Are Our English Classes?

Are we sure that we have placed our primary, secondary and higher secondary students on the right track to acquire English? Do they realise that they need to acquire it? Can the entire education system including parents and teachers convince them to learn this language for their personal, familial, national and global needs, all of which demand a shared criterion of globalisation? In the 21st century, they must adapt to this globalised world. However, their struggle merely to pass or secure a good grade in public examinations suggests that they aim only to clear the hurdle at any cost. Educational institutions, guardians and teachers focus on ensuring high grades without considering the challenges students will face in life and the challenges that can be better met with proficiency in English.
Two recent experiences support the fact that students learn English only to pass exams, not to acquire it. I asked 67 Class Eight students in a school in Kushtia, near Islamic University, to translate into English: “We read in Class Eight” or “We are in Class Eight”. Not a single student could respond. I then asked 95 Class Ten students in a school in Panchagarh, who were preparing for the SSC examination, to translate: “I did not come to school yesterday”. None could do it. When asked to say, “There are 95 students in our class,” again there was no response. The teachers, including the head teacher who accompanied me, said, “Sir, translation is not included in the syllabus, so they cannot answer these questions.” I have had similar experiences across the country, including in some schools in Dhaka. Yet no practical initiatives or solutions seem to emerge.

English teaching in our institutions from remote villages to Dhaka remains largely traditional, far removed from the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach or any method that offers real linguistic benefits. CLT has been a buzzword for years. One would expect that at least the elite teachers in the capital have mastered it. However, classroom observations raise doubts: do they reject CLT, ignore it, or remain unaware of it? Many classes suggest they have never heard of it. Teachers focus on grammatical rules (what a preposition is, how many kinds there are, what direct and indirect speech are), following guidebooks mechanically. They overload students with rules without applying the principles of language teaching. As a result, students fail to express their ideas and experiences in English despite their potential. This flawed approach is crippling them, and it is time for conscious, educated individuals to seek sustainable solutions.
We cannot ignore the fact that English is now a key determinant of employability. Approximately 1.75 billion people speak English worldwide, and more than two billion are learning or using it. Research shows that proficiency in English enhances individual economic prospects and national competitiveness. A 2012 survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit found that nearly 70 per cent of executives believed their workforce would need English proficiency for corporate expansion, and a quarter stated that more than half of their employees would require it. This demand has likely increased. Globalisation has made English the language of opportunity and a gateway to better employment. Yet students and institutions often overlook this reality. The entire education system bears responsibility.
Across the country, teachers continue to emphasise traditional grammar instruction (active and passive voice, kinds of adjectives, degrees of comparison) without teaching these elements contextually. Grammar should be taught in ways that enhance linguistic competence and stimulate interest. Are teachers unfamiliar with communicative methods, unwilling to adopt them, or simply bound by tradition? If this occurs in elite urban schools, the situation in rural schools is even more concerning. Grammar can and should be taught contextually to develop both structural understanding and communicative ability. Teachers trained in CLT should apply it effectively, and those untrained can access numerous resources to learn communicative techniques.
Do these grammar-focused classes help students express themselves in speaking or writing? Do they prepare students for real-life communication? Do they foster creativity or improve composition writing? Can students relate memorised rules to practical language use? Why, then, is so much emphasis placed on isolated grammar items? Students will face more than public examinations in their lives. Every relationship depends on effective communication, which fosters understanding, resolves conflict, builds trust and nurtures creativity. Our English classes must aim to develop these skills.
____________________________________
The writer is a former faculty member of Ghatail Cantonment College, Sylhet, Cumilla and Mirzapur Cadet College, RAJUK Uttara Model College, BOU, and an education expert at BRAC Education. He can be reached at [email protected]