Category Archives: Curriculum

A curriculum is a structured framework that outlines the content, skills, and competencies to be taught and learned in an educational or training setting. Rooted in educational theory and pedagogical research, curricula serve as roadmaps for educators and learners, providing a clear direction on topics to be covered, objectives to be achieved, and assessment methods to gauge progress. While traditionally associated with formal schooling, curricula are present in various forms across different levels of education, from early childhood programs to higher education and professional training. Developing and revising a curriculum often involve carefully considering societal needs, technological advances, and emerging knowledge areas. It is a dynamic tool, continually evolving to address the shifting needs of learners and the broader context in which they will apply their knowledge and skills.

Curriculum

Curriculum

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Education is a cornerstone of any society’s progress and development. In Bangladesh, a densely populated country in South Asia, education has been a key focus area for the government to empower its citizens and foster economic growth. Over the years, the education system in Bangladesh has undergone several transformations to address changing needs, challenges, and aspirations. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the education curriculums in Bangladesh, examining its structure, challenges, and recent reforms.

Education in Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s education system follows a 5-3-2-2 structure, consisting of primary, secondary, higher secondary, and tertiary levels. The government places significant emphasis on education, and free and compulsory primary education is enshrined in the constitution.

1. Primary Education Curriculum

Primary education in Bangladesh spans grades 1 to 5 and is typically provided in government-run primary schools. The primary education curriculum emphasizes foundational subjects such as Bangla (the national language), English, mathematics, and social studies. Additionally, subjects like science, arts, physical education, and religious studies are included.

The primary education curriculum aims to lay a strong educational foundation, develop critical thinking skills, and foster creativity and ethical values in students. To achieve this, the curriculum incorporates interactive teaching methods, activity-based learning, and student-centered approaches.

2. Secondary Education Curriculum

Secondary education in Bangladesh covers grades 6 to 10. Students have the option to attend either government-run secondary schools or private schools. The secondary education curriculum builds upon the foundational subjects taught at the primary level and introduces additional subjects like physics, chemistry, biology, geography, history, and economics.

At the secondary level, the focus shifts from rote memorization to promoting analytical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills. The curriculum encourages students to explore different subject areas and make informed decisions about their academic and career paths.

3. Higher Secondary Education Curriculum

Higher secondary education spans grades 11 and 12, where students are required to choose specific subject streams. The primary streams offered are science, arts, and commerce. Students in the science stream typically study subjects like physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. Arts students may choose from subjects such as literature, history, and geography, while commerce students study economics, accounting, and business studies.

The higher secondary education curriculum prepares students for the public examination known as the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination. The results of this examination are crucial in determining admission to universities and other higher education institutions.

4. Tertiary Education Curriculum

Tertiary education in Bangladesh consists of undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Universities, colleges, and specialized institutions offer a diverse range of programs across various disciplines, including humanities, sciences, engineering, medicine, and social sciences.

The curriculum at the tertiary level is more specialized and research-oriented. It encourages critical thinking, independent learning, and the development of expertise in specific fields. Tertiary education aims to produce skilled professionals and researchers who can contribute to the nation’s development and address global challenges.

Challenges and Reforms in Bangladesh’s Education Curriculums

While Bangladesh has made significant strides in expanding access to education, several challenges persist in its education system. Some of the key challenges include:

  1. Quality of Education: Ensuring quality education at all levels remains a challenge. The focus on rote memorization and examination-centric approaches hinders critical thinking and creativity among students.
  2. Teacher Training: Teacher quality and training are critical factors in delivering effective education. Ongoing professional development and support for teachers are essential to enhance teaching methodologies and student outcomes.
  3. Access to Education: Despite progress, access to education remains unequal, especially in rural and remote areas. Efforts are needed to reduce disparities and ensure that all children have equal opportunities to access education.
  4. Gender Disparities: Gender disparities in education persist, particularly in rural areas. Girls often face cultural and economic barriers to education, and efforts are required to promote gender equality in education.
  5. Curriculum Relevance: The curriculum must remain relevant to the changing needs of society and the job market. It should equip students with skills and knowledge that align with emerging industries and global trends.

 

Recent Reforms

To address these challenges, Bangladesh has undertaken various reforms to improve its education system:

  1. National Education Policy (NEP) 2010: The NEP 2010 introduced significant reforms, including changes to the primary and secondary education curriculums to promote critical thinking, creativity, and values-based education.
  2. ICT Integration: The government has emphasized integrating information and communication technology (ICT) into education to enhance teaching and learning processes.
  3. Vocational Education: There is a growing focus on vocational and technical education to equip students with practical skills that meet the demands of the job market.
  4. Inclusive Education: Efforts are being made to make education more inclusive for children with disabilities and those from marginalized communities.
  5. Digitalization of Textbooks: The government has introduced digital textbooks in schools to reduce the burden of carrying heavy bags and promote e-learning.

 

National Curriculum and Textbook Board:

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) is a governmental organization in Bangladesh responsible for the development of curriculum and the approval of textbooks for primary, junior, secondary, and higher secondary level schools of the country.

The NCTB was established under the National Education Policy of 1979, and since then it has been playing a vital role in the educational development of Bangladesh. It aims to enhance the quality of education through the provision of effective learning materials and curricula that are consistent with the country’s social, cultural, and national objectives.

