Difficulties of Learning English at Secondary Level in Bangladesh

Thesis Submitted to Institute of Modern Languages, Jagannath University,

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of BA (Honours)
in English Language

Prepared By:

Mohidul Hossain Sumon Khan

ID: B190111036
Course Name Research Project
Course Code: BEL-407

Session: 2019-2020

Department of English Language

Institute of Modern Languages

Jagannath University, Dhaka

i
 Authorship Statement

I am Mohidul Hossain Sumon Khan, ID No: B190111036, a student of English language at

the Institute of Modern Languages, Jagannath University, Dhaka, and do hereby declare that

the work presented in the research project is the outcome of the investigation, performed by

me. The contributions of other sources and in formation have been acknowledged wherever

they have been used. I also declare that this research project or no part of this has been or is

being submitted elsewhere for the award to any extent. This paper is only submitted to

Jagannath University for the degree Bachelor of Arts in the English Language provided by

the Institute of Modern Languages, Jagannath University, Dhaka.

ID No: B190111036

Session: 2019-20

Student of English Language

Institute of Modern Languages

Jagannath University, Dhaka-1100

ii
 Acknowledgment

In the first place, I want to thank Allah, the Almighty, for enabling me to successfully

complete my study assignment. I want to express my gratitude to Associate Professor

Khandoker Montasir Hassan, an English professor at Jagannath University, who oversaw my

thesis and provided constant encouragement and support. He has always pushed me to work

on my thesis and pressed me to finish my chapters on time, so I want to thank him in

particular for that. Because of it, I was able to complete this homework on time. My heartfelt

thanks also extend to the students and instructors who have provided me with specifics about

their in-person interactions. The writers whose thoughts and experiences are listed in the

references deserve my appreciation because they were instrumental in helping me create this

research report. Any ideas about how to make this research paper better would be highly

appreciated. Any ideas you may have to enhance this research paper would be much

welcomed.

iii
 Abstract

In the Bangladesh educational system, the learning of English as a second language is

imperative. For Bangladeshi learners, English proficiency is the pathway to higher education

and job opportunities at home and abroad, as well as dealing with foreigners or any

international organization. The secondary education system has a significant contribution to

developing the English language among the students. However, different studies and media

reports show that the proficiency in English of Bangladeshi secondary students is not

satisfactory. Students of Bangla medium schools cannot attain the expected level of

proficiency in English even after completing several major national-level examinations. They

face a lot of problems and difficulties in their English classes. This study tries to explore

some underlying causes of this low proficiency. The findings reveal that this problem is

multimodal in origin: student-related, poor teaching conditions, and various influences in the

context. In a nutshell, the study tries to paint a picture with regard to how it really looks with

English teaching in Bangla medium schools. The study ends with recommendations of how

best English classes can be made more engaging and effective at the secondary level and

hence provide students with ample opportunities for proficiency in the language.

iv
Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1.Introduction:
In the Bangladeshi educational context, the significance of English as a second language
acquisition cannot be overstated. Whether you live in your own country or abroad, for
pursuing higher education, you need to be really good at English. It is also important in
official communications, particularly when communicating with foreign governments and
international organizations. In the field of information technology and its applications,
English is used as the main language of instruction and practice. Despite these factors,
second-language English has been made compulsory. For teaching English, many methods
are used in the secondary level in Bangla medium school Bangladesh. This study explores
some of the reasons that stand against in learning a second language especially English.

1.2. Rationale:
Every individual possesses unique learning capabilities, which distinguishes them from one
another. Similarly, each student exhibits distinct abilities, particularly in the realm of second
language acquisition, where individual competencies vary significantly. Factors such as
cognitive differences and various aptitude complexes contribute to these disparities
(Robinson, 2001). In the context of language learning, individuals demonstrate a range of
proficiencies; for some, the process is relatively straightforward, while others encounter
considerable challenges. Additionally, numerous factors can either facilitate or hinder the
acquisition of a new language. When it comes to first language acquisition, children typically
learn swiftly and effortlessly, benefiting from a supportive environment and ample exposure
to the language. Conversely, in Bangladesh, children often receive limited exposure to a
second language, such as English, making the learning process more arduous. Furthermore, a
lack of interest in second language instruction during English classes can lead to inadequate
proficiency, even after completing the Primary Education Certificate (PEC) and Junior
School Certificate (JSC) examinations. Consequently, secondary-level students may
experience various challenges in their English classes while preparing for the SSC
examination. It is important to note that not all students encounter the same difficulties, as
their individual differences and learning abilities play a significant role.

1.3. Research Questions:

This study is guided by the following research questions:

A. What challenges do students encounter in their English classes in Bangladesh?

B. How do students perceive the enhancement of English classes to make them more
engaging?
C. What perspectives do teachers hold regarding the improvement of effectiveness in English
classes?
1.4. Significance of the study:
This research holds considerable importance as it aims to investigate the challenges faced by
secondary-level students in Bangladesh in their pursuit of learning English. It is frequently
observed that, despite years of English instruction and the subject being mandatory from
Class I, students' proficiency in English upon completing secondary education remains
unsatisfactory. Following the Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Primary Education
Certificate (PEC) examinations, students from Bangla medium schools exhibit a notable
deficiency in English competence, failing to meet the expected standards. Many students lack
the foundational English skills that should have been acquired during their primary education,
and there is a general disinterest in the subject. Consequently, after the JSC examination, they
encounter significant difficulties in managing the English syllabus for the Secondary School
Certificate (SSC) and face various challenges in their English classes.

