Teaching English Phonetics to Bangladeshi Learners

Teaching English in the classroom has always been a critical subject in Bangladesh since English is a second language for the majority of Bangladeshi learners. Teachers often place a greater emphasis on syntax, morphology, semantics, and all other grammatical characteristics when they teach English in a classroom. However, Phonetics and phonology are too important to be overlooked. In terms of phonetics and phonology, Bangla and English have major differences. As a teacher, I would place more emphasis on these characteristics. For example, when it comes to vowels, English has more monophthongs than Bangla. Differences in vowel pronunciation can also alter the meaning of a word. Again, vowel length is not as significant in Bangla as it is in English. In order to teach Bangladeshi students, I should be aware of these distinctions.

Phonemes and allophones are other key components to consider when teaching English to Bangladeshi students. Some sounds in English can be allophonic variations of the same phoneme. However, in Bangla, they can be considered different phonemes, particularly for aspirated and unaspirated sounds. In English, for example, the /k/ and /kh/ sounds are allophones. However, in Bangla, they are distinct phonemes. As a teacher, I must be aware of this aspect in order to teach my students. I would teach the feature of separate phonemes using minimal pairs and parallel distribution for their better understanding. In addition, for allophonic variations, the complementary distribution examples would be beneficial to the students.

Again, consonant sounds differ between Bangla and English. To instruct my students, I would emphasize the distinguishing characteristics of these consonants. For example, how one consonant differs from another based on specific characteristics like voicing, place of articulation, manner of articulation, and so on. I believe these will aid my students in distinguishing consonant sounds. Overall, they will have a greater understanding of the English sound system.