Teaching English in the Muslim World against the Backdrop of 9/11 and Resurgent Nationalism: A Case Study of Bangladeshi ELT

Abstract

This article examines English language teaching (ELT) policy, textbooks, and pedagogy in the neo-nationalist era that followed 9/11 in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Informed by the Douglas Fir Group's transdisciplinary framework of second language learning, the examination substantiates the ideologies of economization, de-Islamization and awamization, which coalesce into the overarching ideology of secularization of ELT as a response to the global war on terror and the rise of neo-nationalism in South Asia. This secular response to forces and developments in global, regional, and local contexts marks the distinctiveness of Bangladeshi ELT compared with other Muslim societies, which have sought to develop students' awareness of religious and cultural values while teaching English. The secularization of ELT can be explained by the rise of Hindutva nationalism in India and the latter's influence on the ruling Bangladesh Awami League government which has been in power for over 14 years. The article attests to the complex, multilayered ELT ideology shaped by local, regional, and global forces and interests, suggesting the formation of a national/social imaginary that seeks alliance with secular Muslims and non-Muslim communities at home and in the region and excludes practicing Muslims in both contexts.