Thesis (Bachelor of Arts in English)

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A Caged World: A critical analysis of Queer oppression in Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Statovci’s Crossing and Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room
(BRAC University, 2022-09) Kabir, Silvia; Mohammad Noman, Dr. Abu Sayeed
Whether it was acknowledged or not, homosexuality and same-sex interactions existed in every society. In the past, homosexual individuals faced discrimination due to their gender identification in Christian-based societies. In writing about homosexuality, early LGBT writers like Oscar Wilde and James Baldwin experienced great suffering. Laws have been developed to secure society against LGBT individuals. They are perceived as a hazard that has the potential to undermine traditional society's moral standards. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde made a groundbreaking statement since it depicted gay characteristics in Victorian culture, where homosexuals were referred to be demons. Wilde always tried to challenge the established social structure and the bourgeois throughout his works. He became a victim for pursuing his personal choices which were considered a sin in Victorian society. However, his sufferings made him a pioneer figure in Gay liberation later on. Subsequently, the novel Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin was published during the mid of 19th century when homosexuality was considered a mental illness in American society. Statovci’s Crossing comes at a time when many of us have become sceptical of binary classifications, such as gay, heterosexual, woman, and man, and have started to see how insufficient they are to capture the reality of human lives. This paper aims to analyze Queer oppression in Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Statovci’s Crossing and Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room by exploring Queer theory which challenges the established norms. Also, the paper aims to analyze the domination of class differences towards queer people by exploring Marxist theory. Lastly, the paper aims to acknowledge the battle of queer people to understand their true selves by exploring the psychoanalytical approach.
A case study of tertiary level online english learning and assessment in Bangladesh during COVID-19
(BRAC University, 2021-09) Sultan, Farsin Binte; Ahmed, Sabreena
The education system all over the world shifted to online mode due to COVID 19 pandemic circumstances. Though online education is convenient and flexible, both teachers and students are facing challenges in online classes and assessments. Thus, this study aims to determine the perceptions of students and teachers regarding online English classes and assessments in the department of English and Humanities (ENH), Brac University, a private university in an ESOL context such as Bangladesh. Alongside, this study explored the possible solutions to the challenges shared by the teachers and students. The study adopted a qualitative single case study approach and the researcher used the purposive sampling technique to collect data from ten tertiary-level English major students and four teachers of the department. Semi-structured interviews were conducted through the online Zoom platform and interviews were recorded and after transcribing, the interviews are analysed thematically. The results revealed that preparing video materials for flipped classrooms and providing feedback on time was difficult and stressful for the teachers. On the other hand, students shared that in online classes watching video lectures were convenient, yet live discussions and interaction with the teachers and peers made online learning more effective. They also informed that more timely feedback could have helped them in improving their performance in assessments. This study will help English teachers of an ESOL context such as Bangladesh to modify their way of teaching and assessing online.
A comparative analysis of Chakma and English Vowels
(BRAC University, 2013-12) Tanchangya, Shanta Rakshit; Hasan, S. M. Mohibul
This study examines that a comparative analysis of English and Chakma vowel phonemes with which different features of these two languages comes out. In this study the similarities and dissimilarities of Chakma vowels with English is the main concern. Chakma vowels are compared to English vowels by description of vowels, diphthongs, phonemic contrast of vowels, vowel length, nasalization, and vowel stressed. The vowels are described articulatory movements of the vowels, position of the vowels within the words etc. Additionally, phonemic contrast of vowels is described through initial, medial and final contrast of vowels. In the last part of the paper, acoustic analysis is given to draw the position of the vowels while articulation in Chakma.
A comparative study of linguistic landscape between Dhanmondi & Hazaribagh
(BRAC University, 2023-05) Halder, Joyanty; Farhat, Nazah
The primary aim of this study was to investigate how different modes of language are used in the form of nameplates, banners, and bill-boards etc. of commercial buildings, government offices and schools to make a successful discourse between agent and audience and why these linguistic modes are practiced distinctively in Dhanmondi and Hazaribagh. The qualitative research method was used to collect and analyze the data. To conduct the research, eight different images of signboards, nameplates, banners of food stalls, schools, clothing stores and other sectors from Dhanmondi and Hazaribagh area were taken by mobile phone. This was an observational study to draw a line between two different linguistic landscapes. The main reason why I was interested in this particular area was that people can come to know how our income affects our linguistic behavior. People can make a relationship between economy and language. A further point why I chose this subject to investigate was that people can understand how global politics influence language usages. In addition to that, people can draw a line between upper and lower class in a society and this is how they can understand the relationship between language and social hierarchy in a society.
