Ph.D. Dissertation2025
English in Bangladesh and Linguistic Imperialism: Emergence of World Englishes
University of ŁódźPoland · 2025
Doctoral defence recordFaculty of Philology, University of Łódź ↗
Welcome to my academic home
Dr. Abdul Awal
Senior Assistant (Teaching and Research)
Chair of South Asian Studies, Faculty of Asian and African Cultures,
University of Warsaw
Exploring the intersections of language, power, and culture in a connected world.
“Languages
shape worlds,
and worlds
shape people.”
shape worlds,
and worlds
shape people.”
South Asian Studies
◆
Linguistic Anthropology
◆
Minority & Indigenous Languages
◆
Language Education
◆
Sociolinguistics
◆
Discourse Analysis
◆
Multilingualism
◆
Language Policy & Planning
◆
World Englishes
◆
English Linguistic Imperialism
◆
Heritage Languages & Diaspora
◆
Language & Identity
◆
Linguistic Sustainability
◆
Academic biography
Dr. Abdul Awal is an academic, researcher and faculty member based in Warsaw, Poland, at the Chair of South Asian Studies, Faculty of Asian and African Cultures, University of Warsaw. His research examines the intersections of language, power and culture, with particular attention to Bangladesh and Bangladeshi migrant communities.
His work spans multilingualism, language policy and planning, heritage language maintenance, linguistic human rights, English linguistic imperialism, World Englishes, sociolinguistics, educational discourse and linguistic sustainability.
Academic focus
His research connects critical sociolinguistics with education, migration, identity, language policy and the social consequences of linguistic hierarchy.
Faculty of Asian and African Cultures
Dr. Abdul AwalSenior Assistant
Chair of South Asian StudiesFaculty of Asian and African Cultures
University of Warsawul. Hoża 69 · 00-681 Warsaw, Poland
Research Milestones
Dissertation & Thesis
Two major research projects that shape the academic journey.
⌘ExploreIdeas◎UnderstandSocieties◇BuildConnections
View Dissertation →
MA Thesis2025
Bilingualism in a Bangladeshi Diaspora in New York
University of WarsawPoland · 2025
ProgrammeApplied Multilingualism and Multiculturism
Scholarships, research funding and international academic mobility awards listed in the supplied academic CV.
| Year | Scholarship / Grant / Funding | Institution | Country | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Doctoral Research Grant 2024 (IDUB) ↗ | University of Łódź | Poland | Research grant |
| 2024 | 5th Edition of the Summer School for Young Researchers ↗ | University of Valencia | Spain | Full-funded scholarship |
| 2023 | VDP Summer School on Inclusivity and Ethics | University of Vienna ↗ | Austria | Fully funded |
| 2023 | International Summer School for Doctoral Students | UMCS Doctoral Schools ↗ | Poland | Fully funded |
| 2022/2023 | Erasmus+ Mobility Grant | Chemnitz University of Technology ↗ | Germany | Mobility grant |
| 2021 | Santander Development Scholarship | UKSW ↗ and Fundacja Wyszyńskiego | Poland | Scholarship |
| 2021 | UM-ISS | Universitas Negeri Malang ↗ | Indonesia | Full-funded scholarship |
| 2021–2025 | Doctoral Scholarship | University of Łódź ↗ | Poland | Full-funded scholarship |
| 2020 | Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship ↗ | Corvinus University of Budapest ↗ | Hungary | Government-funded scholarship |
Core areas connect sociolinguistic theory with educational, cultural, political and diaspora contexts.
01
Language Policy & Planning
Postcolonial language policy, linguistic rights, institutional inequality, language legislation and multilingual governance.
02
English, Power & Inequality
English linguistic imperialism, World Englishes, localisation of English, medium of instruction and cultural consequences of linguistic hierarchy.
03
Heritage Languages & Diaspora
Family language policy, intergenerational shift, language maintenance, bilingualism and identity among migrant families.
04
Sociolinguistics
Language variation, contact, youth language, linguistic purism, social meaning and the relationship between language and identity.
05
Language, Education & Culture
Textbook discourse, classroom linguistic landscapes, gender representation, ecolinguistics and cultural knowledge in education.
06
Linguistic Sustainability
Endangered and indigenous languages, revitalisation, sustainability and sociocultural impacts of language loss.
Research output is separated by publication type and retained in year-based groups. Publisher, DOI or stable scholarly-record links are attached wherever available.
