English as a Foreign Language: Insights from a Public University in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study intends to examine the perspective of learners from a public university regarding English Language Teaching (ELT) syllabus and pedagogy. The learners in this study are studying Masters (MA) in ELT at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University (MBSTU). MBSTU is a public university situated in Tangail, Bangladesh. Being their direct teacher, I thought it would be interesting to find out how my students are perceiving ELT courses, in fact the process of data collection and analysis has been an important learning experience for myself, allowing me to delve into the loopholes and strengths of the current ELT curriculum.  The survey questionnaire was sent to thirty of the currently enrolled MA students but fourteen responses were obtained due to the current Corona virus pandemic situation. It is worthwhile to mention that this is the first cohort of students for the MA in ELT program at MBSTU. The MA in ELT program was introduced in the university in 2019. This study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire, and data was analyzed qualitatively. The findings from the study suggest that the students prioritize speaking English fluently and pronouncing English vocabulary correctly. The MA syllabus was highly commended by students as it focuses on pronunciation through the course of Phonetics and Phonology.