A comparative study of teaching grammar in Bangla and English medium schools
(BRAC University, 2015-08) Rahman, Fahmina; Ahmed, Sabreena
This paper is concerned with grammar teaching technique of Bangla and English medium schools in Bangladesh. It also tries to compare the teaching styles of these two different types of mediums. Grammar can be taught in different ways as like using grammar translation method, direct method, communicative language teaching, task based language teaching and eclectic approach. The aim of the research is to compare the two different institutions grammar teaching techniques with these following methods. Questionnaires were distributed among students and teachers to find their opinions on style of teaching grammar. This paper also talks about the four observation classes which were taken by the grammar teachers. In whole it was found that there are some differences between the teaching technique of Bangla and English medium schools and his paper is a reflection of this.
A comparative study on challenges of English writing among the students of Bhutan and Bangladesh
(BRAC University, 2024-09) Gajmer, Anjali; Ahmed, Sabreena
The study mainly focuses on exploring the difficulties faced in English writing by undergraduate students of Bhutan and Bangladesh. It basically includes the opinions of the students on English writing based on their experiences. It is a qualitative, Phenomenology study, where the researcher selected six undergraduate students who are in their second year and interviewed them for the data collection. Additionally, different English writing challenges like grammar errors, English as a second language, Writing anxiety, and lack of English reading were incorporated to make a framework. So the study shows that most of the students had English writing challenges because of Grammar errors, spelling, and organization, English as a second language, and writing anxiety. Further, these findings will not only help the teachers and students of Bangladesh and Bhutan it can also be helpful to see and address the English writing challenges.
A comparative study on learning styles of Bengali and English medium schools of Bangladesh
(BRAC University, 2016-04) Shahadat, Fariya; Ahmed, Sabreena
Every student has his/her a distinguished and unique learning style. Also the capacity of learning is different from each other. The core objective of this paper is to find out the differences between the learning style of students from English and Bengali medium schools. This research aims at exploring learning styles, effects and the practice of learning styles among the students. Around 73 students and 5 teachers participated in the survey. Data was collected through the observation of some classes. The result analyses the role of the teacher and learner, their interpersonal issue, classroom environment, classroom participation and teachers’ attitude towards the student. Along with the study also includes teachers’ opinion about the learning style by giving interview. The observation also aligns the classroom environment, communication system between the students and the teachers and their teaching techniques to understand the perspectives of learners.
A comparative study on teaching methods and approaches in ESL classrooms of Bangla and English version secondary schools in Bangladesh
(BRAC University, 2015-12) Md. Harun-Or-Rashid; Ahmed, Sabreena
This paper compares the teaching methods and approaches in ESL classroom of Bangla and English version secondary levels. The researcher conducted the study on randomly selected 20 students and 20 teachers from ESL classrooms of 10 Bangla and English version schools at the secondary level. Adapted Likert scale has been employed to collect data from the respondents. In addition 2 Bangla and 2 English version ESL classes were observed to get actual scenario of the teaching. For analyzing collected data, the researcher applied mixed method. The findings of analyzed data show that Bangla version school teachers are using communicative method under grammar-based pedagogy. In contrast English version teachers are using communicative method in comprehensive way. However, both Bangla and English version schools teach their students deductive grammar lessons. This paper can help policy makers to improve teaching methods and approaches in ESL classrooms of Bangla and English version schools.
A comparative study on the use of authentic and non-authentic material for language classroom at tertiary level
(BRAC University, 2015-08) Islam, Tanjiana; Akhter, Mahmuda
A comparison on the present scenario of CLT in both Bangla Medium School and English Medium School
(BRAC University, 2017-04) Sultana, Sabiha; Haque, Mohammad Mahmudul
The topic of my dissertation is “A comparison on the present scenario o f CLT in Both Bangla Medium School and English Medium School. It tries to inspect about the implementation of CLT in both mediums. In addition, it tries to compare between the two mediums focusing on the features of CLT, teaching materials as well as the use of classroom activities. The data for this study was collected through a questionnaire both the students and the teachers and a observation from the researcher. It contains the result observation of one class from every school. The entire findings of the survey presents that there are some differences on the present scenario of CLT in both mediums. The study will also compare between the perception of CLT and the actual scenario of CLT in the classroom
A critical analysis of Heart of darkness and Things fall apart: successful or unsuccessful counter-discourse of Conrad’s novella?
