Listening, speaking, reading and writing are the four skills which should be developed separately by a person wishing to bring about full command over a language. But, in Bangladesh, the course followed in different levels put emphasis on 'writing' and 'reading', whereas 'speaking' and 'listening' do not receive even minimum focus. Of course, everybody knows that every language is basically spoken. If one can't produce sentences verbally, it is thought that his/her language learning has not been completed. It is true that all the prescribed texts contain instructions encouraging the students to hold conversation in English on a wide variety of topics. But the interesting fact is that the students need not face any test which can fathom their ability to speak or listen. So, the absence of test or evaluating verbal competence is thus directly responsible for the poor speaking and listening skills of students.
শ্রবণ, বক্তৃতা, পাঠ ও লিখন — এই চারটি দক্ষতা এমন উপাদান যা কোনো ভাষায় পূর্ণ দক্ষতা অর্জনের জন্য আলাদাভাবে বিকাশ করা প্রয়োজন। কিন্তু বাংলাদেশে বিভিন্ন স্তরে অনুসৃত পাঠ্যক্রমে ‘লিখন’ ও ‘পাঠ’-এর ওপর গুরুত্ব দেওয়া হলেও ‘বক্তৃতা’ ও ‘শ্রবণ’-এর প্রতি ন্যূনতম মনোযোগও দেওয়া হয় না। আসলে সবাই জানে, প্রতিটি ভাষাই মূলত কথ্য ভাষা। কেউ যদি মৌখিকভাবে বাক্য গঠন করতে না পারে, তবে ধরে নেওয়া হয় তার ভাষা শেখা এখনো সম্পূর্ণ হয়নি। সত্যি বলতে, নির্ধারিত সব পাঠ্যবইতেই শিক্ষার্থীদের বিভিন্ন বিষয়ে ইংরেজিতে কথোপকথনের অনুশীলন করতে উৎসাহ দেওয়ার নির্দেশনা থাকে। কিন্তু মজার বিষয় হলো, শিক্ষার্থীদের এমন কোনো পরীক্ষার সম্মুখীন হতে হয় না যা তাদের কথা বলা বা শ্রবণ দক্ষতা যাচাই করতে পারে। ফলে মৌখিক দক্ষতা মূল্যায়নের পরীক্ষার অনুপস্থিতিই শিক্ষার্থীদের দুর্বল বক্তৃতা ও শ্রবণ দক্ষতার সরাসরি কারণ।
(i) The fault of the language learning evaluation system is that it does not test the learners’ speaking and listening abilities.
(ii) The prescribed books instruct the students to hold conversations in English on different topics.
(iii) The main drawback in English learning courses in Bangladesh is that they emphasize only reading and writing, ignoring speaking and listening skills.
(i) Bangladeshi students cannot show remarkable verbal competence because they are never tested on their speaking and listening skills.
(ii) The four language skills are listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Main Idea: The English learning and evaluation system in Bangladesh neglects listening and speaking skills.
Supporting Ideas:
conversation — discussion — We had a friendly conversation about our school days.
responsible — accountable — The teacher is responsible for guiding the students properly.
emphasis — stress — Our English teacher lays special emphasis on correct pronunciation.
prescribed — fixed — Students must study the prescribed lessons before the exam.
fathom — comprehend — I cannot fathom why he failed in such an easy test.
verbal — oral — She has strong verbal communication skills.
Summary: The passage discusses the imbalance in English language learning in Bangladesh. It explains that while reading and writing receive much attention, listening and speaking are largely ignored. Although books encourage oral practice, students face no tests on these skills, resulting in poor verbal competence.
What is the writer's purpose in writing the passage?
The writer aims to highlight the shortcomings of the English learning system in Bangladesh and to suggest that equal importance should be given to all four language skills, especially listening and speaking.
What is the key-word in the first sentence of the passage?
Ans: The key-word is "skills". It helps us understand that mastering a language requires developing different abilities, not just one or two.
What is the key-word in the last sentence of the passage?
Ans: The key-word is "responsible". It shows that the lack of proper verbal testing is the main cause behind students’ poor speaking and listening skills.