The Government of Bangladesh has implemented multimedia resources in numerous Bangla

medium schools and continues to do so. Furthermore, it offers various training programs for
school teachers (Al Amin & Greenwood, 2018; EIA, 2009). Despite these governmental
efforts, the overall situation has not improved as anticipated. While some studies have
examined the challenges students encounter in learning English within the Bangladeshi
context, it remains crucial to further investigate the underlying reasons for the difficulties
students face in studying English, especially given the array of resources provided by the
government. In addition to identifying these challenges, this research aims to gather insights
from both teachers and students regarding potential improvements to the current situation.
Moreover, this study employs an in-depth qualitative approach, a methodology that is
relatively uncommon in the context of Bangladesh.

1.5. Methodology:
This research primarily adopts a qualitative approach. It incorporates both secondary and
primary data sources. The researcher gathered primary data from several Bangla medium
schools by conducting interviews with teachers and students, as well as analyzing various
documents, including education policies, curricula, and online resources. The qualitative
research methodology employed in this study involved procedures such as interviewing
students and teachers, observing classroom activities, and conducting a detailed qualitative
analysis of the collected data to explore the phenomena in depth.

1.6. Conclusion:
This chapter provides an overview of the study's overall process, along with insights into the
research topic and its focus. It introduces the research questions that directed the
investigation. Additionally, this chapter outlines the research methodology employed, the
instruments utilized, and discusses the limitations, significance, and contributions of the
study.
Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1. Introduction:
This chapter reviewed various literatures relevant to this study. Through this review, the
researcher attempted to show the gaps in the research, the necessity of this research and how
this research contributed to the existing literature in the related field. In Bangladesh, students
face various difficulties in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) in their English classrooms
as they have come from different backgrounds. In the following sections the researcher
highlighted, based on the previous research, some of the causes and factors that are
responsible for these difficulties.

2.2. Individual Differences:

Every student‟s ability cannot be exactly the same in acquiring second language. These
differences of natural learning abilities vary from person to person based in age, sex,
motivation, cognitive style, learning strategies and personality etc. (Meenakshi & Zafar,
2012). Teachers of language courses should be concerned and aware of these different ID‟s
effects, and if the language teachers remain aware about effects of these differences and
follow any new trick for those students who are facing difficulties in language acquisition
then it will be effective for the students (Meenakshi & Zafar, 2012).

According to Ellis, in the past it was perceived that individual differences were influenced by
self-understanding of learners what they will accept from second language instruction
decided by aptitude battery which may forecast which learner would be successful and who
would not (Ellis, 2012). In present day researches the emphasis is mainly put on the
explanation of why some of the learners do well in acquiring second language and learn the
language fast in comparison to other learners (Ellis, 2012, p.643). On the other hand, Horwitz
mentioned that the present day learners can be referred to “ a myriad of new terms such as
interactively and instrumentally motivated, anxious and comfortable, field independent and
field sensitive, auditory and visual ” (p. 532) Why and how influence of individual learning
differences is affecting second language learning is being less emphasized. Every student of
Bangla medium schools is individually different and have different learning abilities. Dorneyi
(2005) points out that enduring personal characteristics that are assumed to apply to
everybody and on which people differ by degree‟ are considered broadly as the individual
differences which are being examined by the researchers. According to Robinson (2002) and
Dorneyi (2005), language aptitude, motivation, personality, anxiety, intelligence, age,
learning and cognitive styles, language learning strategies are considered as core factors of
individual differences.
2.3. Aptitude:

Aptitude is basically natural ability to learn something. Students face numerous kinds of
ability complexes in acquiring a second language. Language aptitude mainly inaugurates an
exceptional ability for second language learning. Skehan states that these kinds of language
aptitude special abilities include auditory ability, linguistic ability and memory ability
(Skehan, 1989, cited in Ellis, 2012). Likewise, according to Ellis, intelligence and working
memory are to be implicated in language aptitude (2012). Aptitude is being considered as a
neglected area for second language research in last two decades (Robinson, 2012). The same
scenario prevails in Bangladesh too. Here, in Bangla medium schools in English language
classes it is not being emphasized much that does the students face any kind of difficulties in
understanding the English class or not and which kind of difficulties they are facing.

2.4. Cognitive abilities:

Cognitive abilities mainly refer to the mental abilities, memory and the information
processing. The structure of cognitive abilities underlies aptitude (Robinson, 2012). The
relationship between cognitive ability and second language learning is complex and subject to
considerable debate (Dicks, 2009). It refers to individual‟s mental ability of learning and
processing. Students‟ second language acquisition depends on their different cognitive
abilities. Cognitive skill is mainly individual‟s ability of processing their thoughts and
basically it is individual‟s mental abilities and activities in learning and solving the problems.
Cognitive abilities generally mean abilities of learning new information, speech, written
instructions of SLA and it means the activities which are related to memory. Cognitive
abilities have influence on the problems which students face in their second language classes
as cognitive abilities deal with the memory and mental activities. Cognitive psychology is
important too in second language learning along with cognitive abilities as it deals with
learner‟s learning psychology, activities of memory and mental abilities. Eyesnck (2001)
mentions that „the subject matter of cognitive psychology consists of the main internal
psychological processes that are involved in making sense of the environment and deciding
what action might be appropriate‟. Ellis has divided cognitive process in second language
learning into micro and macro processes (2012). In the micro processes Ellis mainly
examines to the specific mental operations which are present in separate stages of second
language acquisition. (2012) On the other hand, Ellis describes in macro processes specify
the mental operations to more broad or narrow version for example, general approach
towards learning used by the learners.
2.5. Contextual factors:

