Abstract

Madrasas (i.e. Islamic Seminaries) have been one of the early and formidable opponents of English education and culture in India. For them, English was not just a language used for communication purposes but an ideology and worldview that had the potential to alter their religious and socio-cultural identity. They largely remained reluctant to reform calls and strongly opposed the incorporation of English in Madrasa curriculum. After the independence an improvement was sought on their part but the hypotheses says that the status quo is maintained and positive changes are yet to be introduced into Madrasa education system. Nowadays, call for Madrasa modernization has gained momentum and on the pretext of reforms a number of changes are being made. This study shall collect data from Madrasa students and English language teachers at Bridge Course and various Madrasas of North India. This experiment might prove an eye-opener in various terms. Through in-person interviews and questionnaire, this paper shall record the perception and attitudinal changes of Madrasa graduates towards English language and its teaching practices in Islamic seminaries. It will also look into the belief and motivation of English language teachers and ELT culture in Madrasas.

Keywords: Madrasa, ELT, Religious Education, Modern Education