An exploration of the functions of english in urban Bangladesh: investigation of people’s attitude

Abstract

In present world, use of English language is prominent in every part of people’s lives, even in countries where English is not the native tongue. In a developing country like Bangladesh, people are using English in different social spheres, which in turn is increasing its role in formation of people’s identity. In this paper, the researcher has adopted a qualitative approach to collect data primarily from 10 Dhaka city dwellers to create a sociolinguistic profile to portray different usages of English language, understand people’s attitude towards the language, and examine it role on identity creation. The research has suggested that English has different functional needs in urban Bangladeshi context, and people give higher status to this language. Meanwhile, there is still a lot time needed in order to form a distinct Bangladeshi English variety in Bangladesh. The findings of this research will be beneficial to people interested to study the spread of English language in Bangladesh from the lenses of World Englishes. Finally, it can be useful for policymakers who are in charge of making language planning decisions.