The responsibilities of the NCTB include:

  1. Designing and developing curriculum as per national education policy and goals.
  2. Selecting, developing, and approving textbooks for schools and madrasas.
  3. Printing and distributing approved textbooks to educational institutions across the country.
  4. Evaluating and upgrading curricula and textbooks as needed, based on feedback and evolving educational standards.

As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, the NCTB plays a critical role in determining the academic content that is taught in Bangladesh’s schools. For updates or changes after this date, I would recommend looking up the latest information.

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC):

The Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC):

 

Bangladesh Open University (BOU):

The Bangladesh Open University (BOU) is a public university in Bangladesh, and it’s one of the largest universities in the world in terms of enrollment. It was established on October 21, 1992, with the aim of making education accessible to all, especially for those who cannot enroll in traditional educational institutions due to financial, geographical, or other limitations.

The BOU offers various programs of study including formal and non-formal courses. Its formal education system includes undergraduate, post-graduate, and diploma programs across diverse fields. The non-formal education programs, on the other hand, include basic literacy and continuing education, vocational education, health and nutrition, agriculture, and other community-oriented courses.

The BOU employs a variety of delivery methods to ensure education is available to a wide audience, including print materials, television and radio broadcasts, online courses, and tutorials. Courses are typically self-paced, allowing students to complete their studies according to their own schedule. This is particularly useful for working professionals and other individuals who have commitments that may make traditional class schedules impractical.

The university operates through a system of regional resource centers (RRCs), sub-regional centers (SRCs), and study centers scattered across the country to facilitate the educational process for its students.

As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, the Bangladesh Open University continues to provide flexible, accessible, and affordable education opportunities for people across the nation. For any updates or changes after this time, please refer to the latest sources.

Read more on : Bangladesh Open University (BOU): A Beacon of Lifelong Learning and Inclusivity

Open School (OS):

Secondary School Certificate (SSC):

Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC):

Bachelor of Business Studies(BBS):

Bachelor of Business Administration(BBA), Bangla Medium

 

School of Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD)

Bachelor of Agriculture Education (B.Ag.Ed)

 

School of Business (SOB)

Post-Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM)

 

School of Education

Bachelor of Education (B.Ed)

  • EDBN-1412 Teaching English

 

Certificate in Education (C.Ed)

EDC 2307 English

 

Social Science Humanities and Language

Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Social Science (BA & BSS)

  • BEN-1301 – English Language Skills

 

Social Science Humanities and Language

Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Social Science (BA & BSS)

  • BEN 1301 English Language Skills

 

 

The Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB)

The Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) is a government board responsible for regulating, developing, and standardizing technical and vocational education in the secondary and post-secondary level in Bangladesh. BTEB is also responsible for the award of diplomas and certifications in technical education.

BTEB was established in 1967, and it functions under the Ministry of Education, Government of Bangladesh. Its major activities include:

  1. Development of curriculum for different courses related to vocational and technical education.
  2. Regulation and supervision of technical and vocational education institutions.
  3. Organization and conduction of examinations for vocational and technical education courses.
  4. Certification of graduates from technical and vocational institutions.
  5. Implementation of the National Skills Development Policy and the National Vocational Qualifications Framework (NVQF).

BTEB aims to ensure that the technical education sector produces a skilled and technically trained workforce that can contribute effectively to the national and international labor market.

As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, BTEB continues to play a significant role in advancing technical and vocational education in Bangladesh. For updates or changes after this date, I recommend checking the latest resources.

 

The National University of Bangladesh (NUB):

The National University of Bangladesh (NUB), established in 1992, is a parent university of Bangladesh aimed at imparting general and professional education to students through its affiliated colleges and professional institutions throughout the country. It is one of the largest universities in the world in terms of the number of registered students.

The university provides a broad range of programs from undergraduate to postgraduate levels. The undergraduate programs include Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Commerce, and Bachelor of Business Administration. At the postgraduate level, it offers Masters of Arts, Masters of Science, Masters of Commerce, and Masters of Business Administration among others.

The National University conducts all admission processes, provides curricula, arranges examinations, and awards degrees to the students from the affiliated colleges and institutions. It also holds training programs for the teachers of affiliated colleges to improve the quality of education in the colleges.

NUB aims to provide quality education to the students, especially those from the rural areas and economically backward sections of the society, making higher education accessible to them.

As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, the National University continues to play a vital role in Bangladesh’s higher education sector. For any changes or updates after this time, please refer to the latest sources.

 

The Determiner

The Determiner

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The Determiner: In English grammar, a determiner is a word that is used before a noun to indicate which or how many of the noun are being referred to. Determiners can provide information about possession, quantity, specificity, and definiteness.

The Determiner

The most common determiners in English are articles, which include “the,” “a,” and “an.” “The” is a definite article and is used to refer to a specific noun that has already been mentioned or is well-known to the speaker and listener. “A” and “an” are indefinite articles and are used to refer to a noun in a non-specific or general way.

Other determiners in English include possessive adjectives (such as “my,” “your,” “his,” “her,” “its,” “our,” and “their”), demonstratives (such as “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those”), and quantifiers (such as “some,” “any,” “few,” “many,” “several,” and “all”).

 

 

Determiners play an important role in English grammar because they can significantly change the meaning of a sentence. For example, consider the difference between “the cat” and “a cat.” The first sentence implies that the speaker and listener know which specific cat is being referred to, while the second sentence refers to any cat in general.

Determiners can also be used to create emphasis or to clarify meaning. For instance, the use of the demonstrative determiner “this” can indicate that the speaker is referring to something close by, while the use of the possessive determiner “my” can indicate ownership or possession.

