Dissertation, Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg, 2023

Bangladeshi English remains one of the least explored varieties within the field of World Englishes, despite Bangladesh's long-standing contact with English throughout its colonial and postcolonial history. While considerable research has been conducted on other South Asian Englishes, particularly Indian English and Pakistani English, the linguistic features and sociolinguistic status of Bangladeshi English have received limited scholarly attention. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the extent to which Bangladeshi English has been shaped by contact with Bengali, the country's dominant native language. In addition, the study investigates the role of gender as a sociolinguistic variable and explores its influence on English language use among young Bangladeshis.
Drawing on data collected from approximately 340 university students, the research employs a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative analyses. The study examines patterns of English language variation, identifies features associated with language contact and nativization, and evaluates the sociolinguistic characteristics of Bangladeshi English within its historical and sociopolitical context. Furthermore, the findings are interpreted through the framework of Schneider's Dynamic Model of Postcolonial Englishes to assess the developmental stage of Bangladeshi English.
By providing a systematic description of this under-researched variety, the study contributes to the broader understanding of postcolonial Englishes and World Englishes. The results are expected to support the classification of Bangladeshi English as an emerging localized variety and to facilitate its inclusion in the Electronic World Atlas of Varieties of English (eWAVE).