PALIMPSEST - English-only Instruction in Tertiary-level L2 Writing

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Osmosis 2024

Title: English-only Instruction in Tertiary-level L2 Writing: An Exploratory Study with Translingualism
Author(s): Md. Akteruzzaman, Assistant Professor, Department of English, East Delta University, Bangladesh and S. M. Javed Anwar, Lecturer, Department of English, East Delta University, Bangladesh

Publication Information
Journal Title: Palimpsest - East Delta University Journal of English Studies
Volume No: 02, Issue No: 01, Year: 2020, Pages: 32-44
Publisher: Department of English, East Delta University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
Type of Publication: Research Article
Received: 26 November 2020, Accepted: 25 February 2021, Published: 07 December 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46603/pedujes.v2i1.4

Abstract
Since CLT's propagation emphasises teaching English monolingually in an adamant manner, the tide has been set to follow that trend blindly. However, English-only instruction has been under debate recently, particularly in non-native teaching contexts. This paper questions the credibility of English-only instruction in teaching tertiary-level L2 writing in Bangladesh. Through small-scale action research with 36 students studying at a private university, the researchers discover that inconsistent dependency on English as the only medium of instruction has far-reaching effects on academic writing perception in a multilingual setting. The initial findings suggest that students from Bangla-medium background, who are taught following NCTB (National Curriculum and Textbook Board) syllabus, constitute the most considerable portion of the affected community. To address the issue, participants were trained following a translingual action plan. A comparative analysis between their former and subsequent performances projects that application of translingual practices has a constructive influence that can equip the learners with a deeper understanding of academic writing. It also proposes that other than trying to fit the learners into the scaffold of English-only instruction, the novice writers should be taught translingually.

Keywords
L2 writing, English-only instruction, translingualism, CLT in Bangladesh, action research

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