Desirable multilingual education in Bangladesh

Summary: In the 1950s, Sapir-Whorf hypothesis claimed that each language shapes and describes life and the world differently. If true, multilingual education could be more effective and complete than monolingual education. Multilingual education can be either natural or organic, like the Latin-based system in ancient Rome when Latin was alive, or artificial, like the Latin-based system in the Middle Ages when Latin was a dead language. The argument posits that natural multilingual education ensures general and effective education, while artificial multilingual education fails in both aspects. In Bangladesh, a Bengali language-based multilingual education system would be natural and effective since Bengali is the language of the masses. Conversely, an English-based multilingual education system would be artificial because English is not the language of the masses in Bangladesh. Moreover, it might undermine the use of the Bengali language, causing ultimate harm.

In the 1950s, the proposed Sapir-Whorf hypothesis claimed that each language perceives and describes life and the world uniquely. If true, acquiring the same knowledge through different languages would make that knowledge more complete. Therefore, if this holds, multilingual education would be more effective than monolingual education in acquiring knowledge. However, we need to understand that there are different types of multilingual education, as there are variations in the medium of education, ranging from artificiality to naturalness. My contention is that natural multilingual education (Natural/Organic Multilanguage Education) is the best and most preferable method for acquiring knowledge.

Generally, a language serves as the medium for literature and education. A language can be recognized in four ways: 1) Social recognition, 2) Political recognition, 3) Economic recognition, and 4) International recognition. English language enjoys all four of these recognitions. My mother tongue is Chittagonian, Garo, or Kokborok, none of which enjoy any form of recognition. A language that lacks at least social recognition is generally not used as a medium for literature or education.

Before the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, there was no concept of 'nation-states' or 'nationalism' in the world. Various empires existed, but linguistic politics were still relevant, and the question of linguistic recognition persisted. Linguistic recognition is one of the primary determinants of power. During the Middle Ages, rulers of Bengal or Arakan encouraged literary discourse in contemporary Bengali because Bengali had some social recognition. However, they did not show enthusiasm for literature in Garo or Kokborok because these languages lacked social recognition or had less recognition compared to Bengali. The translation of the Bible into German by Martin Luther in 1534 led to the acquisition of social recognition for the German vernacular, which eventually evolved into modern German.

Historically, political and economic reasons determine the status of two different languages when they come into contact. The more recognized language is termed as 'superstrate' or 'prestige' language, while the less recognized one is termed as 'substrate' language. When any superstrate language gets an opportunity, it tries to assert its dominance politically, wanting to be the medium of education, administration, and justice. Even the powerless in Bangladesh believe that English should be the medium of education, considering Bengali as the 'substrate' language. This implies that Bengali is not the de facto language of the state; it lacks political recognition.

In such circumstances, the existence of the 'substrate' language and its speakers becomes threatened. The speakers of the 'substrate' language often rebel, protest against injustice, as evidenced by phrases like 'They want to take away our language!' or 'They won't be able to suppress us!' The Language Movement of 1952, during which Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman went on a hunger strike in Faridpur district, primarily aimed at gaining political recognition for the Bengali language.

Multilingual Education Frameworks:
a. Multilingual Education-1:
In this type of multilingual education system, all subjects such as language, literature, science, economics, geography, etc., can be taught with equal importance in both the superstrate and substrate languages. Whether such an education system exists anywhere in the world or not is unknown. The feasibility of such an education system is also not irrelevant. In Montreal, Canada, schools, colleges, and universities teach in French or English. In English-speaking schools, French is taught as a language. Similarly, in French-speaking schools, English is taught as a language. There are rare instances of education where both English and French are taught as mediums of instruction.

b. Multilingual Education-2:
In this type of multilingual education system, there is only one medium of instruction, but students learn multiple languages besides. During the Roman era and the Middle Ages, Latin was the medium of education, but Greek was also taught as a language. In the Arab world during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, Arabic was the medium of education, but many also learned Greek and Latin. From the Renaissance until the nineteenth century, various European languages such as English, French, German, and Spanish were mediums of education, but Greek and Latin were also taught as classical languages.

c. Multilingual Education-3:
In the third type of education system, subjects such as science and mathematics, considered 'difficult', are taught in the superstrate language, while subjects like literature, arts, and social sciences, considered 'easy', are taught in the substrate language. In the Maghreb region (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco), science subjects are taught in French, while Arabic is used for arts or social sciences.

d. Multilingual Education-4:
In this type of education system, the medium of instruction is the substrate mother tongue in lower grades, while in higher grades, education is conducted in either the superstrate language or another dominant language. The government has implemented a system of education in various small ethnic communities in Bangladesh where children are taught in their mother tongue in lower grades. In higher grades, they are taught in Bengali or English. Attempts have been made in many countries worldwide to implement such a system, such as in Ireland and Peru, but despite the efforts of the government and the people, local languages have not been established as the medium of instruction in Ireland against English or in Peru against Spanish.

