RETHINKING ENGLISH TEACHING THROUGH CLT IN GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

In Bangladesh, English is compulsory from class one. Teaching English in the government primary schools in the rural areas through Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is a great challenge. The problems are manifold. The schools lack effective English teachers having little idea of CLT and language awareness. They suffer from low motivation for many reasons. This study first presents an overview of primary education focusing on the state of English teaching in government primary schools along with teachers’ qualification and training. Then the study investigates the definition and principles of CLT and language awareness as the teachers perceive and practice. The present study with 200 participants who are working at different primary schools in rural areas proves that lack of in-depth knowledge and training in CLT make it difficult to ensure quality English teaching.