Apart from the internal and personal factors discussed above there are many external factors
also influenced second language attainment. For example, exposure to target language
environment (Huang et al. 2018), motivation for learning a language (Anderson, 2018),
importance put from the government and school authority and the importance of the target
language. As English is the Lingua Franca (Taguchi & Ishihara, 2018) of the world and it is
being used in every sectors in the world, people all over the world are very interested to learn
English. Government of various countries put lots of emphasis and spent huge amount of
money so that its citizen‟s English skills become better in order to participate in various
global activities. Bangladesh is one of the countries where English is considered as one of the
important skills that will help its citizen to become globally competitive. Bangladesh
government is spending lots of money to improve the condition of teaching and learning
English. Among the initiatives revising the curriculum, teacher training, providing
multimedia equipment in the schools and introduction of creative questions are some of the
important steps. Despite these initiatives published research, academic and media report
suggest that the state of English attainment of the students in Bangladesh is not satisfactory.
This research is going to address what might be some of the reasons of why students fail to
achieve desired language skills and what are the students and teachers views on improving
the situations.
Chapter 3: Research Methodology

3.1. Introduction:
The following chapter gives an overview of the methodology followed in this research.
The research instruments that were used in this study are described below, with proper details
and its application while doing the research, participants, data collection and data analysis,
presentation. Ethical considerations kept in mind are discussed in this chapter.

3.2. Methods of Data Collection:

This is a predominantly qualitative research. Students‟ interview questions, teachers‟

interview questions, researcher‟s checklist for classroom observation and document analysis
were used as the main tools for data collection for this research. The interviews brought out
the teachers‟ and students‟ opinion individually in response with the interview questions
which were set for the research. The individual interviews were taken to maintain the privacy
and confidence of the interviewees so that they can share their opinion freely. Due to
individual interview sessions for both students and teachers they could share their thoughts
and opinions in response to the questions set by the researcher for this study. In addition to
this, the checklist which is used by the researcher for classroom observation created the scope
to provide feedback about the English classes of secondary level at those Bangla medium
schools.

3.3. Principles that were followed in designing research tools:

The researcher kept in mind about some of the factors and considered some of the aspects
while setting the questions and designing the checklist for classroom observation. The
researcher designs two sets of questions for interview- one for students and another one for
teachers. Caution was taken in choosing the words of the students‟ questions so that the
questions are appropriate for the students. Likewise, while designing questions for teachers it
was necessary to choose appropriate words to maintain formal and standard language. The
student respondents were from secondary level - class 10 or 9 though all their language
proficiency were not same. Some of them were advanced learners and more proficient in
English than the average level. Another important factor was to set the standard for the
checklist for classroom observation as the researcher collected data from five schools in
which two were from a village. The schools are from town and village obviously will not be
having same quality of education standard and teachers‟ efficiency, classroom environment,
students‟ proficiency as the schools which are in Dhaka city. The researcher had to set the
standard very carefully and wisely so that the standard may be appropriate in observing the
village schools‟ English classes as well as the English classes in those Bangla medium
schools which are in cities and towns. Next aspect which was given importance was to keep
the questions up to a certain limit for the interview as the interviews were taken within the
school time and the researcher did not want to intervene in regular school class hours. While
planning the interview it was followed that the interviewees specially the teachers can answer
the questions within 10-12 minutes as regular classes were taking place and if any of the
teacher or student are late for their class then the harmony of the class may be hampered. It is
essential to show an actual picture of the research procedure and how the result of this study
is being evaluated and analyzed. As the research is being followed by qualitative method the
researcher designed open ended questions so that the interviewees can share their opinion and
by analyzing their shared opinion and classroom observation researcher can find the desired
result of the study.

3.4. Description of the Interview Questions for Students and Teachers:

While designing the questions for both teachers and students for interview purpose the
researcher was always concerned about maintaining link with the literature review, which is
done, in the previous chapter. Another important point, the researcher gave emphasis was to
set the language standard for interview questions so that the students can understand the
language. As the students were from different background, some were from village schools,
some were from small town schools and some were from Dhaka city schools, some were
from class 9 and some were from class 10 and that is why it was a challenge for the
researcher to make sure to design an understandable language. The students were secondary
level second language learners and all of their language proficiency is not same and it was
considered while designing the questions. The researcher kept in mind to maintain a standard
or formal language in teachers‟ questions. There were 11 questions designed for the students
and 6 for the teachers. The questions pattern was both open-ended and close-ended, but as it
is a qualitative research, the study was more focused in open-ended questions where the
respondents shared their opinion. The checklist for classroom observation helped the
researcher to add comments, suggestions over the English language classes in those Bangla
medium schools. Excluding the background information there were two other categories and
based on those questions. The categories are:

I. Perspective on the existing regular English classes and its flaws.

II. Suggestions on how the classes can be more effective and interesting.

Based on these two categories questions were designed and asked to both teachers and
students. Under the first category, the questions were basically designed to focus on the
thoughts, ideas, views and perspectives of the respondents on the existing regular English
classes and its flaws. These questions were designed to explore respondents‟ views and
problems of their English language classes and difficulties which they face in the English
classes. In the second category, questions were mainly designed to ask the respondents‟
suggestions to think of probable solution to their faced difficulties in their English classes. In
this category of questions, respondents were asked how the English language classes can be
more effective and interesting and the respondents- teachers and students shared their
suggestions. Both categories created a scope for the respondents to share their thoughts,
ideas, suggestions, feedback about the topic and the questions was designed with the help of
both open ended and close ended questions where open ended questions had influential part
3.5. Description of Classroom Observation Checklist:
The classroom observation checklist is from the researcher‟s point of view on this particular
study. The researcher observed four English classes from five different Bangla medium
schools. Among four schools, one was girls' and two were combined school. After observing
four English classes from four different schools of secondary level the researcher combined
all the gathered information and then summarized it. The observation checklist also presents
the evaluation procedure and standard of the checklist of researcher and it reflects
researcher‟s knowledge and what had she learnt from academic study. Furthermore, there is a
fine line between the questions used for study purpose to respondents and the classroom
observation checklist which differentiated them. Observation checklist was in the form of
statements (Appendix C) on various points and it was graded from the researcher‟s
observation and point of view. As per status of the observations of different points under
checklist it has been graded depending on the weightage for example- 4 in case of Excellent,
3in case of good, 2 in case fair and 1 in case of proof.