In summary, determiners are essential elements of English grammar that help to convey specific meanings and clarify the relationship between nouns and other parts of speech in a sentence.

 

 

This class discusses “The Determiner” of English Language or English Grammar. This is the first class of the English course “English (65712)”. This course is part of the Polytechnic discipline of the Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB). As polytechnic and Class 11 and Class 12 syllabus is similar, this class will be useful for HSC and Class 11, Class 12 students. This class is also part of BCS Preparation as the first topic of the BCS Preliminary Syllabus. Therefore this class will be useful for everyone who is preparing for any kind of job or admission exam in Bangladesh.

Nazifa Farhat took the class।

 

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HSC

English Grammar Premodifiers | HSC, English 2nd Paper

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English Grammar Premodifiers This class discusses “Premodifiers” Grammar. This class is part of HSC (11-12) English 2nd paper Grammar. This book is a lesson on the Grammar of HSC. That means the “Premodifiers” class is useful for students of Class 11 and Class 12.

 

English Grammar Premodifiers

 

In English grammar, a premodifier is a modifier that precedes the head of a noun phrase or word that determines the meaning of a phrase. Premodifiers are most often adjectives, participles, and nouns. When used as an adjective to characterize a person or thing, this part of speech is also referred to as an epithet.

Premodifiers are written more often than spoken. As noted by Douglas Biber et. al. in Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English, “Premodifiers and postmodifiers are distributed in the same way across registers: rare in conversation, very common in informational writing,” (Biber 2002). Learn more about and see examples of premodifiers here.

 

Understanding Premodifiers

To understand premodifiers, study the types that you might encounter and how each is used. Be sure to reference plenty of examples.

Types of Premodifiers

Biber categorized premodifiers into four main groups and commented on the use of other parts of speech to make premodifiers more precise. “There are four major structural types of premodification in English:

  • adjective: big pillow, new pants, official negotiations, political isolation
  • -ed participial: restricted area, improved growth, fixed volume, established tradition
  • -ing participial: flashing lights, a growing problem, an exhausting task
  • noun: staff room, pencil case, market forces, maturation period

In addition … determiners, genitives, and numerals precede the head and modifiers and help to specify the reference of noun phrases.”

Biber also noted that premodifiers are efficient, saying, “Premodifiers are condensed structures. They use fewer words than postmodifiers to convey roughly the same information. Most adjectival and participial premodifiers can be rephrased as a longer, postmodifying relative clause,” (Biber 2002).

 

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Premodifiers and Compounds

Andreas H. Jucker in his book Social Stylistics: Syntactic Variation in British Newspapers defined the relationship between premodifiers and compounds as follows.

“Premodifying elements in prehead position are often used as qualifiers, which means that they restrict the reference of the head of the noun phrase to a subset of the things it denotes. In many cases, the resultant expression is fairly permanent and is used regularly.

Eventually, the meaning of the combined expression may differ from the meaning that is derivable from the meaning of its constituents. In this case, the term compound or nominal compound is often used.

lighthouse—light music
software—soft option
hothouse—hot house
blackbird—black bird
darkroom—dark room

The first element [e.g. software] in these examples is always the compound, which is contrasted to the second element [e.g. soft option] which is not usually regarded as a compound. Compounds tend to have primary stress on the first element, whereas noun phrase combinations are written as two words,” (Jucker 1992).

Examples of Premodifiers

Take a look at these examples of premodifiers, some from literature and some not, to better understand the applications of this useful part of speech.

  • The next morning, Lonsdale was spotted coming out of a nearby house.
  • “Indeed, it is a commonplace observation that a truly intelligent youth is aided but little by the average college education,” (H.L. Mencken).
  • We have enjoyed some extremely varied and consistently excellent performances at this theater.
  • “The road deteriorated until it resembled a casually discarded trail of large and sharp stones.
  • “The problem is not just our junkie-like behavior; it is that there is another energy junkie in the neighborhood with a growing habit—China,” (Schultz 2010).
  • “Younkers was the most elegant, up-to-the-minute, briskly efficient, satisfyingly urbane place in Iowa,” (Bryson 2006).

 

 

Details about English Grammar Premodifiers – English Grammar :

 

 

HSC, SSC

English Important Classes

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English Important Classes – The English major (alternatively “English concentration”) is a term in the United States and several other countries for an undergraduate university degree focused on reading, analyzing, and writing texts in the English language. The term also can be used to describe a student who is pursuing a degree. Students who major in English reflect upon, analyze, and interpret literature and film. Graduates with English degrees can seek careers in creative writing, education, law, and many other professions.

 

English Important Classes

 

English studies (or simply, English) is an academic discipline taught in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education in English-speaking countries. This is not to be confused with English taught as a foreign language, which is a distinct discipline. An Anglicist is someone who works in the field of English studies. The discipline involves the study and exploration of texts created in English literature.

 

 

English studies include:

  • The study of literature, especially novels, plays, short stories, and poetry. Most English literature comes from Britain, the United States, and Ireland (although English-language literature from any country may be studied, and local or national literature is usually emphasized in any given country).
  • English composition, including writing essays, short stories, and poetry.
  • English language arts, which is the study of grammar, usage, and style.
  • English sociolinguistics, including discourse analysis of written and spoken texts in the English language, the history of the English language, English language learning and teaching, and the study of the World of English.

English linguistics (syntax, morphology, phonetics, phonology, etc.) is usually treated as a distinct discipline, taught in a department of linguistics.

