National Planning of European Languages in Bangladesh: An Evaluation

This article describes the current state of European languages in Bangladesh and critically evaluates national policy and planning in English as a second/foreign language over the last few decades. It argues that the expansionist zeal characterizing much of the policy efforts has been uninformed by practical issues of language acquisition management. Consequently, national investments in English teaching and learning have delivered only modest outcomes. Other European languages such as French, German and Spanish have a very limited Communicative potential or instrumental value for Bangladeshis. Taught and learned in a handful of private institutions, these languages are yet to draw Attention of national language policy and planning.