3.6. Sampling of the Study:

Researcher chose four Bangla medium schools for data collection. From each school
researcher observed one English class of secondary level as sample for the research and took
interview of 4 to 5 students and one English teacher from each school. Researcher collected
in total response of four teachers and twenty students in this research from those schools. In
this research the students were involved mainly from class 9 and 10 from those schools.

In the table below, there is shown the samples which were selected and used for the
survey:

Institution Students Teacher

School A 5 (Class 10) 1
School B 5 (Class 9) 1
School C 5 (Class 10) 1
School D 5 (Class 9) 1
Total 20 4

3.7. Conducting Students’ Interviews and Observing Classes:

For collecting students‟ response for this study, the researcher had to go to many Bangla
medium schools for the permission from the respective authority. Researcher had to justify
and give a proper explanation about the purpose of this study to the principals of those
schools and had to ask for the permission for one English class observation of class 9 or 10.
After the request, the authority gave the time and date for classroom observation and
researcher was told to finish the interviews in the school time and not to take more than 4-5
minutes for each students, as they may miss regular classes. Most of the principals were
helpful and gave permission for interviewing and they showed their interest in this research
project. The respondents- both students and teachers were very helpful and co-operative and
as a result the research could collect enough information. The researcher designed the
questions for the students by translating the questions in Bengali as the students may not
understand the questions if it is asked in English - the target language. As the students were
from Bangla medium schools and some of the surveyed schools were in small town and small
village, their second language proficiency might not be good enough to response in English
language after understanding the questions properly which are written in English. Another
point is that the researcher had to explain all the questions properly to the students so that
they can answer perfectly from their point of view.

3.8. Conducting Teachers’ Interviews:

Most of the teachers except one or two were friendly and very helpful and they showed their
interest in this research study. Permission was taken from the principals and from the
participants and as per their consent interviews were taken. Some of the teachers asked
questions and information about the purpose of this study and its background. Some of them
added extra information apart from their interview questions to help the researcher in her
research. The information what the researcher got from the teachers were useful for this
study. The researcher faced some difficulties while collecting information from the teachers
and taking interview of them as all of them were not friendly and helpful. The researcher had
to explain the questions in Bangla to some of the teachers as all the teachers‟ proficiency in
English were not up to desired level and some of them were unable to understand the proper
meaning of the questions. As some teachers were from village and town schools and their
proficiency were not exactly like the teachers from city schools. Keeping all these issues in
mind the researcher had to provide Bangla translation of the interview questions according to
whoever needed.

3.9. Process of Data Analysis:

This research is designed following qualitative method and it consists of qualitative data like
interviews, classroom observation. The process of data analysis was mainly focused on
analyzing the data and information which were collected from the interviews of students and
teachers and on the classroom observation. Researcher made the standard of the classroom
observation checklist by keeping in mind several issues and scaled it from her perspective.
Analysis of classroom observation is also a major part in the process of data analysis of this
research. There were both close ended and open-ended questions in the interview questions,
but the open-ended questions were most influential for this research. As in response to those
open-ended question students and teachers shared their point of views and the answers varied
from student to student and teacher to teacher and analysis of the similarities and
dissimilarities among the answers will bring the expected outcome to the research.
3.10. Ethical Considerations:

Ethical approval was very important for this research which was obtained from the authorities
of those schools. Before starting the interviews, the researcher took permission from all of the
respondents both teachers and students that are giving the interviews willingly or not and they
do not have any objection to participate in the study. After getting positive response from the
respondents about interviewing the researcher made sure that they understood the purpose of
this study properly. If anyone had confusion or doubt about the topic then the researcher
made it clear and explained the topic properly so that they can answer properly. Furthermore,
the researcher assured the respondents that confidentiality of the data will be ensured.
Permission of keeping record of these interviews was also requested to the respondents.
Moreover, it was made clear by the researcher that the respondents‟ shared information only
will be used for this thesis.

3.11. Conclusion:
This chapter mainly emphasized on the instruments which are used in this research like the
classroom observation checklist, interview questions for both students and teachers‟
interview and how these research instruments were used to complete this research.
Chapter 4: Findings

4.1. Introduction:
In this chapter findings of this study are discussed. In order to reach to any conclusion
different types of data were triangulated to see if they matched and support each other.

4.2. Findings from Students’ Interviews:

The following themes emerge from the students‟ interviews.

4.2.1. Difficulties in Class:

While the researcher asked about the difficulties that students face in learning English
students talked about various problems that they face. These problems can be categorized in
three broad areas. Some of the students said they do not like their English class, and they find
it boring and very tough and that is why their interests towards the class are declined. Next,
some of the students replied that they do not find their English classes either interesting or
boring. If the topic seems easier to them then the class becomes interesting to them. Among
20 students only a very few numbers of students answered that they find their English classes
interesting and they enjoy when the topics seems interesting to them. Most of the students
responded that they face problems in grammar. Grammar has different dimensions and in
mentioning difficult topics and their answer varied person to person. Some students said they
face difficulty in transformation, some said they found voice change very tough, some said
they do not understand rules of right form of verbs, some said narration is very tough to them,
some said they have problems in tense etc. Majority of the students replied they face
difficulties in transformation and voice change. In response to what types of difficulties do
the students face in English classes, some students replied they do not understand meaning of
some words in the class and those seem difficult to them. If they ask to their English teacher,
he does not clear the meaning and he shouts on them if they ask any questions. They also
added that the teacher emphasizes more on the grammatical rules and not in the meaning.
Some answered that they cannot write in English properly and cannot express their words in
organized way while writing in English as they do not get any guidance regarding writing on
how they can improve. On the other hand, some students replied that they do not even
understand their English classes and it is very tough for them to match the teacher‟s fluency
and speed and as a result they do not understand any of the single topic at all. These are the
reason behind why they do not feel any interest in their English classes rather it seems boring
to them. Among 20 students‟ respondents, majority of them replied that they face difficulty
mainly in grammar. They do not understand the rules and have to memorize all the rules and
as a result they forget many of them. Another bunch of students said that the lectures and
topics seem very boring to them as teacher speaks all the time and do not even give any scope
to students to ask anything. They added that as their class time is short that is why their
teacher rushes to finish the syllabus and sometimes teaches more than one topic in a single
class. Then it becomes tough for them to catch and learn two or more topics together.
Sometimes they amalgamate the topics and become confused. Furthermore, some of the
students replied that they do not understand the grammar because it seems like mathematics
to them as their teacher only teaches rules and according to that they are to solve the
exercises. They claimed that they cannot relate the rules with the given paragraphs in the
examinations.
4.2.2. Classroom Language:

