Executive Summery
English language becomes one of the fundamental demands in our commoners’ lives in Bangladesh and also a challenge for the rural communities. The problem has become more critical due to gaps between urban and rural educational systems. Minimizing the gap, Community radios, as well as social media (Facebook & You tube), are considered as the best educational platforms for reaching the larger audiences at community level.
The project piloted in one radio station and presently replicating through 18 radio stations in Bangladesh. Most of the learners are listening to radio programs through mobile phone sets and their interest to view the programs. In this situation, English language radio programs are uploading in AER Website and in social media to make the listeners access easier. The Project is being implemented by BNNRC as a Grantee of the American Center, the Embassy of USA at Dhaka, Bangladesh since 2012.
Project description
In this competitive global context, the demand for the English language becomes increasingly high due to the expansion of business, job, and education and in professional sectors. In the last decade, the English language has been placed as a sign language in the commoners’ lives due to massive use of a computer, internet and mobile phone in daily lives. On the other hand, it becomes a challenge for the rural community to comply with this rapid advancement. The traditional education system and curriculum of secondary levels do not keep pace with this ever-increasing demand, particularly for youth learners in rural areas. It creates a gap between the educational systems of urban and rural society. To address this, the government is committed to minimize the gaps and materialize the vision 2021 through digital Bangladesh and has provided the license to 32 initiators for establishing community radio stations. As a result, now 18 community radio stations are operating in rural areas. These Radio stations are one of the best educational platforms for the larger audience at hard to reach communities in Bangladesh.
Effective programs on English Language learning through Community Radio in Rural Bangladesh are now addressing the perspective and contribute to improving the English language skills of the wider radio audiences. Broadcasting success stories on development issues are inspiring the rural people and give strength to fight against poverty and other struggles of their lives. These programs are uploading in Facebook and Website to connect the youths who are using mobile phones for listening to radio programs. The project was piloted in one radio station in 2012 and now has been replicating by 18 radio stations in the country.
The activities of English language radio project are briefly described below:
- Produce Learning materials and broadcast
In the meanwhile, a total of 66 radio drama episodes on communicative English learning have developed and broadcasted for the low intermediate level learners who have had a minimum of about a year of English study. All the episodes were developed in an easy, local-friendly accent, effective and entertaining mode with the support of national and international radio experts and virtual specialists. The episodes have been reviewing and making necessary improvements before broadcasting. The scripts were published in local newspapers, uploading in social media, and websites as well as companion documents for classroom use.
- Media Engagement
Addressing the need of the community, mainstream media along with local print media and social media were engaged for publishing and sharing English language learning programs. As part of this, partnerships with the local newspaper was developed.
- Teachers Engagement
Local English Language teachers were trained up with the Teacher’s handbook to guide the teachers while facilitating the radio programs as well as in the classroom. Teachers were selected from the local schools, colleges and madrashas of the locality. The teachers training course was conducted by a Virtual Specialist from the USA. These trained teachers have been utilizing their knowledge and teaching skill of the English language in their respective institutions too.
- Teacher Handbook and Listener Guidebook
To keep the facilitation in standard, a Teacher Handbook and a Listeners’ Guidebook were develop with the support of Ms. Beth Trudell, a virtual specialist of US State department. These publications contains the role responsibilities of teachers, broadcasters, listeners, presenters and producers so that they can play their role properly.
- Listeners’ Engagement
Listeners were oriented on the goal, objectives of the project, importance of English language at the global context and effect in their livelihood, and their role and responsibility. Thus, the listeners have formed 3,165 English Listeners Clubs (RLC) covering more 65,000 young listeners for group listening. The listeners are providing feedbacks over phone calls during live broadcasting. Encourage them in radio listening habits, radio quiz was included in each episode and radio sets were awarded among the quiz winners.
Besides, Listener’s clubs have gathered in a Listeners’ Camp regionally in the south and north part of Bangladesh in September 2019. The objectives of the camp were to share the views, knowledge, and experiences with each other. More than 80 participants participated in the camp.
- Develop and broadcast rural success stories
Twenty radio stories were developed by interviewing some successful individuals and broadcasted through the community radios in a local-friendly voice. Media expert has engaged to collect, compiled and developed rural stories for broadcasting.
