From Basic English to Business English: An Overview of Bangladeshi Realities

Abstract

The role and function of English in the present global perspective is beyond all doubt. As the language of wider communication especially due to its inevitable attachment to international trade and commerce, English has turned out to be of prime importance in the domain of our business education. Apart from being the working language of international organizations and conferences, English is the key language of all sorts of business, trade and financial activities. This role and function of English in the contemporary global avenue have been steadily implanting its value in the Bangladeshi socio-economic plus educational scenario. English for Business Purpose, i.e. Business English has thus become fundamentally crucial in our English Language Teaching (ELT) arena in order to cope with the ongoing economic and financial policies/programs everywhere. But the question lies: how far are we ready to activate this specific need of English and eventually create a suitable workforce that would contribute to our national progress? Given the facts that the standard of English in our educational lives has been consistently under question, one cannot expect to generate any dramatic improvement in the tertiary level. The reason is, all the facets of ELT are inextricably inter linked, and so development of Basic English education is the key to the sound teaching-learning of purpose-oriented ELT activities in the later stages. Unfortunately, regarding our education in general, and English education in particular, the ongoing ELT policy will hardly do any favor to our efforts of coping with the global economic trends as far as English skills are concerned. This article is an attempt to firstly, investigate the problems of our Basic English education along with the adverse effects they are causing in the Business English education at the tertiary level; and secondly, the probable remedies so that an effective Business English education can be implemented.