When the researcher asked about the classroom language, majority of the students replied that
their English class is taken in Bangla and teacher teaches everything in Bangla. They added
that even grammar is taught in Bangla and their teacher describes the rules in Bangla and
only exams question is prepared fully in English. The rest of the respondents mostly said that
their class is taken in both Bangla-English mixed language. They also said that their teacher
translates the grammar rules in Bangla. Only few students of school B said that their English
class is taken fully in English and if they ask any question then they are asked to speak in
English. Researcher also asked according to them in which language their English classes
should be taken. In response to that students gave various answers and it varied from students
to students. Majority of the respondents said that if the English class is taken in English-
Bangla mixed language then it would better to understand properly. They told that if their
teacher translates the topic in Bangla after describing it in English then it would become
easier for them to catch the topic and relate it. On the contrary, some of the students said they
think English class should be taken fully in English. They said that if the class is taken in
English then they will be habituated with it and it would be beneficial for them in learning
English and improving their proficiency. They also added that if the English class is
interrupted by using Bangla and continuous code switching is done by the instructor then it
becomes difficult for the students to follow. Only a very few students said that English
classes should be taken in Bangla. Duration is maximum 40-45 minutes for each class and it
is the main reason behind not showing any movie. On the other hand, students who are from
village schools and town school answered that they have multimedia in their school but not in
their classroom and it is never used and kept in the office room and is locked there. They
added that any kind of videos including movies, cartoon, and animation film are not shown to
them. Furthermore, students from school of district town replied that in their whole school
there is only one multimedia and it is for all the classes and sometimes teacher take them
along with students of other classes to computer lab to show them something in multimedia
and it happens once in a couple of months.

4.2.3. Use of Technology:

The researcher then asked students about the use of multimedia or technology in the class.
These questions were about do they have multimedia system in their class or not, if yes then
how often teachers use them, any kinds of videos are shown in class or not. In response
students mostly from the city schools replied that they have multimedia in their classrooms,
but their multimedia remains locked in their classroom and the teacher use it once in a month
or sometimes even more rarely. They also said that videos are shown when teachers use
multimedia, but it is very occasional. Movies are not shown as their class time is short and
the duration is maximum 40-45 minutes for each class and it is the main reason behind not
showing any movie. On the other hand, students who are from village schools and town
school answered that they have multimedia in their school but not in their classroom and it is
never used and kept in the office room and is locked there. They added that any kind of
videos including movies, cartoon, and animation film are not shown to them. Furthermore,
students from school of district town replied that in their whole school there is only one
multimedia and it is for all the classes and sometimes teacher take them along with students
of other classes to computer lab to show them something in multimedia and it happens once
in a couple of months.
4.2.4. Suggestions on Teacher’s Role and Teaching Techniques:

Students also shared what they think about how teacher‟s role should be and what will make
the classes more effective. In response, some students answered that if teachers arrange a
solution class once in a week then it would be beneficial for them as they will be able to clear
their all confusions about the topics. A few numbers of students shared another idea which
was not giving any homework rather if teachers make them practice more and more class
work then they will not feel pressurized at home. They told that sometimes teachers give so
much homework that they cannot complete even and while solving the exercises at home they
face some difficulties. They also shared that if the teachers arrange more class works and
complete the entire study task in class then it would be great to them. They added that if
teacher gives homework then it should be limited and not too much so that it does not
become a pressure for them. Another bunch of students said that the teachers should not
punish students for not bringing booklet or not being able to give correct answer. They think
if the teacher makes them understand properly instead of giving punishments then they will
be motivated. Some said that the teacher should make the lecture a bit entertaining so that it
becomes interesting for students. Some of the students suggested that if the teachers tell
English stories and relate it with class topics then it will be fun for them and will make the
class more attractive and interesting.

4.3. Findings from Teachers’ Interview Questions:

For this study the researcher interviewed five teachers all together. All of them are working in
those respective schools as English teachers. The questions were mainly open ended so that
the teachers can share their experience, perspective regarding this topic as it is a qualitative
research. Among the five teachers three of them have related education background with
teaching English along with completion of their masters in English. Two of the instructions
are not even from similar background rather they are graduate from other department which
is not related with English language teaching at all. Except two instructors from village
school and town school, others who are from city have received some trainings regarding
English language teaching including CLT (Communicative Language Teaching). Each of
these teachers spend 12-14 hours per week in taking classes. The answers were included
under few themes that are described below:

4.3.1. Classroom Language:

Teachers were asked about their preferred language for teaching and they shared mixed
experiences. In response two of them who were from two city schools replied that they prefer
Bangla-English mixed language over pure English or pure Bangla in taking English classes.
Only the instructor of school B which was in city replied that he prefers to take English
classes in English. He said that as he will teach English language so it will be beneficial for
the students if the class is taken in English. The other two teachers who were from a village
school and a small-town school answered that they feel comfortable taking classes in Bangla.
They said if they use pure English then the students will not understand the class lectures as
students‟ proficiency in English is not up to desired level according to their class. One of
them also added that even it would be tough for them too to take classes in English as the
teacher came from different background.
4.3.2. Students’ Proficiency and Difficulties:

