Indigenous narratives and inclusive English language teaching (ELT) in Bangladesh: a critical discourse analysis of Mahale voices

Abstract

This qualitative thesis explores how indigenous narratives can inform a more inclusive English Language Teaching (ELT) curriculum in Bangladesh. Using document analysis and Faircloughian Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), it examines *Mahale Voices* (Towhid Bin Muzaffar, Haroonuzzaman, & Santosh Hemrom, 2025) to identify themes of cultural displacement, identity negotiation, resilience, caregiving, and counter-discourse. Findings reveal that the narratives both document structural marginalization (poverty, limited schooling, health precarity) and enact agency through memory, local knowledge, and cultural practices. Pedagogically, the study recommends integrating scaffolded indigenous excerpts into secondary ELT modules, teacher training in culturally responsive pedagogy and CDA, bilingual scaffolding that validates home languages, and community partnerships that bring oral histories into classrooms. Two lesson modules, a training outline, and assessment rubrics operationalize these recommendations. Reflexivity is foregrounded, with the researcher’s elite English-medium schooling shaping interpretive choices. Limitations and a future research agenda conclude the study.