- Partners’ Capacity Development
Facilitated Skills development training for capacity building of the radio broadcasters. 65 radio broadcasters representing Station Managers, Program Producers, and Radio Presenters participated in the 3-day long training course. Now they are producing and broadcasting programs independently.
- Knowledge sharing
After completion of the season, Knowledge Sharing workshops are organized to share the experiences and learning to the language and radio experts for collecting feedbacks and recommendations for generating future directions as well.
- Operational Management of the Project:
BNNRC is responsible for the overall management, coordination; monitoring and reporting of the project. An Advisory Committee was formed comprising 10 members from the media, academia and development professionals of the country includes representatives from American Center, BNNRC, BELTA, academia, and other individual experts too. They are providing support in developing curriculum and learning materials. A coordinator on behalf of BNNRC coordinates the project in field level operation, materials development, monitoring, and reporting, and also visit the radios frequently to monitor program implementation and provides necessary feedback to the team on a regular basis.
Examples of linkages between the WSIS Action Line and the SDGs:
The project: English Language through Community Radio in Rural Bangladesh links WSIS Action Line C4, focuses on the development and promotion of programs. The aim of the project is to upgrade the English language skills of the youths of rural communities of Bangladesh through community radio. At present, 1.3 million listeners are tuning the radio program regular. It increases the English language skills of rural youths so that they can develop their livelihood development in a better way. The project aims to develop the capacity and skills of the rural youth who will lead the nation in the near future.
The project directly links with SDG-4.4 and 4.7. The goals are as follows:
SDG -4.4: by 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
SDG- 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
The above targets comply with the objectives of this project which aim to increase the number of skill English language professionals among rural youth who will acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.
The project directly contributes and relates to C4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all and C8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. The focus of the action line C4 includes equipping people with the language skills and competencies and to meet up the growing need for acquiring knowledge in the use of community radio, capacity building interventions focusing on the development and promotion of programs more professionally through media.
Empowering communities in ICT use and promoting the production of useful and socially meaningful content is a capacity-building intervention that can increase scientific knowledge and promote innovation and research.
Highlights of the project’s partnership activities:
BNNRC is the main implementing partner while American Center has provided technical and financial assistance in the implementation of the project. The project started with one community radio in 2012 and now it is being implemented through 18 community radio stations. BNNRC has made a partnership cooperation agreement with those community radio stations. BNNRC team has conducted capacity assessment of those stations and provided skill development training to them. Now the trained-up staff was involved in producing radio programs at station level using local dialect independently.
At present, more than 65,000 listeners actively participate through radio clubs in the group listening with approximately 300,000 tunings in as regular listeners. Youth (male and female) make up the primary audience with a significant secondary audience of rural housewives.
Individual Radio experts from English language expert organizations like BELTA (Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association) and other language institutions are engaged in content selection and development of learning episodes, curriculum, Teacher Handbook, Listener Guidebook and rural radio shorts. Selected English teachers of local educational institutions have been trained up for facilitating radio programs and teach their students. The listeners can make phone calls during the live programs to give feedback on the broadcasted programs. A strong partnership within the parties has made possible all the activities effective.
Challenges and future perspectives for the project:
18 community radio stations are now broadcasting English language programs. English language radio program becomes one of the most popular and effective community radio programs. Till to date, the program covers only 15% of the total population of Bangladesh. BNNRC can coordinate to engage, orient and supervise the community radio stations in the future.
Views on WSIS Stocktaking and Prizes contest:
WSIS Stocktaking and Prize will be an inspiring model to the community media practitioners of Bangladesh as well as in different parts of the world. The winning of the prize will be inspiring to our future broadcasters and policy-makers too.
About: BNNRC
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication represents the community media sector to Government, Industry, Regulatory Bodies, Media and Development Partners.
BNNRC has been struggling for the last 20 years to open up the community media (including Community Radio, Community Television) and giving focus on its vital role as voices of the voiceless rural people. The reality of today is that the bondage between the community people and local-level community radio stations are getting strengthened day-by-day. Community Radio has now become part of life and livelihood.