Teachers were also asked about their opinion on students‟ proficiencies and teachers‟
difficulties on students‟ proficiency. Three instructors from the schools from Dhaka city
answered that majority of their students‟ proficiency in English is in between elementary high
to intermediate low level and to some extent it is intermediate mid though it is very rare. It
varies from student to student. Two instructors from a district town school and a village
school replied that the proficiency in English of their students is not up to desired level
according to their class. Both of them told that their students who are from roll no 1 to 15
have proficiency level between novice high to some extent intermediate low but the
afterwards students do not have this proficiency even. Each respondent agreed that they face
difficulties in class regarding students‟ proficiency in English. They shared different kinds of
problems what they face with this issue. One of the instructors told that as all of the students‟
proficiency is not same that is why it creates a barrier for the teacher in deciding in which
language the class should be taken. Teachers told that they cannot take the class fully in
English as because the students having lower proficiency will not understand the topics
clearly and it will be tough for them to catch. Two of the instructors said that in their class
they face difficulties in teaching writing composition and completing story. They said that as
the students do not have same proficiency the teacher sometimes faces difficulty in grading
the scripts and in setting the standard for marking. One of the instructors mentioned that due
to unequal proficiency some of the students understand the lecture at the very first time and
some of the students having lower proficiency do not understand the lecture even after
explaining it repeatedly. They told that they have to finish the syllabus in time too and that is
why they cannot give extra attention on the weak students having lower proficiency.

4.3.3. Recommendations for Improving Students’ Proficiency:

Teachers also gave their opinion on how students can improve their proficiency in English.
One of the instructors replied that he thinks students should watch BBC (British Broadcasting
Corporation) or CNN (Cable News Network) English news channels more for

4.3.4. Use of Technology:

When the participating teachers were asked if they use multimedia and technology in their
class, they shared the following experiences. Three of the teachers from schools of Dhaka
city replied in the positive that they use multimedia in their class but not very regularly. They
said they use multimedia not very often as it is time consuming and they use maximum once
in a month or sometimes even more rarely. The teacher who was from a school in a district
town answered sometimes he takes his students to the computer lab and then use multimedia
and it happens once in a couple of months. He said as they have only one multimedia in the
whole school and it is used for all the classes that is why it is very tough for the teachers to
take classes frequently with multimedia system. The teacher from village school answered
that in his school they do not use multimedia as they are not skilled enough to use that. He
added that teachers are still getting trained to use it.
4.3.5. Suggestions on Making Classes Effective:

Researchers also asked the participating teachers about their view on how to make the class
more interesting and effective. In response majority of them answered that class time should
be increased as they cannot give enough time and proper explanation on each topic for
shortage of time. They said most of their class duration is 35-40 minutes and it is not enough
time for arranging an interactive class along with finishing the syllabus. One of them added
that the syllabus should be reduced as due to excessive syllabus they had to teach more than
one topic in a single class which results doing rush while teaching a topic without giving
proper explanation. Another teacher told that students should keep calm and patience during
class as class time is too short and if the teacher spends time in controlling the class then it
becomes tough for him to finish the topics in class time. He also added that students should
pay full attention to the class lecture to understand the topic properly as the teacher does not
get extra time. A teacher commented that students‟ proficiency does not come in all of a
sudden or in just a single class rather it is a long process. According to him if government
provides more training to teachers from primary to higher secondary and more technical
equipment to classrooms then the scenario will start to change.

4.4. Findings from Classroom Observation:

Researcher used a checklist for grading classroom observation. There were some findings
which was observed and rated through a scale which includes outstanding, good, fair, poor.
The findings were evaluated based on these figures:
 4 - Outstanding
 3 - Good
 2 - Fair
 1 - Poor
In the table 2 salient findings from classroom observation is shown according to different
theme such as preparation, language, lesson presentation, classroom management, classroom
atmosphere, use of technology etc. It is scaled through a checklist. In school A, B, C, and D
which scenario was observed is shown in the table by putting A, B, C, D which are named
alphabetically as symbol for maintaining confidentiality. A table with all the details is
attached in the appendix C. The details of the findings from classroom observation which is
measured thorough scaled using checklist are given below. Researcher observed classroom
and evaluated based on 5 themes which are discussed in the below paragraphs:

4.4.1. Preparation:

First theme was preparation of lesson of the instructor. In the very first point under this theme
instructor had a clearly discernible lesson plan and announced the topic clearly only in School
A, B and C. In these 3 schools it was quite good and in school D and E it was fair but not that
much satisfactory. In all the schools‟ instructors could not do appropriate balance of
structured and open-ended or communicative activities. It was poor in all the observed
schools. In school B, D and E exercises and activities were introduced properly with well
thought pre-task elicitation and it was quite fair. In school A and C, it is not followed at all
rather teachers direct started the topic. Under the preparation theme monitoring the class was
fourth point. It was quite good in school B and E. On the other hand, in school A, C and D
teachers‟ in monitoring the class was very poor.
4.4.2. Language:

Second theme was language. Under this theme first point was language proficiency of the
instructor in English. It was quite good and satisfactory in the instructor of School B.
Oppositely proficiency of instructors of school A, C, D and E in English was very poor.
Second point was fluency of the instructor and instructor of school B was excellently fluent
in delivering lecture and it was outstanding. On the other hand, fluency of the instructors of
school A, C, D and E were very poor. Teacher talk time was appropriate and resourceful in
school B and it was good. In the school A, C, D and E teacher talk time was not appropriate
and not that much resourceful rather it was fair. Fourth point was student talk time in the
class, and it was very poor in all the schools A, B, C, D and E. Fifth point was
contextualization of examples with the grammar rules by the teacher and it was very poor in
all the surveyed schools. Any of the instructors of those respective schools could not do it.
Last point under this theme was interaction of instructor with students and it was not very
satisfactory in all the schools. Only in school B teacher had a little interaction with students
and it was marked as fair but in other schools‟ interaction with students was literally zero.