In societies where one superstrate and one substrate language coexist, the people often prefer the superstrate language as the sole medium of education. In Bangladesh, many advocate for English as the medium of education. In private universities, English is the medium of instruction, and most universities are named in English. Even in public universities, including Dhaka University, known as the bastion of the language movement, many teachers advocate for English as the medium of education. Those who have initiated English versions also do not advocate for Bengali as the sole medium of education.

Natural and Artificial Multilingual Education Models:
Education began in various parts of the world with different languages serving as the medium of instruction. For instance, in ancient Greece, education was conducted in Greek. In ancient India, Sanskrit was the sole medium of education. During the Roman era, Latin, the mother tongue of most Roman citizens, was the medium of instruction, although Greek was also taught as it was considered another source of knowledge.
Therefore, the living Latin-based educational system of the Romans can be termed as Natural Multilingual Education, while the Latin-based educational system of the Middle Ages can be termed as Artificial Multilingual Education. In Bangladesh, English-medium education represents an example of Artificial Multilingual Education because, although not a dead language, English is not the native language used by the majority in Bangladesh.

Which Language Should be the Medium of Instruction in Bangladesh?
From Rabindranath Tagore onwards, most educationists have emphasized the indispensability of the mother tongue as the medium of instruction. The Bangladeshi government also acknowledges the importance of the mother tongue and has published textbooks in several minor ethnic languages. Whether languages like Garo, Kokborok, or Chittagonian can serve as mediums of instruction is not irrelevant, but the prevailing economic capability in the country does not support education or higher education in every language. The absence of tools like textbooks and shortages of teachers in each language make it impractical to solely rely on the mother tongue in many cases.

In Bangladesh or any other country, the answer to which language should be the medium of instruction must consider two factors:
1. Whether it can educate the majority population effectively.
2. Whether the mother tongue of the majority population can be used as the medium of instruction.

If only Bengali, the mother tongue, is to be the medium of instruction, then it may fulfill the above two conditions. However, if English is to be used as a multilingual medium of instruction, it would resemble the Artificial Multilingual Education system of the Middle Ages. This system poses two main problems:
1. The development of Bengali language might be hindered due to the lack of education in it.
2. The majority of the population in Bangladesh cannot be adequately educated in English, as most Bengali children do not receive input in English but in Bengali or regional languages.

Given Bangladesh's economic dependence on remittances and its citizens' global mobility, education in a language other than English might be mandatory at the secondary and higher secondary levels. In comparison to English-based Artificial Multilingual Education systems, a Bengali-based Natural Multilingual Education system would be more effective, sustainable, and universally accepted in Bangladesh. Therefore, there is no doubt that a Bengali-based natural multilingual education system would be more effective, sustainable, and universally accepted in Bangladesh.

Optimality Theory and Optimal Multilingual Education in Bangladesh:
In Optimality Theory or Selectionist Theory, a device or mechanism called 'Gen' (in Bengali, 'Srijon' meaning 'creator') creates different candidates for the same word. In reality or nature, there exists a globally recognized list of constraints, termed as 'Con' (in Bengali, 'Samboron' or 'Protibandho'), where some constraints are marked (called 'faithful' constraints) and some are unmarked or 'faithful' to the original. Another device in phonology, called 'Eval' (in Bengali, 'Mulyayan' or 'Jachai'), first evaluates the candidates by checking the constraints of faithfulness (faithfulness) and markedness (markedness) in a sequence – the most faithful and the most marked candidates appear at the top of the list. The candidate who violates fewer faithfulness and markedness constraints is considered the most optimal in terms of the question of optimality.
We can apply this theory to choose the optimal multilingual education for the state of Bangladesh. Let's consider multiple constraints. Suppose, in the selection of the national language, the following globally recognized constraints are present: Constraint-1: Should be the language of the majority; Constraint-2: Ensures universal literacy; Constraint-3: Should be a living language; Constraint-4: Should be comprehensible to all; Constraint-5: Should be an international language; Constraint-6: Preferred by the powerless; and Constraint-7: Should be the lingua franca, etc. Some of these constraints may seem redundant or 'redundant' in the list.

Based on the importance of constraints, the candidates are arranged in a sequence. We observe that the candidate representing Standard Bengali has invalidated the three least important or redundant constraints, while other candidates have invalidated several crucial constraints at the beginning of the list. Therefore, in light of the Optimality Theory or optimality principle, Standard Bengali would be the most optimal candidate for the national language of Bangladesh.

What Needs to Be Done?
A language generally faces no opposition as an educational medium if it enjoys social, political, economic, and international recognition. Bengali language has social and political recognition, but lacks economic and international recognition, at least for now. If Bengali were to be accepted as the medium of education in Bangladesh, it would require factual political, economic, and international recognition. Not only Bengali, any language needs to achieve social, political, economic, and international recognition at all levels to sustain its existence. The longevity of a language also depends on these recognitions. The absence of multiple recognitions increases the likelihood of a language's demise.