The disciplinary divide between a dominant literature or usage orientation is one motivation for the division of the North American Modern Language Association (MLA) into two subgroups. At universities in non-English-speaking countries, one department often covers all aspects of English studies, including linguistics.

 

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It is common for departments of English to offer courses and scholarships in all areas of the English language, such as literature, public speaking and speech writing, rhetoric, composition studies, creative writing, philology and etymology, journalism, poetry, publishing, philosophy of language, and theater and play-writing, among many others.

In most English-speaking countries, the study of texts produced in non-English languages takes place in other departments, such as departments of foreign languages or comparative literature.

 

 

English Important Classes :

 

 

HSC

English Grammar Voice | HSC, English 2nd Paper

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English Grammar Voice This class discusses “Voice” English Grammar. This class is part of SSC (9-10), and HSC (11-12) English 2nd paper Grammar. “English Grammar – Voice” class is divided into six parts and today’s class is the first class.

 

English Grammar Voice

 

In grammar, the voice (aka diathesis) of a verb describes the relationship between the action (or state) that the verb expresses and the participants identified by its arguments (subject, object, etc.). When the subject is the agent or doer of the action, the verb is in the active voice. When the subject is the patient, target, or undergoer of the action, the verb is said to be in the passive voice. When the subject both performs and receives the action expressed by the verb, the verb is in the middle voice.

 

 

The following pair of examples illustrates the contrast between active and passive voice in English. In sentence (1), the verb form ate is in the active voice, but in sentence (2), the verb form was eaten is in the passive voice. Independent of voice, the cat is the Agent (the doer) of the action of eating in both sentences.

  1. The cat ate the mouse.
  2. The mouse was eaten by the cat.

In a transformation from an active-voice clause to an equivalent passive-voice construction, the subject and the direct object switch grammatical roles. The direct object gets promoted to subject, and the subject demoted to an (optional) adjunct. In the first example above, the mouse serves as the direct object in the active-voice version, but becomes the subject in the passive version. The subject of the active-voice version, the cat, becomes part of a prepositional phrase in the passive version of the sentence, and can be left out entirely; The mouse was eaten.

 

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Details about English Grammar Voice – English Grammar :

 

BEN - 1301 - Unit 1

Identifying the Thesis Statement and Topic Sentence | Lesson 2 | Unit 1 | English Language Skills | BEN – 1301

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Identifying the Thesis Statement and Topic Sentence | Lesson 2 | Unit 1 | English Language Skills | BEN – 1301

 

Identifying the Thesis Statement and Topic Sentence

 

Objectives of the Lesson : After you have studied this lesson you will be able to identify –

  • the topic of a composition
  • the thesis statement in a composition
  • identify the topic sentence in a paragraph.

 

 

A.

Read this composition to answer the following questions

Our Secondary English Textbooks

1

(1) Secondary English textbooks should be used as a useful aid for teaching and learning English communicatively in our situations. (2) These books, based on a national curriculum, are centrally produced by
National Curriculum and Textbook Board, one for each class, and are followed in all the secondary schools, government and non-government, in the country. (3) The books are reasonably priced so as to enable every
student to buy his/her copy.

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(4) Most of our teachers use, rather overuse, these books, because these are the only teaching materials available to them. (5) Moreover, they are not adequately trained to use any other materials. (6) As a result, most of the lesson activities lack variety and challenge, and as such, they hardly stimulate students to learn. (7) To help our teachers to use the textbooks and other support materials effectively, they should be properly trained.

(8) This is because only trained teachers can best use textbooks, aids, newspapers, magazines or any texts adapted or prepared by themselves or their students, for teaching English for communicative purposes.

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(9) Students can learn the language for communicative use only through practising the basic language skills (i.e., listening, speaking, reading and writing). (10) That is why the lessons of a textbook should include adequate language activities for practising language skills. (11) You can memorise words, sentences or even the entire text of a lesson and then think that you have learned English. (12) But, you are wrong. (13) The words and sentences of a lesson are used to provide suitable contexts for practising language skills. (14) They are the means, not the end.

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(15) Once the students have practised the language skills with the help of a lesson, they should be able to use the skills in real-life situations. (16) A textbook lesson should have tasks and activities which will involve students in communicating with others in English. (17) In other words, the textbook tasks or exercises will be so designed that their practice inside the classroom will lead to language use outside the classroom, i.e., in real life.

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(18) Teacher’s guide should be used to make a lesson effective. (19) The guide will help the teachers with knowledge and techniques of how to make a lesson plan, how to present a word or structure and most importantly how to make the class participatory through pair-work, groupwork, role play, etc. (20) However, teachers should be free to use or adapt the guidelines provided in the teacher’s guide according to the need of the individual classes.

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(21) A multiple-textbook policy should be introduced at the secondary level. (22) That is, instead of a single textbook for a particular class, there should be more than one book. (23) So writers and publishers should be allowed to produce textbooks freely. (24) English teachers should have freedom to choose any book or books which they think would be suitable for their classes. (25) Only then the writers and publishers will compete for
developing quality books.

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(26) Once the teachers have free access to a variety of teaching materials, i.e. textbooks and other support materials suitable for their classes and once they are adequately trained in how to use these materials, they would be able to use them for developing their students’ communicative competence.

Activity – 1

1 What is the composition about ?
2 Identify a sentence in the composition (either underline or rewrite it) which tells what the whole composition is about.
3 In each paragraph identify one sentence that tells what the paragraph is about.

 

B.