4.4.3. Lesson Preparation:

Third theme was lesson preparation. Lesson was presented clearly in school B and it was
good. In school A and C, it was fair but in school D and E it was poor. Second point under
this theme was activities or exercises chosen to achieve the objectives were effective or not. It
was very poor in all the schools A, B, C, D and E. Time allotted for classes was not sufficient
in all the schools and it was very poor. Fourth point under this theme was type and amount of
teacher feedback was effective or not. It was not satisfactory rather it was very poor in all the
schools but in school B it was quite fair but not good or outstanding.

4.4.4. Classroom Atmosphere:

Under this theme very First point was instructor divided his or her attention among students
appropriately. It was quite good in school B and in other schools A, C, D, E it was very poor.
Student participation was active and lively was quite appreciable and it was scaled good in
school B and it was very disappointing in other schools A, C, D, E. which was scaled as poor.
Third point was warm, open ended and accepting class atmosphere. It was fair in school B
and in other schools A, C, D and E it was very poor. None of the schools it was satisfactory.
Last but important point of this theme was instructor was sensitive to students' difficulties
and abilities and it was very poor in all of the schools.
4.4.5. Use of Technology:

Last theme was use of technology. The very first point was use of technology such as video,
audio, web materials in class was appropriate given the material being presented. It was very
poor in all the schools and in none of the school multimedia or any kind of technology was
used. Second point was relation of technological material with English class content. It was
graded poor in all the schools A, B, C,D and E. The help of technological material in
students‟ language learning was very poor in all the schools as there was no use of any
technology in the class. Last point was use of technology outside the class like email etc.
through giving home work. It was very poor too in all the schools as the teachers did not use
any kind of technology in the class as well as outside the class.
4.5. In Response to Research Question A:

Central research question A deals with what type of problems do the secondary level students
of Bangla medium schools face in their English classes and what are the prioritized problems.
This particular question‟s response is identified from the students‟ replies. It is found that
students face various kinds of problems like matching with teachers‟ speed and fluency,
grammar topics, punishments etc. It is understood that answer of research question A is
brought to light through this research and the results matches to some extent with the
expectation.

4.6. In Response to Research Question B:

Central research question B deals with how the English classes can be more interesting from
the students‟ perspective. This question‟s answer is identified from students‟ shared
experience and ideas. From the results it can be understood that students have various kind of
recommendation for making the class more interesting such as arranging a solution class once
in a week, speaking competition, feedback session, showing English movies or videos, not
giving excessive home works etc.

4.7. In Response to Research Question C:

Central research question C deals with teachers‟ recommendations and suggestions on how
the English classes can be more effective. This question‟s answer can be found in the findings
form Teachers‟ interview questions. From the results it is noticed that teachers gave many
suggestions and recommendations to make English classes effective such as students to pay
full attention to the class lecture, keep calm, extend class duration, reducing syllabus,
government to arrange more training etc. Most of the suggestions were students centric and
tasks of students but they did not give any suggestion for developing their teaching skills to
make the classes more effective. It is understood that answer of research question C is
brought to light through this research though in some points it matches with the expectation
and in some points new result came.

4.8. Conclusion:

In this chapter, findings from students‟ interview questions and teachers‟ interview questions
were described. Findings from classroom observation using checklist through a scale is also
included and described in this chapter. How much this study meets the research questions are
discussed here.
Chapter 5: Conclusion

5.1. Introduction:

In this chapter the overall research, recommendations from researcher‟s point of view and
concluding part of this research is discussed. The recommendations are based on the findings
from teachers‟ and students‟ interview and classroom observation using researcher's own
evaluation checklist.

5.2. Summary of Findings:

From the findings it is understood that in most of the surveyed schools‟ English classes are
taken in Bangla or to some extent Bangla-English mixed language. It is noticed while taking
interview from the students‟ expression that they do not feel any interest towards their
English classes, and they are afraid of this subject. A very few students enjoy their English
classes if the topic seems interesting to them. Most of the students face difficulties mainly in
grammar topics and it indicates that in previous classes if they would get better foundation
then afterwards this scenario could be averted. Students‟ complain about teachers‟ shouting
on them for asking questions which reveals that teachers are not enough sensitive to students‟
difficulties and classroom atmosphere is not open and accepting. It is understood from the
replies that due to lacking in previous classes in foundation students cannot catch the lecture,
instructor‟s fluency and the speed. Majority of the respondents complained that they had to
memorize grammar rules like mathematics, and they face difficulties most in grammar topics.
These are the reasons behind why they are afraid of grammar topics and it is not only fault of
students but also the in efficient teaching which introduces more than one topic in a single
class without proper explanation and contextualizing it. Teaching more than one topic in a
single class for urgency of completing huge syllabus in a short time period results in students‟
amalgamation of the topics. It is noticed that teachers use Grammar Translation Method
(GTM) in class and students prefer English-Bangla mixed language in English classes which
reflects that they are habituated with this GTM method as from childhood they are getting
GTM method based English classes. It is clear from the findings that in none of the school‟s
multimedia are used so often. It reveals that the school authority does not use the multimedia
at all rather they keep it locked and do not have any headache on using the multimedia and
making the English classes interesting and easier to the students. From teacher‟s response it is
understood that due to shortage of class time and huge syllabus teachers cannot give extra
attention to the students who have lower proficiency and facing challenge in understanding
the topic. Due to students‟ different and low proficiency in English, teachers face difficulties
in setting the standard for grading the scripts. In none of the schools, interaction with students
is not found rather the classes were mainly teacher centered.

