GCSE Bengali₈₆₃₈

Whist it is useful for students to concentrate on a core of key language for any given topic, it is impossible to predict all the linguistic elements they might meet when reading and listening to authentic Bengali, or which they themselves might need to use.

For this reason, the student will need to develop communication strategies that can be used to cope successfully with unknown words.

There are two main types of strategy: those that relate to understanding (reading and listening) and those that relate to production (speaking and writing).

3.4.1 Ignoring words which are not needed

Many texts contain words which are not essential for an understanding of the main points of the text. Furthermore, what is important in the text is often presented more than once, in different ways: the student may not understand a point in one form of words and understand it fully in another.

3.4.2 Using the visual and verbal context

The skilled reader can find many clues about the purpose and content of a text from a study of the layout, the title, the length, the typeface and any related pictures.

When reading and listening, students can learn to infer the meaning of new words from the verbal context. So, for example, someone who did not know the word জ্যোতির্বিজ্ঞান might be able, after some appropriate practice, to deduce from the following context that it is some sort of academic subject:

বাঙালি শিক্ষাবিদরা যেসব বাংলা পাঠশালা প্রচলন করেছিলেন, তাতে ভাষা শিক্ষা, ভূগোল, জ্যোতির্বিজ্ঞান, গণিত – সবই পড়ার ব্যবস্থা করেছিলেন।

or that সাম্পান is a means of transport in a sentence like:

অন্যদিকে ডিঙি নৌকা, পানসি নৌকা, সাম্পান ইত্যাদি মাল বহনের জন্য ব্যবহৃত হয়।

or we can deduce from স্বপন আমার প্রাণের বন্ধু that স্বপন is a name.

3.4.3 Making use of grammatical markers and categories

Students will be helped to master all these strategies if, when reading and listening, they learn to use such clues as the plural forms of nouns and verbs, the ways verbs change to form tenses, word order and other such features to help them to recognise to which category (verb, noun, adjective etc) an unknown word belongs. This can be a considerable help in making intelligent guesses about the meaning of the word.

For instance, the verb form at the end of a sentence suggests what the subject is even if the subject has been omitted:

অন্ধের মতো তাঁকে অনুসরণ করতে লাগলাম।

বোকার মতো কথা বলছো কেন?

3.4.4 Making use of the social and cultural context

Another aid to the drawing of correct inferences is for the students to bear in mind that there are regularities in the real world which make it possible to anticipate what people may say or write about it. The ability to predict occurrences in the real world makes it possible sometimes to anticipate words and their meaning, in a given context. This is one reason why it is important for a Bengali course to develop awareness and understanding of countries and communities where Bengali is spoken.

3.4.5 Using common patterns with Bengali

Knowledge of the following patterns of word formation in Bengali will be assumed.

1. non-finite verb forms:

   গিয়ে, গেলে, যেতে from যাওয়া

   দিয়ে, দিলে, দিতে from দেওয়া

   খেয়ে, খেলে, খেতে from খাওয়া

   এসে, এলে, আসতে from আসা

   চালিয়ে, চালালে, চালাতে from চালা etc

2. causative verbs from simple verbs:

   জানানো from জানা

   বোঝানো from বোঝা

   দেখানো from দেখা

   লাগানো from লাগা

   করানো from করা

   বসানো from বসা

3. negative or intensifying prefixes:

   অ: শিক্ষিত > অশিক্ষিত; নিয়ম > অনিয়ম

   অন: উপযুক্ত > অনুপযুক্ত; আদর > অনাদর

   নি: দারুণ > নিদারুণ; বারণ > নিবারণ

   নির্: দোষ > নির্দোষ; ভেজাল > নির্ভেজাল

   বি: দেশ > বিদেশ; লুপ্ত > বিলুপ্ত

3.4.6 Strategies specifically for reading and understanding

There are many English words which have been accepted in Bengali and which are frequently used in written Bengali. Students will be expected to understand and say these words with the correct pronunciation. For example, hospital is written in Bengali as হাসপাতাল and is pronounced differently. There are many other English words which fall into a similar category. A few of these are listed below:

বিস্কুট biscuit

টেবিল table

অফিস, আপিস office

বোতল bottle

রেস্তোরাঁ restaurant

For Bengali students growing up in a British environment, there are quite a few more English words which are in common use and which are often quite difficult to read because the sequence of letters is unusual for Bengali words. These words should be prepared and practised in class.

Examples are:

কমিউনিটি সেন্টার

কম্পিউটার

টুথ পেস্ট

এয়ারপোর্ট

টিউব স্টেশন

জিসিএসই

A useful strategy for dealing with this kind of problem would be to present students with a list of words which cause such a difficulty.

3.4.7 Strategies specifically for listening and understanding

It is expected that strategies such as those outlined above will generally be more easily applied in reading than in listening, as reading offers more opportunities to slow down, to look at unknown items at some leisure and to study the context.

In order to hear accurately students should have the specific differences of the spoken language brought to their attention such as the difference in sound between unaspirated and aspirated consonants ক > খ; গ > ঘ; চ > ছ; জ > ঝ; ট > ঠ; ড > ঢ; ত > থ; দ > ধ; প > ফ; ব > ভ.