(BRAC University, 2022-08) Tasnia, Nabila; Amin, Seema Nusrat
This paper aims to conduct a critical analysis of Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart and English author Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness to study whether Achebe’s postcolonial novel works as a successful counter-discourse of Conrad’s controversial book. This paper also aims to analyze whether Conrad was actually critical against colonialism or did he inherit racist traits more despite being a writer of the modernist period. We can witness the portrayal of Africans, and their condition of life in these two novels. Joseph Conrad has written his novel from the perspective of a European spectator. Chinua Achebe has written the novel from the perspective of an African native. Certainly, their ways of seeing Africa are not alike. In the essay named “An Image of Africa”, Achebe states Conrad as a racist person and discusses how he misrepresents Africa. Conrad depicts Africa as wild, uncivilized, and dark. Achebe has pointed out Conrad’s image of Africa as distorted and one-sided. Achebe in his novel shows African history, education, religion, society, and many other aspects which are unknown to the west. This paper followed the textual analysis of qualitative data reflected in these novels. The research is important because it will help us understand the orientalist approach of the West—the unequal power relation of the Oriental and the Occidental, and hegemony created by the West through their literary works. These issues have been analyzed with the help of prominent post-colonial theories and books like Edward W. Said’s Orientalism and Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth.
A critical analysis of the English language questions of BCS examination
(BRAC University, 2021) Ayonti, Nishat Salsabill; Farhat, Nazah
Job examinations are a valuable part of a person’s career. It shows his/her knowledge and skill and helps the examiners to select the best candidates. As a result, numerous researches have been done to improve the quality of this crucial examination all over the world. Bangladesh is a developing country with lots of possibilities and manpower. It is obvious that the job examination of our country will be highly competitive and tricky. As English is our second language, we see inclusion of this sector in the question paper. Examiners included English in the question to judge candidates’ knowledge and skill over this language. But the question does not seem to fulfill the goals it is supposed to. Most of the questions are memory and grammar based which only shows us the memorizing power of a candidate. Clearly the English language part of the question is not fulfilling its aim properly. In this paper, I will review one of the most demanding job examination English questions of Bangladesh which is known as BCS examination and analyze them on the basis of characteristics of the test. I will review the English language part of the question paper only. I will also conduct research on a few participants and who will be sharing their thoughts on the quality of our job examination and how it can be improved.
A critical discourse analysis of Bangladeshi food vlogging language
(BRAC University, 2022-05) Monira, Sanzana; Farhat, Nazah
This study aims to explore the features of the Bangladeshi food vloggers’ language and how they are using language to communicate with their audiences. This research was conducted by using a qualitative method and the primary data was collected from YouTube food vlog. Four of the Bangladshi food vloggers and a particular food item Kacchi biryani were selected for this research. Afterward, the data was analyzed on CDA by Norman Fairclough’s model. The result of this analysis shows that the food vloggers most of the time use different adjectives to enhance the language, hedges, transglossic practices, non-standard language to communicate with their audinences. Another feature is food vloggers do not have so much authorative power but they provide factual information most of the time. Therefore, the target audiences are youngsters, urban people and a particular social class. Also, food vloggers are helping the viewers by giving detail information of a restaurant and food.
A critical discourse analysis of Bangladeshi political Language
(BRAC University, 2023-01) Choiti, Shadia Sultana; Farhat, Nazah
The main goal of political discourse analysis is to figure out what the text is really trying to see. The study wants to analyse the political speech of Bangladesh from a critical point of view. The study also wants to find similarities in linguistic patterns of discourse analysis. The critical analysis of political speeches in the study is based on a method called “Critical discourse analysis.” The study also plans to compare the way men and women talk about politics. Critical discourse analysis method will be applied to know about beyond meaning of text . Speech Act theory also will be used to identify all speech acts which are available in selected data. The study also want to find different types of pragmatic tools such as diectic expression , reference , paralanguage in the selected data . The study also plans to find the main purpose of the selected political speeches. Qualitative research methodology has been used to do the research. Participants are the politician of Bangladesh. Four You tube videos are selected to conduct the research. However, this paper will be useful who wants to know about the critical discourse analysis of political speech.