Politics and diplomacy have two aspects: 'Hard' and 'Soft'. One of the achievements of Bangladesh's soft diplomacy would be international recognition of the Bengali language. Translation of literature, philosophy, science, and economics from and into foreign languages to and from Bengali would be one of the major tools of this soft diplomacy. The honorable Prime Minister has emphasized the importance of translation in several of her speeches. As part of soft diplomacy, Sheikh Hasina has already established a Bangladesh Bhavan at Shantiniketan. Following the footsteps of Aliyuns Fransaise, Goethe Institut, and Confucius Centers, Bangladesh can establish 'Bangladesh Bhavan' or 'Bangabandhu Center' in major cities worldwide, where discussions on Bengali language and possible translation of Bengali literature into other languages and vice versa could take place. Consequently, there will be numerous opportunities for Bengali language teachers and translators.

If a nation's language fails to advance on the economic, political, and international fronts, it will inevitably fall behind. This particular truth about language, politics, and language diplomacy is evident from China's establishment of thousands of Confucius Centers worldwide in the last decade to promote Chinese language and culture. Bangladesh is moving ahead in a similar direction, contemplating taking Bengali to the level of the world's best languages.

In this context, there are two immediate actions to take: Firstly, there needs to be a universal examination for Bengali language proficiency, similar to TOEFL or IELTS, for both foreigners and Bengalis. Secondly, to provide Bengali language education as a foreign language, there is a need to create language teachers. Following the example of Quebec's French Language Law 101, where passing a French language proficiency test is mandatory for employment or promotion, failing the French language and literature exam in Quebec leads to not granting a high school diploma. Ensuring the indispensability, respect, and recognition of the Bengali language is the demand of the time for ensuring comprehensive multilingual education. In pursuit of this goal, thirdly, following the Quebec model, a Bengali language promotion commission can be established.

Conclusion
We are not against any human language. English, Urdu, and others are marvelous languages. Even in 1952, we Bengalis were not against Urdu; instead, we stood for Bangla, and we continue to do so. Even the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu, was in favor of Bangla. In a meeting of the Bangla Academy on February 21, 1970, he said: "The day we attain power, everything will be in Bangla." By "everything," he meant that education, judiciary, and administration would be in Bangla, making it the sole language of democracy. This is also enshrined in the constitution. Those who oppose this are against the constitution. According to the prevailing Bangla Language Usage Act of 1987, those who commit offenses against the state in Bengali and, ultimately, in the language of poet Abdul Hakim (1620-1690) – "those who were born in the land of Banga and harm the Bangla language, their births are unknown."

Claiming Bangla as the state language is not an emotional demand but a rational one. Those who label Bangla as our mother tongue are mistaken. The rulers of Pakistan did not want to hear our mother tongue. They refused to recognize Bangla as the state language. If their scheme had succeeded, we Bengali-speaking people would have fewer opportunities and would lag behind. Language movement activists and language martyrs, including Bangabandhu, passionately fought for the future generation's interests, driven by a sense of urgency.

We also understand that terms like "mother tongue" and "native speaker" are cultural constructs. They are merely narratives. Even if English were considered the so-called mother tongue, it does not imply that everyone will excel in English. Many of the famous grammarians of the Latin language did not have Latin as their mother tongue. The renowned grammarian Otto Jespersen, whose mother tongue was not English, contributed to English grammar. It is heard that British/American English teachers in China, as well as other Caucasian English teachers, receive higher salaries. When the cultural bias towards native speakers persists, it benefits British and American English speakers and facilitates job opportunities for language teachers.

We want Bangla to be the state language because, firstly, we have seen that making Bangla the state language is the most desirable decision. If English becomes the state language, education, judiciary, and administration will not be easily accessible to the majority of the population. Ensuring one hundred percent literacy in English will not be possible. One might ask, why is one hundred percent literacy essential? Failing to ensure one hundred percent literacy will lead to the spread of various talents and hinder the overall and sustainable development of the country. If you want to give a shadow to a nation for a century, then plant trees. If you want to give light to a nation for thousands of years, then "educate" them, that is, be attentive to the expansion of education.

We must remember that the age of old stones, the age of new stones, the age of metals, the age of gunpowder have ended, and mankind has entered a new age of invasion and defense: the age of information technology. By pressing a button on the computer, you can disarm most of the enemy's important weapons. In this era, education is foremost a defensive training and discipline. To increase the number of soldiers, universal education must be ensured. Therefore, Bangla must be used as the medium of education at all levels, and the education budget must be increased.

Ensuring one hundred percent universal and effective education is a prerequisite for the development of a country and nation. There is no alternative to a Bangla-based multilingual education system to achieve this goal. This does not mean that we must reject the power and claim of English as a global language. Instead, English should be effectively taught as a significant language before the completion of the higher secondary level. Without knowing how to read and write in Bangla and English, without being interested in reading books, and without exploring one's own culture, one will not be able to cross the threshold of higher education. It saddens me to say that most of the undergraduate students in Bangladesh lack these qualifications, meaning that they are moving away from a promising future.

Bengalis, Bangladesh, and the Bangla language's interests are inseparable. Without the effective and robust development of Bangla, Bengali, and Bangladesh, which is impossible, this truth attracts attention, as emphasized in this article.

Author: Linguist and Professor, Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka.