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| The tour team of EWU with the faculties of English Department, SUST |
Whilst it is still crisp in my
mind, I needed to compose about the three days’ study tour to Sylhet which was
comprised with information about: education, local culture, language and beauty
of Sylhet. The journey started on 23rd February and finished on 25th
February 2018. The host of the study tour was the English Department of East
West University, Bangladesh. Professor Dr. Muhammed Shahriar Haque; Mr. Zahid
Hossain, Senior Lecturer; Mr. Mohammad Rejaul Karim, Senior Lecturer; Ms. Naushin
Nazifa Islam, Senior Lecturer and Ms. Monisha Biswas, Lecturer of English Department
guided the whole educational tour.
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| Professor Dr. Muhammed Shahriar Haque is collecting green leaves of tea plants |
The
tour started with visiting the tea garden of Khadimnagar. The grey clean tracks
between the tea garden were framed with green tea shrubs seemed like a brush
paint portrait. Walking in the tracks, the clay houses took my attention as
different types of flower and trees were planted to beautify the gates. The tea
garden started to surprise me with the flower of it: white and yellow color.
The efficient workers of the tea garden cleared the idea that flowers of tea
shrubs has no use in the process of tea powder making though they proof the
maturity of the shrubs. I got the idea about: tea plants seed, cuttings,
reaping, diseases and pesticides. It was no less surprise to know that a tea
plant can grow as a tree of up to 15 to 16 m if plants left undisturbed. Only
1-2 inches of a mature tree plants are picked for making of tea powder and again
a new flushes grow in every 7 to 12 days. Even, the tireless workers of tea
garden admit that the garden company provides salary including with facilities
of resident, schooling and medicine. Therefore, most of the workers are women
in the garden.
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| Students of English Department, EWU are collecting information from the tea workers |
In same day, we went to the Khadimnagar National Park; located on Northeast of
Sylhet city, alongside the Sylhet-Tamabil highway. An amazing green forest was
the route of our destination. It is a natural forest with lots of old trees and
bushes of all sizes. Being a hike lover, I went to a hike with my teachers and friends
which were amazing. In the same afternoon, we went to Jaflong; one of the most
attractive tourist spots with cool water and amazing colorful and small to
medium sized stones, pebbles and sand. Riding on a boat over clear water and
taking photos took two hours to return resort from Jaflong.
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| Students of English Department, EWU at Jaflong, Sylhet |
The
following day, we set off for Shahjalal University of Science and Technology
(SUST) where we had learnt about the biggest data storage machine and internet
access of Bangladesh. Otherwise, we had seen the virtual classroom which was
leaded by famous science fiction writer, academic and physicist Dr. Muhammed
Zafar Iqbal, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering.
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| The tour team of EWU with Dr. Muhammed Zafar Iqbal and other faculties in the virtual classroom of SUST |
In
the classroom, Mr. Biswapriyo Chakrabarty, Assistant Professor of Computer
Science and Engineering, introduced with smartboard, scanner and virtual way of
communication. The information about virtual classroom was useful for future
educational life as usage of scanner in presentation was unknown to me.
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| Students of English Department, EWU with Professor Dr. Muhammed Zafar Iqbal in the virtual classroom of SUST |
More
specifically, knowing about the progress of Bangladesh in science and
technology is satisfying. However, as a believer of real classroom, I was
satisfied to know the belief of Dr. Zafar Iqbal as he expressed his affection
for real classroom instead of virtual classroom.
In
SUST, we visited English Department as part of the tour. There was program with
the faculties and students of English Department of SUST to discuss on English
language and literature. Dr. Md. Ati Ullah, Professor and Head of English
Department, along with other faculties and students welcomed us. The
effectiveness of this trip is difficult to describe in short report as it had
given the idea about the English Department of SUST.
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| Professor Dr. Ati Ullah, Head of English Department, SUST and the faculties of EWU |
The study tour was
informative and educational. This trip informed me about the assimilation of
Sylheti dialect with English language which is considered as a conflict while
talking and practicing in English. Generally, Sylheti dialect is made up of long sounds where English is
a mixture of short and long sounds. Whenever Sylheti students talks in English,
it is affects their language. Even, students of outside are not out of the
process of assimilation. Staying in Sylhet, it often attacks them too. Another
interesting fact about the students of Sylhet is the pride which they carry
about their dialect. The representative student of English Department, Ibrahim
Khalil stated that Sylheti students are proud to have a different accent and
vocabulary where as a speaker of another dialect, he easily forgets to use his dialect
while practicing English; sometimes, teachers willingly use Sylheti dialect in
English classroom of language and literature. While talking to Dr. Hossain Al
Mamun, Professor of English Department, he clarified about some fact of Sylheti
students. In his view, students of Sylhet are affectionate about religious than
some other districts students.
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| Faculties of English Department, SUST are talking to the tour team of EWU |
Professor Mamun had pointed out of teaching any sensitive
topic, especially those which are not culturally related with ours. Therefore,
teaching them literature needs more preparation as literary texts are profound
with love, betray hatred, sex and physical intimacy. He had suggested that
creating an environment and relevancy of topic can create a positive
environment to teach any sensitive topic. Even, creating environment is easier
to avoid any kind of embarrassing posture, gesture and comment during teaching.
Pointing to the fact of teaching English, Professor Mamun indicated to motivation
and encouraging of students. Describing the scenario of his class, he added that
in the classes he used to encourage students to use their own themes, content
and sentences while practicing English. Professor ensured the fact that if a
student is able to represent his thought in the class; s/he would be able to
talk in English easily. Thus, information is helpful for any pre-service or in-service
teacher. According to his view, the process of teaching and evaluation vary to
each teacher.
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| The tea worker is collecting the tender leaves of tea plants and talking to the students |
During the entire journey, we
enjoyed parties, gossiping and sharing views about numerous topics with our faculties
as well as friends. In closing, I just
want to say that along enjoyment I saw things that I not at all know before,
was able to identify the depth of cultural context in the field of education
and teaching. I hope in near future English Department of East West University will
arrange more educational trip to extend the scope of learning for betterment of
students.
Tasnim Rahman
Student,
MA in ELT
East
West University
Date:
11 March 2018
Edited
by Mustafizur Rahman
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