In the public examination like SSC, the role of English cannot be underestimated. English is a key subject and it influences the results of the students in all the examinations -- SSC, HSC and even Degrees. But so far, we have never given much thought on how to teach such an important subject?

There are two schools of thought regarding Communicative English. Some of us prefer the old system where grammar is taught thoroughly. Their opinion is that the question papers must be set in such a way that the examinees would not be able to find the answers in any book available in the market; and there must be translations, corrections, paragraphs, applications and letter writings.

The other school of thought holds a different view. They do not like to make English education a burden to the students. They have given utmost importance to vocabulary; and if people can exchange their views among themselves they consider that their mission is successful and the students who do not like to study grammar have opted for this type of education. As a result, a great number of students failed in English in the SSC examinations of the years 2002 and 2003.

Students of average merit can memorise words but if they do not know how to make a sentence, their knowledge of vocabulary is of no use. They are rather bearing a burden of vocabulary.

My opinion is that the present system of education based on communicative English should be stopped forthwith otherwise there shall be repetition of the tragedy of the years 2002 and 2003 in future.

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I thank all who wrote about the subject. I specially thank Mr. Oli for exposing "Project hungry English experts" in his letter of 16.08.03.

Although I am not an English expert and belong to the medical profession, I came to know about the flaws of communicative method as I was on the managing committee of few premier educational institutions. I also had the opportunity to attend workshops on Communicative Method (CM). The advocates of CM (as per donors' prescription) talk hours after hours. But the recipients of the method have remained unconvinced so far. A student is mainly a product of certain educational system. Personal efforts may come only after learning the basics. Before 1971 (as Prof. Zahid Akter mentions), even in rural schools and colleges substantial number of students could write and speak proper English. Those who used to go abroad for higher studies did not need extra English teaching or coaching though speaking and listening abilities vary from person to person.

By the 'time-tested method' we mean the system that started before 1971. Most importantly, as per my experiences with the curriculum of school and colleges -- it should be designed by respective teachers only. It should not be imposed by some 'English experts' from universities or by donor agencies. Because it is only the respective teachers who can assess the perceptive capacity of students of respective classes. From our experiences in last 30 years after independence, it is evident that the prescriptions of "English experts", hired by donor agencies, contributed negatively. These are the people who destroyed fundamentals of English learning in our schools and colleges after 1971.

About English as a medium of education from XI class onwards (as it was before 1971), it should be made optional in all colleges, including the rural ones. And learning English is essential for us. In Europe, higher education in English is conducted only in UK and Cyprus. Other countries of Europe, including poor countries like Albania or Greece, conduct their education in their mother tongue only. The same is true for Japan and China. Those countries which pursue education in languages other than English are no less developed than the English speaking countries. Rather many of them are well ahead of many English speaking countries.

As a poor nation, we must learn English purely for economic reasons. It should not be driven by the urge of Anglophile or Bangla phobia. We have to learn English. But it can't happen through the Communicative Method.

Dr. QM Ohidul Alam, Chittagong