If you want to write an essay or article, first of all, you have a subject in mind. Then you think about the subject, its various aspects, functions, etc., gather information/data and finally you get down to writing the essay. This subject about which you are writing the essay or article is its topic.

So, the topic of a composition just means the subject of the composition.

Whether a topic is broad or limited depends on the length of the article you are planning to write. Look at the topic of our article: “Our Secondary English Textbooks”.

B 1.

Can you think about any differences between these topics ?

1 Textbooks
2 English textbooks
3 Secondary English textbooks
4 Our secondary English textbooks

No 1 is too broad a subject to be dealt with within the space used for the article, because it includes textbooks for all subjects at all levels of education.

No 2 is still broad and general, because all English textbooks for all grades have to be dealt with.

No 3 is quite limited in scope, but yet it could be secondary English textbooks of any country in general.

No 4 is precisely limited to what can be dealt with easily in the space available.

You have perhaps noticed that a topic can be expressed in a single word (War, Peace, etc..) or in a phrase (e.g. Civil Society, Safe Drinking Water, etc.).

C.

Read the article again and identify a sentence that tells what the entire article is about. This sentence you are going to identify best expresses the subject of the whole composition and is called a thesis statement.

The thesis statement is usually made in the first paragraph. It is clearly written as part of the introduction. Only the idea in your thesis statement and other ideas, facts, etc. related to the idea of the thesis statement should be included and dealt with in your composition.

Now, there are three sentences in paragraph 1. Only sentence 1 expresses clearly how our secondary English textbooks have to be used and for what purpose. Sentences 2 and 3 only give us other facts (e.g. how and for whom these books are produced and why they are not expensive). These facts are related to the main idea expressed in sentence 1. So, sentence 1 is the thesis statement of the entire composition.

D.

A paragraph contains a unit of thought or idea which is expressed in several or many sentences. The topic sentence in a paragraph tells what the paragraph is about. It expresses the main idea which is developed in the paragraph.

A good topic sentence uses key words which you can develop in the paragraph. It is usually a positive statement. For example :

My family members do not like fast foods.
(a bad topic sentence)
My family members avoid fast foods.
(a good topic sentence)

A topic sentence can be put anywhere in the paragraph.

Considering the above-mentioned characteristics of a topic sentence, you can check your answers to section B with the following clues.

Paragraph 1
Sentence 1 has key words like English textbooks, teaching, learning, communicatively, situations. Remember, sentence 1 states the main idea of the entire composition. And it also states the main idea of paragraph 1.

Paragraph 2
Sentence 7 expresses the main idea of training teachers in order to enable them to use the textbooks and other support materials effectively. Other sentences in the paragraph justify this statement by telling that teachers are not properly trained and most of them do not have access to even such simple teaching materials as newspapers, magazines, etc.

Paragraph 3
See how the idea in sentence 9 has been supported by, and developed through, the remaining sentences of the paragraph.

Paragraph 4
Sentence 15 indicates why students should be able to use the language skills in real-life situations after they have practised the language skills (clue: communicate). Sentence 16 tells us what will help them to
communicate with others in English. (clue: tasks and activities in a lesson).

Sentence 17 further explains the idea of sentence 16.

Paragraph 5
Sentence 18 gives the key idea of the need of teacher’s guide for the effective use of a textbook. Sentence 19 tells us how a teacher’s guide can help effective teaching, while sentence 20 informs how a teacher should use the guide.

Paragraph 6
The idea of multiple-textbook policy is expressed in sentence 21. Sentence 22 explains the policy. Sentence 23 tells us what we should do to implement the policy. Sentence 24 points out what teachers should do under the policy. Sentence 25 connects teachers’ role (sentence 24) with the development of quality textbooks.

Paragraph 7
It has only one sentence (sentence 26) that concludes the composition, saying that if a variety of teaching materials are available and if the teachers are trained, they would be able to develop their students’ communicative competence.

 

E.

Organisation of the article

The article ‘Our Secondary English Textbooks’ has seven paragraphs. The introductory paragraph begins the composition with the thesis statement. This thesis statement has been developed in the following five paragraphs
(2-6). The last paragraph (paragraph 7) restates the thesis in different words and gives a conclusion to the general idea expressed of the article in the thesis statement. Look at the organisation of the article in the following table:

Activity – 2

1 Which topic do you think would be most appropriate for writing a very short article ?

a Floods
b The 1998 floods in your area
c Floods in Bangladesh
d The 1998 floods in Bangladesh

2 Which do you think is the best thesis statement for a 2-3 page article? Justify your answer by explaining the scope of each statement.

a Rice is the staple diet in many countries of the world including Bangladesh.
b Rice production and modern agricultural technology.
c You will remain slim if you don’t eat too much rice.
d Rice is our staple product.
3 A topic sentence
a explains the topic of a composition.
b introduces the main idea of the composition.
c states the main idea of a paragraph.
d always introduces a paragraph.