A critical study of graphic novels: spiegelman’s maus and satrapi’s persepolis
(BRAC University, 2016-08) Fatema, Rumnaz; Mahbub, Rifat
This thesis exhibits how the intense contents and themes of graphic novels can be credible in venturing its way into the academic world of English literature, particularly in Bangladesh. To accomplish this purpose I intend to analyse two graphic novels, namely Art Spiegelman’s The Complete Maus (2003) and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis I & II (2000,2003) through the theoretical lens of postmodern and cultural studies. The first part will scrutinise the narrative technique of both graphic novels. Both have several postmodern narrative techniques which, eventually, give an alternative meta-history of the Holocaust in the Second World War and the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran. This part will be followed by the representation of politics in both texts, arguing that by manipulating a popular genre like graphic novels, these texts deal with complex political turmoil within which the texts are situated. My textual analysis will be followed by a discussion where I deal with the possibility of academic inclusion of the graphic novels in the advance level studies of English literature in Bangladesh. This thesis will make use of the theoretical frameworks formulated by Linda Hutchinson, Fredric Jameson and Stuart Hall.
A genius of the south and harlem renaissance: moulding the dynamics of American literature
(BRAC University, 8/8/2015) Lohani, Nusmila Tabassum; Chowdhury, Rukhsana Rahim
A genius of The South and Harlem Renaissance: Moulding the Dynamics of American Literature" is the speculation of the literary movement in the 1920's and its effects on twentieth century American literature. In an attempt to study and relate literary publications of the Harlem Renaissance and present the theoretical and practical application of the socio-psychology mind-set of the then black artists, the research behind this paper speculates the visceral and intellectual passion which propelled the literary movement. First of its kind in the black community, the Harlem Renaissance was the "birth" of a new consciousness of the African-American literary artists. Essentially divided into five chapters; the first two chapters serve as dialect to give a historical overview and analysis of the movement. The second chapter draws relationships between the seminal work of African-American literature, viz-a-viz, The Souls of Black Folks; the psychology of the 1920's black intellectuals, viz-a-viz, primitivism and the philosophy of the father of Harlem Renaissance, Alain Locke's selected works of philosophy and sociology. Chapter II demonstrates the historical and psychological overview of the Harlem Renaissance and designs a construct to better understand the dynamics of the glorious movement. Chapter III is the embodiment of the literary icon of the movement, Zora Neale Hurston's reflection on black pride in literature and her passionate inclination to defy all odds and excel in life, under circumstances of racial discrimination. In fact, the third chapter serves as the core of the thesis in dealing with the aspirations of "A Genius of the South" and her strength and prowess in literature which greatly influenced female African-American writers and others of later generations. The following chapter is the reflection of the resonance of the Harlem Renaissance in other aspects than literature, such as music and politics. It is a brief overview of the ripple effects of the movement in the realms of other artistic and social spheres in Harlem and beyond in America. The last chapter is the largest in portion and conducts a study to present the influence of the Harlem Renaissance authors, particularly Zora Neale Hurston on other twentieth century Afiican-American authors who have wielded the dynamics of American literature, to say the least. In five chapters, this paper attempts to draw connections and states how it was the relentless and incorruptible passion of the Harlem Renaissance authors which passed on in later generations of authors and had a true, impeccable impact on the American literature. It is the urgency and black pride in literary works such as Claude Mckay's poem If We Must Die and Zora Neale Flurston's essay How, It Feels to be Colored Me which propelled the movement and gave the world a literature of stupendous rich culture, heritage and creative spirit which ensued for decades ever since.
A history of scars: An examination of how war and trauma changes people and the stories they tell
(BRAC University, 2021-01) Arko, Khondker Shahad Muktadir; Noman, Abu Sayeed Mohammad
This paper will attempt to analyse the effects of war, intergenerational trauma and selective persecution on the human psyche, and how that is reflected in literature through the theoretical frameworks of New Historicism and trauma studies. The aims of this paper is to examine if only the persecuted or the defeated are affected by trauma, or if there are opportunities for polyphonic discourse, with the perspectives from both sides being highlighted. The first part of the paper will discuss the American Civil War and its aftermath, particularly the reflection of self-loathing portrayed in William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! and the crisis of identity caused by trauma and its manifestation in Richard Wright’s Native Son. The second part of the paper will delve into the history of the War of Liberation of Bangladesh, and discuss literature’s role in validating and propagating dominant ideological structures through capillaries of power. Furthermore, this section will also assess the importance of polyphonic narratives and dialogic discourse for healthy identity formation, and discuss the potential of peripheral narratives through an examination of Shahidul Zahir’s Mukher Dike Dekhi. Finally, this paper will offer potential pathways to locate and render minority narratives, which can be beneficial to interrogate the past and contextualise the present in order to better understand the interplay of power. I hope this paper will help future researchers appreciate the gravity of history, and the extent to which it is woven into our national and individual identities.