5.3. Recommendation:
The recommendations provided here are based on the overall findings from two interview
questionnaire of both students and teachers along with classroom observation using
researcher's own evaluation checklist.

 Students need to pay full attention to the class so that they understand the topic
properly and they need to have patience and keep calm otherwise as well as the
 teacher. Students need to watch BBC, CNN, use dictionary, read newspaper (Raja &
Selvi, 2011, p.44), English story books etc. to improve their speaking, listening and
reading skills.

 Instructors need to pay extra attention while teaching grammar topics as most of the
students face difficulties in grammar topics such as voice change, transformation etc.
Teachers need to contextualize the grammar topics with real life examples and
teaching should be fun- oriented (Shawkat, 2014) rather not to teach just like
mathematics. Speaking practice class (Raja & Selvi, 201, p.44) or speaking
competition need to be arranged so that students‟ speaking skill and fluency can be
improved.

 Teachers need to take English classes in English or in English-Bangla mixed language

but not in Bangla. If the classes are taken in Bangla, then students will be used to this
system and will not learn the target language fast.

 Multimedia needs to be used often so that the English class becomes interesting to the
students. English cartoon movies, documentary film, videos need to be shown in class
to make the class effective and attractive to the students. More multimedia needs to be
provided in each school so that every class can avail the benefit.

5.4. What I have Learnt:

Doing this research study on this particular topic I have learnt many things. Maintaining a
warm, open and accepting classroom atmosphere is very important. If I proceed my future
career as a teacher, then it will be my first priority because only open and accepting
classroom atmosphere and being sensitive to students‟ response can make feel comfortable a
student which results in best learning. Showing interest in students‟ learning brings more
respect and trust to the teachers from the students. Furthermore, contextualizing the topics is
important as it converts a tough topic into an easier one. Nevertheless, giving equal
importance to each student is necessary as it will make them feel confident. If I chose my
future career in teaching, then I would like to follow communicative teaching and to treat
each student equally so that no one feels neglected.

5.5. Conclusion:

From the findings of the research it can be concluded that in all the Bangla medium schools
the scenario may not be the same. Only four schools were surveyed and observed. The result
and analysis of this research is based on these four school, 20 students and 4 teachers. As
English is second language in Bangladesh and for higher study and office works, students
need to learn this language. Teaching of English language needs to be improved in Bangla
medium schools. Students face lots of difficulties in their English classes and the authority
needs to take care of these issues to make the classes more effective. Based on this secondary
level foundation of English, students have to study further and build their future career. This
is the reason foundation of English language is very important in this stage for students.
Students as well as teachers need to concentrate more on English classes and English
teaching.
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 Appendix A

Questionnaire for Students’ Interview

1. How do you feel in your English classes?

2. Which topic do you find most difficult?

3. What types of difficulties or problems do you face in your English classes?

4. In which language your English classes are taken?

5. In which language English classes should be taken from your point of view?

6. Do you have multimedia system in your class?

7. How often teachers use multimedia in your class?

8. Any kind of videos, cartoon, movies, animation film, and documentary are shown in

your class?

9. How the English classes can be made more interesting and attractive from your

perspective?

10. What do you think what teachers should do to make the English classes more

interesting and effective?

 Appendix B

Questionnaire for Interview of English Language Teachers

1. In which language do you feel comfortable to take class?

2. How is the English language proficiency of the students in your class?

3. While taking class do you face any difficulty with students‟ proficiency in English? If

yes then what are those?

4. Do you use multimedia in your class? If yes then how often?

5. How students‟ proficiency in English can be improved from your perspective?

6. What are your suggestions to make the English classes more effective?
 Appendix C

Checklist for Classroom Observation

4 - Outstanding; 3 - Good; 2 - Fair; 1 – Poor

Statements Outstanding Good Fair Poor
i. Preparation
1. Instructor had a clearly discernible lesson School School
plan and announced the topic clearly. A, B C, D
2. There was an appropriate balance of School
structured and open-ended/communicative A, B
activities
3. Exercises and activities were introduced School School
with well thought Pre-task elicitation A,B,C D
4. Teacher monitored the class well School School School
B, C A, D
ii. Language
1. Language proficiency of the instructor in School School
English was satisfactory B A, D
2. He was quite fluent in delivering the School C School
lecture C, D
3. Teacher talk time was appropriate and School School School
resourceful B A,B,C,D B, C
4. Students talk time was appropriate and School
adequate A,B,C,D
5. Teacher contextualized the examples School School
with grammatical rules B A,B
6. Interaction with students were proper and School School
enough B A,B,C,D
iii. Lesson Preparation
1.The lesson was presented clearly School School School School
B D A,B,C,D
2. Activities/exercises chosen to achieve the School
objectives were effective A,B,C,D
3. Time allotted for class was appropriate School
School A,B,C,D
4.Type and amount of teacher feedback was School School
effective B A,B,C,D
iv. Classroom Atmosphere
1.Instructor divided his or her attention School School
among students appropriately C A,B,C,D
2. Student participation was active and School School
lively C A,B,C,D
3. Class atmosphere was warm, open and School School
accepting C A,B,C,D
4. Instructor was sensitive to students' School
difficulties and abilities A,B,C,D
v. Use of technology
1.Use of technology (video, audio, web School
materials) was appropriate given the A,B,C,D
material being presented.
2. Technological material was related to School
English class content A,B,C,D
3. It helped in students‟ language learning School
A,B,C,D
4. Use of technology is limited in the School School
classroom, but used appropriately outside B A,B,C,D
the class (e.g. for email, drilling, background,
etc.