 

 

Explanatory Notes

useful aid something such as a machine or tool that helps someone do something

teaching and learning English communicatively teaching and learning English in such a way that the learners can express their ideas and understand other’s too.

centrally produced NCTB produces books for the whole country that means NCTB produces books centrally.

reasonably priced not very expensive; the price which one can afford

adequately trained having enough training

variety different types of things

challenge something that tests strength, skill, or ability especially in an interesting way; for example, I like my job to be a challenge

…….most of the lesson activities lack variety and challenge most of the activities are boring

…..through practising the basic language skills If the learners do activities related to basic language skills, i.e. reading, writing, listening and speaking skills they will have the ability to use the language for communicative use.

entire text whole text

The words and sentences of a lesson ….…They are the means, not the end If the learners can use the words and sentences of a lesson as tools to make the activities, they can learn both language and practise language
skills.

real-life situations actual situations where people have to deal with

participatory a way of involving everyone in an activity/task

a multiple –textbook policy a policy that will permit including many textbooks for each class.

compete for try to be more successful than another person or organization; for example, Several companies are competing for the contract

access to the right to have something; for example, Students must have access to a good library

competence the ability to do; for example, No one doubts her competence as a teacher.

 

MCQ

1. A thesis statement expresses

a. the subject of the whole composition
b. the subject of the 1st paragraph
c. the main idea of the last paragraph
d. the topic of a composition

 

 

BEN - 1301 - Unit 1

Identifying Texts and Topics | Lesson 1 | Unit 1 | English Language Skills | BEN – 1301

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Identifying Texts and Topics | Lesson 1 | Unit 1 | English Language Skills | BEN – 1301

Identifying Texts and Topics

Objectives of the Lesson :

After you have studied this lesson you will be able to –

  • identify a text, i.e., say whether the text is taken from a story, a newspaper, a letter, a brochure, an advertisement, and so on.
  • identify the topic of a text.

A.

Read the following six extracts. Think about the sources they have been taken from and then write the names of the sources (e.g. a newspaper, a letter, etc.).

2.
There was once an old king who had three daughters.
One day he called them one by one and said,
“How much do you love me, darling ?”

3.
New Authors
Do you want to publish your work?
We consider all subjects :
Fiction, Non-fiction, Biography,
Religions, Poetry, Children’s . . .
Send your manuscripts to :
Academy Publishers
38/B Banglabazar, Dhaka

4.
The government will build Shanti Nibash (peace homes) for the old people in country’s six divisional headquarters, reports APB.

5.
I have read your advertisement for the post of Assistant Manager in The Daily Star yesterday and would like to apply for the post.

6.
In the past people did not have any clear idea about the size and nature of the universe. They believed that the earth was flat and stationary, and the sun, the moon and the planets moved round the earth.

Activity:

1. Match the above paragraphs with the descriptions given below. Just write the number of a paragraph in the right blank.

a ———— a job application
b ———— a newspaper advertisement
c ———— a tourism brochure
d ———— an article
e ———— a story
f ———— a news item

2. Here are six topics. Read the extracts in section A again and decide which topic goes with which extract.

1) The old king and his daughters
2) The old concept of the universe
3) Wanted – Assistant Manager
4) A tourist attraction
5) Homes for the old
6) Good news for the new authors

3. Here are four extracts. Read them and write the sources they are taken from and the topics that go with them :

(1)

Evening session:
3:00 Opening announcement, Recitation from Al-Quran
3:10 Recitation from The Bible
3:15 Patriotic song
3:20 Cartoon film: Bananas in Pajamas
3:45 Programme on nutrition

4:00 Khabar
4:05 Aamar Thikana
4:30 Open University.

(2)
The history of the development of transport shows how people have been trying from pre-historic times to use more and more advanced types of transport, thereby replacing gradually the traditional means of carrying men and goods.

(3)
Two apartments at plot 25, Road 68A, Gulshan 2, each measuring 2000 sq. ft. on furnished or unfurnished basis including air-cooler, are ready for immediate occupation. Each apartment has three bed rooms with attached. baths, living, dining, family living, kitchen and maid’s room with bath, spacious veranda facing south and a reserved car park. There is provision for emergency power supply and full time security.

Please contact:
Dr. A Rahman
Phone : 607306

(4)

Alam Khan : May I speak to Mr Chowdhury, please? This is Alam Khan.
Secretary : I’m sorry, Mr Chowdhury is away at a conference in Chittagong.

Alam Khan : When will he be available?
Secretary : He’ll be back Thursday afternoon.

Alam Khan : Oh! I really need to talk to him urgently. Could you help me?
Secretary : I’ll try, Mr Khan.

Alam Khan : I sent you an order five weeks ago and the goods have not arrived yet.

Explanatory Notes:

pleasant drive nice and enjoyable trip in a car
ringed with surrounded by
evergreen a tree or bush which never loses its leaves
tropical forest forest in the hottest part of the world
sight seeing the act of visiting famous or interesting places as tourists
rowing the activity of making a boat move through water by using oars
publish to arrange the writing, production of a book, magazine etc.
fiction books and stories about imaginary people and events
non fiction books, articles etc. about real events, not imaginary
biography an account of a person’s life written by someone else
universe all space, including all the stars and planets
stationary standing still instead of moving; static

 

ANSWER KEY (for activity 1 & 2)

1.

a. 5 _____ a job application
b. 3 _____ a newspaper advertisement
c. 1 _____ a tourism brochure
d. 6 _____ an article
e. 2 _____ a story
f. 4 _____ a news item

2.
1) The topic, ‘The old King and his daughters’ goes with the 2nd extract.
2) The topic, ‘The old concept of the universe’ goes with the 6th extract.
3) The topic, ‘Wanted –Assistant Manager’ goes with the 5th extract.
4) The topic, ‘A tourism attraction’ goes the 1st extract.
5) The topic, ‘Home for the old’ goes with the 4th extract.
6) The topic, ‘Good news for the new authors’ goes with the 3rd extract.