However some of the general strategies for understanding listed above can, with practice, be used successfully in listening, namely:

• ignoring words which are not needed for successful completion of the task set
• using the (visual and) verbal context
• making use of the social and cultural context
• using common patterns within Bengali.

3.4.8 Strategies for production

Research and experience show that people who communicate effectively in a foreign language tend to make good use of systematic efficient verbal and non-verbal strategies to get meaning across, in spite of their imperfect command of the language.

Individual students may fail to learn – or forget – language items required by some test items, or they may wish to attempt to go beyond the demands of the specification in completing the task set. In these circumstances, the following strategies can prove useful. They fall into two main categories: non-verbal and verbal.

3.4.9 Non-verbal strategies

3.4.9.1 Pointing and demonstration

This may be accompanied by some appropriate language eg এটা; কী এটা?; জিনিসটা; ঐ যে;, ঐ লোক; ও, ওগুলো; এগুলো; জানি না, ঐ দিকে; ওদিকে

3.4.9.2 Expression and gesture

This may be accompanied, where appropriate, with sounds (eg ‘Oh!’ which, with appropriate intonation, facial expression and gestures, can convey such attitudes and functions as pain, surprise, anger, fear, pleasure and admiration).

হায়; রে; দূর; ছি, গোঁ, হুঁ; বাহ্; ও মা; বাবা

3.4.9.3 Mime

Mime, which again can be accompanied by appropriate sounds and language, can sometimes help communication to be maintained when it might otherwise break down eg কী আবার? কী বলতে পারি? কী করতে পারি? or with a suitable mime if one has forgotten words such as সমস্যা and সাহায্য . This strategy has obvious limitations in a speaking test which is recorded and assessed on the basis of the recording.

3.4.9.4 Drawing

This can be an efficient strategy with some tasks (especially written) and can convey both attitude and information (eg a diagram showing how to get from one point, such as a station, to another, for instance home).

3.4.10 Verbal Strategies

3.4.10.1 Using a word which refers to a similar item

Using a word which refers to a similar item to the one the speaker/writer wishes to refer to, but for which he has forgotten the word eg জিনিসটা for ঘড়ি or ফলটা for আনারস . This strategy is not always effective and its use would be assessed according to its effectiveness in a particular context.

3.4.10.2 Description of physical properties

This can be used to refer to something of which the name has been forgotten eg

টেবিলের উপর যা আছে

ঐ গেলাসে যা আছে

The physical properties refer to colour, size, material, position and shape. The use of this strategy in an exam would be assessed according to its communicative effectiveness.

3.4.10.3 Requests for help

These can include requests for translation eg

এটা বাংলায় কী? বাংলায় এটা কী বলে? এটার মানে কী?

It is clearly preferable to use such requests for help than for communication to collapse and their use will be assessed according to the context. When requests for help with specific problems occur, the teacher should maintain the role of a sympathetic native speaker and help accordingly. The teacher should avoid taking over from the student and carrying out the tasks set.

3.4.10.4 Simplification

This is when a student avoids the use of a form of which he/she is unsure eg

সে দেশে ঘুরে বেড়াচ্ছে।

he/she says only this

সে দেশে ঘোরে

A systematic use of simplified forms may reduce error, facilitate communication and increase fluency, but if overused, this strategy may result in students failing to make full use of their capabilities.

3.4.10.5 Paraphrase

This is where the student uses words and messages in acceptable Bengali, avoiding the use of words which he/she has forgotten. For example, when he/she cannot remember the word দৃশ্য and instead says দেখার জিনিস or when he/she cannot recollect the word পঞ্চম and says পাঁচ নম্বর

When used well, this strategy communicates the message effectively to a sympathetic native speaker and such use would be assessed accordingly in an exam.

3.4.10.6 Reference to specific features

Reference to specific features eg যাতে রান্না করা হয় for চুলা or প্রধান নারী চরিত্র for নায়িকা is often quite effective and its use would be assessed accordingly in an exam.

3.4.10.7 Reference to the function of an object

Reference to the function of an object and the actions that can be performed with it is a commonly used strategy which is usually effective in communicative terms.

Another strategy sometimes used by language students is word coinage, the creation of words based either on English or Bengali words. This strategy usually produces words which do not exist in Bengali or, if they do exist, have a different meaning from the one intended. The use of this strategy is rarely effective in promoting communication and students would be well advised to use it only if all other strategies fail.

Another commonly used strategy is topic avoidance, when the student avoids or abandons a topic because of inability to deal with it. Use of this strategy in the exam will not allow the student to be given full credit. Use of it in a learning situation will reduce opportunities for the development or expansion of the student’s repertoire. It is a strategy which should be discouraged. A basic condition for communication strategies to have a potential learning effect is that they are governed by achievement, rather than avoidance, behaviour.

Evidence suggests that the availability of a range of strategies such as those outlined above, and flexibility in their use, represent an important advantage in overall communicative effectiveness. It also appears that the most effective strategies demand some linguistic proficiency and that the more proficient speakers are also better at using communication strategies effectively.

The development of such strategies cannot be seen as encouragement not to develop linguistic knowledge. Strategic competence is not a substitute for vocabulary learning, but a useful supplement. Indeed, all language users make use of communication strategies, even in their first language, and really successful strategies usually pass unnoticed. It is an important part of the teaching and learning process.