2023
2023
DOI ↗2023
DOI ↗2023
Record ↗2023
Record ↗2023
Record ↗2023
Record ↗2023
Record ↗2023
Record ↗2023
Record ↗2023
DOI ↗
Forthcoming from Brill
English, Power, and Inequality
Linguistic Imperialism and the Localisation of English in Bangladesh
The monograph examines how English operates within postcolonial Bangladesh and how linguistic imperialism, inequality and localisation shape education, culture, opportunity and identity. Drawing on surveys, interviews and phonetic analysis, it follows the experiences of students and teachers and situates them within broader relations of language, power and transformation in the Global South.
Brill · Publisher ↗Books Express · Pre-order ↗Sanmin · International listing ↗Google Books · Catalogue ↗
Retail availability may vary by country and may change before publication.
Teaching and academic instruction in Bengali language and culture, South Asian studies and language-related fields.
University Teaching
Academic teaching and research within the Chair of South Asian Studies, Faculty of Asian and African Cultures, University of Warsaw.
Teaching Areas
Bengali language · Bengali culture · South Asian studies · sociolinguistics · multilingualism · language and society.
Bengali Summer School 2026
Teaching activity at the sixth Bengali Summer School organised with Heidelberg University and Charles University.
University announcement ↗English Linguistic Imperialism in Bangladesh
Doctoral research on English in Bangladesh, linguistic imperialism and the emergence of World Englishes.
University of Łódź IDUB record ↗Family Language Policy
Research on heritage language maintenance, intergenerational shift and English-dominant language practices among Bangladeshi diaspora families.
Published study ↗English, Power, and Inequality
Monograph on linguistic imperialism, educational inequality, cultural identity and the localisation of English in Bangladesh.
Brill record ↗International conference presentations are grouped by year. Country flags indicate the location of the event; event or presentation links are attached when an accessible web record was found.
2026
Does the Qur’an uphold linguistic exclusivism or multilingualism? A sociolinguistic reading of the Qur’an as a textual corpus
When a photograph becomes a weapon: Image manipulation and gendered discourse in Bangladesh
Intergenerational language maintenance and shift: Family language policy in Bangladeshi immigrant families in New York
Bengali as a heritage language amongst the Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK
2025
Intergenerational perspectives on the heritage language conundrum: Cultural identity amongst the Bangladeshi diaspora in the United Kingdom
Migration and English in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study
Students’ perceptions toward AI in language education: A quantitative study in Bangladesh
Paternal agency in English linguistic hegemony in Bangladesh
2024
The impact of English linguistic hegemony in Bangladeshi learners’ home culture detachment
Linguistic human rights in Bangladesh
Youth language in Bangladesh
Queer vernaculars: The language of transgender and queer communities in Bangladesh
Linguistic imperialism in education policy and pedagogy in Bangladesh
2023
Wage disparity between English and Bengali language teachers in Bangladesh
Navigating the ethical landscape of language: Implications for use, education, and policy
The indigenization of English in Bangladeshi newspapers
Cololingualism and English language education in Bangladesh
English in Bangladesh and linguistic imperialism: Emergence of World Englishes
Legal and political intervention on English language policy in Bangladesh: A sociolinguistic perspective
2022
Linguistic purism in Bengali language in Bangladesh: Myth and reality
State, law, and constitution about languages in Bangladesh
2016
Tagore philosophy of education: A new vista of epistemology
Pallikobi Jasimuddin ar Asmani o Purbo Banglar Daridhra Palli Samaj
Academic Mobility & Research Training
Erasmus+ Learning Mobility for Doctoral Thesis Writing
Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany · March 2023 · 20 ECTS
NEWS
Newspaper Coverage
Dedicated subpage prepared for news articles, interviews and press coverage of research and academic activities.
HICELLS
HICELLS 2023 Presentations
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo online presentation archive.
PDF
spraWIEN Presentation
Conference presentation on English linguistic hegemony and cultural detachment.
01
Conference Presentations
International conferences and paper presentations.
0216-photo previewPh.D. Defence
Photographs from the Ph.D. defence.
03
Research Mobility
Academic mobility, summer schools and visiting periods.
04
University of Warsaw
Academic life at the Chair of South Asian Studies.
05
Guest Lectures
Seminars, invited talks and academic visits.
066-photo previewPhD Degree Conferral Ceremony
Academic milestone photographs from the formal conferral of the doctoral degree at the University of Łódź.