 

BEN - 1301 - Unit 1

English Language Skills Textbook | BEN – 1301 | BSS Programme

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English Language Skills Textbook | Bachelor of Arts(BA) / Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSS) Programme

School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages
Bangladesh Open University
Gazipur – 1705
BEN – 1301

 

English Language Skills Textbook

School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages
Bangladesh Open University
Gazipur – 1705

This study material is prepared by M. Shamsul Hoque (Former ELT Adviser, SSHL, BOU), Dr. Salma Ainy (Associate Professor, SSHL, BOU), Syed Mazharul Islam (IUB, Dhaka) and Meherun Nesa (Former Assistant Professor, SSHL, BOU), and edited by Hasibul Haque (Former Assistant Professor, SSHL, BOU), Mustafizur Rahman (Former Professor, Open School, BOU), Dr. Selina Akhter Jahan (Former Associate Professor, SSHL BOU)

Dean, SSHL

 

Writers:

M Shamsul Hoque | Former ELT Adviser, SSHL, BOU
Dr. Salma Ainy | Associate Professor of English, SSHL, BOU
Syed Mazharul Islam | IUB, Dhaka

Supplementation:

Meherun Nesa | Assistant Professor, SSHL, BOU

Editors:

Hasibul Haque | Former Assistant Professor, SSHL, BOU
Dr. Salma Ainy | Associate Professor, SSHL, BOU

Supplementation Editors:

Professor Mustafizur Rahman
Dr. Selina AKhtar Jahan | Associate Professor, SSHL BOU

School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages
Bachelor of Arts (BA) / Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSS) Programme
(All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without prior permission of the Bangladesh Open University)

Second Edition : 2001
Third Edition : 2003
Fourth Edition : 2004
Fifth Edition : 2005
Sixth Edition : 2009
Seventh Edition : 2010
Eighth Edition : 2011
Ninth Edition : 2012

Instructional Designing
Dr. Salma Ainy
Hasibul Haque
Illustration & Cover Design
Masud Mahmood Mallick
Cover Graphics
Abdul Malek
Computer Graphics, DTP & Composition
Md. Abul Kalam Azad
Shapon Kumar Das

Publisher:

Publishing, Printing & Distribution Division
Bangladesh Open University
Gazipur – 1705

 

To the Student

Dear Student,

BEN 1301 : English Language Skills has been introduced as a compulsory General Education course of BA/BSS Programme. The course has been designed to help you learn English Language in a way which will fulfill your communicative and academic needs. We have a sincere effort to present the book in a self instructional way so that you can follow the lessons easily.

This course is worth of 3 credits and each credit contains materials worth of 15 hours self study and 10-15 hours additional activities, such as doing intext activities, consulting references, following radio and tv programmes, attending tutorial sessions, discussing with tutor and course-mates and so on. That means the students are expected to spend 75 – 90 hours for completing the whole course.

Unit 1 with the title “Reading Texts Thematically and Linguistically” deals with the topics, such as identifying texts, topics and thesis statements, extracting main ideas from the texts, summarising, dealing with new vocabulary, reading charts and graphs, predicting, understanding writer’s purpose or intention, making notes and using a dictionary.

Unit 2, deals with writing notes, paragraphs, letters, dialogues, reports, accounts and summary. There is the answer Key section at the end of almost each lesson.

Unit 3 deals with “Communicative Grammar”. The topics covered in this Unit are—talking about the present, past and future, talking about abilities and possibilities, wishes and chances, describing processes, using reported
speech and articles, and making reference to people and objects. There are a number of activities in each lesson. Do the activities first and then check your answers with the ‘Answer Key’ where provided. Moreover, you can get sufficient clues from the text for your answer, or in some cases may wish to consult your tutor and compare your answer with those of your course-mates.

As you go through the lessons, you may come across a number of unfamiliar words, terms and expressions. Try to get the meaning from the context and also use a standard English to English dictionary. If you have any difficulty in understanding any part of this book, make notes to discuss them in the tutorial sessions. This may help you understand better. Nevertheless, please remember, you are always welcome to contact us, the faculty of SSHL, BOU, whenever you need to discuss something essential.

In the present edition of the book a good number of ‘Explanatory Notes’ ‘Answer Key’ and ‘Multiple Choice Questions’ have been added to all of the three Units. It must be mentioned that the whole work of supplementation has been done to fit the book for the principles of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and hence to increase the student’s comprehension. This part has been prepared by the course co-ordinator.

Best of Luck

(Course Coordinator)

 

Contents:

Unit 1 : Reading Texts Thematically and Linguistically

Lesson 1 : Identifying Texts and Topics
Lesson 2 : Identifying the Thesis Statement and Topic Sentence
Lesson 3 : Extracting Main Ideas
Lesson 4 : Summarising
Lesson 5 : Dealing with New Vocabulary-1
Lesson 6 : Dealing with New Vocabulary-2
Lesson 7 : Reading Charts and Graphs
Lesson 8 : Predicting
Lesson 9 : Understanding the Writer’s Purpose or Intention
Lesson 10 : Making Notes
Lesson 11 : Using a Dictionary

Unit 2 : Writing

Lesson 1 : Writing Notes
Lesson 2 : Writing Paragraphs
Lesson 3 : Writing Letters – 1
Lesson 4 : Writing Letters – 2
Lesson 5 : Writing Letters – 3
Lesson 6 : Writing Letters – 4
Lesson 7 : Writing Letters – 5
Lesson 8 : Writing a Dialogue – 1
Lesson 9 : Writing a Dialogue – 2
Lesson 10 : Writing a Report – 1
Lesson 11 : Writing a Report – 2
Lesson 12 : Writing an Account -1
Lesson 13 : Writing an Account – 2
Lesson 14 : Writing an Account – 3
Lesson 15 : Writing a Summary