A learner-centred approach: perspectives of the secondary school teachers in Bangladesh
(BRAC University, 2024-11) Tanha, Ayesha Mustary; Al-Amin, Md.
The study explored secondary school teachers‘ perceptions, classroom practices, and challenges they faced in implementing Learner-Centred Approach (LCA) in Bangladesh. Teaching techniques have an impact on students' learning, especially the use of learner-centred teaching strategies helps the students to achieve success in academies as well as develops other skills including communication and leadership skills. A qualitative approach was adopted to examine teachers‘ attitude and how it has impacted their English classes. Data were collected from 10 secondary school teachers who teach different schools in Dhaka. The findings suggest that teachers hold a positive perception about this approach because students remain active and their concentration, engagement, collaboration, and communication skills develop, which are related to their academic excellence, lifelong learning and developing humane qualities. However, classroom practices of the teachers remain different depending on the institution and context. A lack of training on LCA, lack of preparedness of the students, lack of classroom facilities, imbalanced teacher- student ratio, and long-term socio-cultural impacts of teacher centred practices are some of the constraints to implementing this approach. Findings and implications of this research may help the teachers and policy makers in reforming the policy and practices for acquiring a smooth transition to LCA as well as establishing sustainable education in Bangladesh. These implications extend to learners' long term retention of many skills and thus offer a foundation for further exploration like how this approach can be systematically applied in the English language teaching.
A literary study if black feminism in 19th-century American context
(BRAC University, 2025-09) Maliha, Humayra Hakim; Noman, Abu Sayeed Mohammad
Racism and sexism have made black women in America and Europe see white women as less than human for a long time. Black women who were slaves were seen as sexually entitled, falling behind, and less important than white women. There has been bias against them because of their race and sexuality. In the 1800s, books like "Ain't I a Woman?" by Sojourner Truth and "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Jacobs were the first to give Black women a voice. It was easy to see how hard things were for Black women and how much they wanted to be human, strong, and free in these new works. Black feminists fought for equal rights for women and black people before the Civil War. They spoke out against slavery and male-dominated systems that put women down. They said that their fights weren't getting enough attention and were often left out of well-known activist and early feminist groups. Before the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, the U.S. Constitution didn't treat slaves or Black people very well as people. For representational reasons, the "three-fifths compromise" treated slaves as parts of a person. However, the fact that Black people's humanity was not legally recognized helped slavery to continue. This paper explores the literary and historical review of the American female slaves and explores their sufferings.
A marxist reading of Fitzgerald’s Novel: The Great Gatsby and The Beautiful and Damned
(BRAC University, 2016-04) Mostafa, Tasmia; Ahmed, Nawshaba
Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s great novels The Great Gatsby and The Beautiful and Damned are at the heart of my thesis. Tales of Romantic love and unfulfilled passion on the surface, these two novels are based on a capitalist world, American in the ‘Roaring Twenties’ where each character’s single purpose in life is money and material pleasure. These two novels are basically Fitzgerald’s critique on materialism and corruption of the American society evident in 1920’s and ironically still to this day. Money, wealth and class are recurring themes of these novels and the characters constantly fight the feeling that they are limited by the amount of money they make. Most importantly, their values and morality, if any, are blinded with the pursuit of money and material accomplishments. Central to this is the concept of ‘American dream, myth to some and an unattainable reality to others. Through the narratives of Nick Carraway and Adam Patch these novels track the evolution and deterioration of the concept of the American dream and how the concept of ‘self reliance’ and hard work was completely replaced by the reliance on short cuts, as such bootlegging, gambling and smuggling. Ironically, extreme pursuit of money fails to provide them with a fulfilled life and in turn often causes fatal consequences as seen in these two novels. But what interest me most is that other than critiquing the materialistic attitude of his contemporary society, Fitzgerald seems to provide an account of self criticism through works as he was known as the star of the ‘Jazz age’. I have organized my paper into four chapters and the novels are examined from a Marxist lens with important autobiographical facts of the author. The novel The Great Gatsby and The Beautiful and Damned are the primary sources and I have used different books, articles to balance the discussion and provide a valid analytical perspective. Together it explores how Fitzgerald has used the theme of American dream as a means of social criticism to show the fall of human values in the modern era.