Unit 3 : Communicative Grammar

Lesson 1 : Talking about the Present
Lesson 2 : Talking about the Past
Lesson 3 : Talking about the Future
Lesson 4 : Talking about Possibilities and Abilities
Lesson 5 : Talking about Chances and Wishes
Lesson 6 : Describing Processes and how Things are done
Lesson 7 : Reported Speech
Lesson 8 : Generalising and Specifying : Articles
Lesson 9 : Making references to People, and Objects using relative pronouns – who/which/that

HSC

Narration English Grammar | HSC, English 2nd Paper

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Narration English Grammar This class discusses about “Narration” Grammar. This class is part of HSC (11-12) English 2nd paper Grammar. This book is a lesson on the Grammar of HSC. That means the “Narration” class is useful for students of Class 11 and Class 12.

 

Narration English Grammar

 

Introduction

Narration can be defined broadly as the system of reporting the words of a specific person in a new sentence. It includes sentences that contain the speech of someone who once spoke. It may appear confusing, but narration is a fundamental concept in English grammar.

Narration is divided into two categories-direct speech and indirect speech, which help narrate words differently. Various concepts in English help us express our thoughts and ideas differently. Narration in English grammar is a concept related to expressing a person’s speech or words discussed in this blog.

 

 

What is narration?

Narration refers to any type of explanation or telling of something. It is commonly used in the context of storytelling. You might have heard narration if you’ve watched a television show in which one of the characters speaks directly to the audience. Songs often feature narration, with the singer recounting the events of losing his guitar, truck, and wife, and finding solace in singing the blues. The same concept is used for narration in English grammar.

A person’s speech or words can be expressed in two ways. This distinguishes between direct and indirect speech in narration. In grammar, there are two types of speech.

Direct speech

In general, direct speech is a sentence in which the speaker’s exact words are used to state what the speaker has said by using his words. Direct speech causes repetition of the exact words spoken or said by the speaker in speech marks or quotation marks.

In other words, we express a speech in direct speech as if the original speaker is speaking for himself. There is no change in the words or the tenses of the verbs. In this case, we use a reporting clause or verb to indicate that we are referring to someone else’s speech or words, such as he said, she said, and so on. Then comes the reported clause, which is the speaker’s original speech.

In a nutshell, this is the method of narrating someone else’s words in a sentence by using quotation marks or inverted commas and making no changes to the original words.

 

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Indirect speech

This is a speech or system of narrating a person’s speech in which we are not required to use the exact same words as the speaker. Indirect speech is the sentence in which we convey or narrate a speech by rephrasing it in our own words.

In indirect speech quotation marks are not used to quote the speaker’s words. Only the speech’s most important or necessary parts are reproduced here using different words. The only goal is to convey the same message.

We use a reporting clause similar to a direct speech here, followed by a reported clause. The ‘that’ clause is the most common way to express words in indirect speech. However, depending on the circumstances, the reported clause may change. If it’s a question, for example, use ‘if’ or ‘whether.’ ‘To’ is a command that can be used.

 

 

Details about Narration English Grammar – English Grammar :

 

IELTS

Writing Task 2 – Passage | Writing | IELTS Course

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Writing Task 2 – Passage class is a part of our “IELTS Course”. This is the 31st class of our “IELTS Course”. Our “IELTS Course” will help you in your IELTS preparation. Prepare for the IELTS exam online at your own pace, Our “IELTS Courses” will help you get the score you need. This class has been made to help you in your IELTS examination.

 

Writing Task 2 – Passage

 

The IELTS writing task 2 sample answer below has examiner comments and has a band score of 9. The topic of social media is common and this IELTS essay question was reported in the IELTS test. Check the model essay and then read the comments.

 

 

Social networking sites, for instance, Facebook, are thought by some to have had a detrimental effect on individual people as well as society and local communities. However, while I believe that such sites are mainly beneficial to the individual, I agree that they have had a damaging effect on local communities.

With regards to individuals, the impact that online social media has had on each individual person has clear advantages. Firstly, people from different countries are brought together through such sites as Facebook whereas before the development of technology and social networking sites, people rarely had the chance to meet or communicate with anyone outside of their immediate circle or community.

Secondly, Facebook also has social groups that offer individuals a chance to meet and participate in discussions with people who share common interests.

On the other hand, the effect that Facebook and other social networking sites have had on societies and local communities can only be seen as negative. Rather than individual people taking part in their local community, they are instead choosing to take more interest in people online.

 

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Consequently, the people within local communities are no longer forming close or supportive relationships. Furthermore, society as a whole is becoming increasingly disjointed and fragmented as people spend more time online with people they have never met face to face and who they are unlikely to ever meet in the future.

To conclude, although social networking sites have brought individuals closer together, they have not had the same effect on society or local communities. Local communities should do more to try and involve local people in local activities in order to promote the future of community life.

Comments: This essay shows you the organization of ideas into paragraphs and also how a clear answer is given in the thesis statement in the introduction and then supported and explained in full throughout the essay. You will also see paraphrasing for advantage/ disadvantage language which can be useful for you in other essays. Furthermore, the word length of this essay is typical for anyone aiming for a band score of 6, 7, or above. Words 280.

 

 

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