Linguistic Inequalities: The Urdu-English Medium Divide in Pakistan

Dr Fauzia Shamim Professor, Dept of English University of Karachi, Karachi fauzia.shamim@yahoo.com

Outline
Intro

uction ! "ac#groun

$ %ole an status of Ur u an English $ E ucational conte&t in Pa#istan $ 'hat(s the issue)

*he

stu y

$ %esearch +uestions $ ,etho ology $ Preliminary fin ings

-onclusion

Role and tatus o! Di!!erent Language in Pakistan

./ *he 0ational language of Pa#istan is Ur u an arrangements shall 1e ma e for its 1eing use for official an other purposes 2ithin fifteen years from the commencing ay. 3/ Su14ect to clause 5./ the English language may 1e use for official purposes until arrangements are ma e for its replacement 1y Ur u. 6/ 'ithout pre4u ice to the status of the 0ational language, a Provincial 7ssem1ly may 1y la2 prescri1e measures for the teaching, promotion an use of a provincial language in a ition to the national language 5-onstitution of Pa#istan, .896, 7rticle 3:./.

Role and tatus o! Urdu " English

Ur u; national language an lingua franca 5,* of only 9</ English; official language an gate#eeper for entry into prestigious higher e ucation institutions, high salarie 4o1s= also the language of military an 1ureaucracy %egional languages; use mainly in informal social interactions

Truisms in Pakistan
English

is necessary for in ivi ual an national evelopment

$ English is a passport to success and upward social mobility $ English is the key to national progress

Educational #onte$t in Pakistan chool level

*hree parallel systems of e ucation

$ Ur u;me ium schools 5mainly state operate / $ English;me ium schools 5mainly private/
Elitist 0on;elitist

5so;calle English;me ium/

$ ,a rassahs 5mainly 7ra1ic/ 5%ahman, 3>>?/

*2o trac#s 2ithin English;me ium

$ @A7 level $ ,atricAinterme iate

Educational #onte$t in Pakistan %igher Education

English is the me ium of instruction in all prestigious private higher e ucation institutions 5BEIs/ "oth English 70D Ur u allo2e as me ium of instruction in pu1lic sector BEIs *e&t1oo#s an other rea ing material mainly availa1le in English, particularly in Sciences, "usiness Stu ies etc.

5see also ,ansoor, 3>>: ! Shamim, 3>>9/

Higher Education Commissions ELT reforms project

envisages revolutionizing the socio-economic indicators of Pakistan and will contribute considerably to supplement the efforts of government to improve the standard of higher education and scientific learning. will help the graduates of public sector universities and institutions of higher learning, to compete for good jobs in Pakistan.
5SourceC 222.hec.gov.p#/

&hat's the issue(

Bole keh labb aazad hain terey Bole keh jaan abb tak teri hai

Tayyab Zaidi tayyabz@umich.edu

&hat's the issue(

Linguistic

(and social) inequality me iate through #in s of e ucational institutions, an e ucational practices in Pa#istan
$ ,EDIU, @F I0S*%U-*I@0 $ *%7-KI0D at secon ary an post; secon ary level

 *herefore,

nee forC

$ systematic situation analysis $ e1ate an ialogue a1out relative %@EE5S/ an S*7*US of Ur u, English 5an regional languages/ $ improving +uality of teaching;learning of English in schools an BEIs
5,ansoor, 3>>:= %ahman, .88F= Shamim ! 7llen, 3>>>= Shamim ! *ri11le, 3>>:/

The )resent stud*

7im

of the stu yC

*o e&plore learners( perceptions an e&perience of the Ur u;English me ium ivi e in Pa#istan

The )resent stud*

%esearch

GuestionsC

.. Bo2 o 1iAmultilingual learners e&perience the Ur u;English me ium ivi e in the conte&t of a higher e ucation institution in Pa#istan) 3. Bo2 o their e&periences 5an perceptions/ affect their esire to ac+uire an manage high an lo2;value language assets)

De!inition o! terms
Linguistic

assets: Eanguages are assigne value accor ing to the conte&t in 2hich they areuse ; so the same language may 1e consi ere high value in one conte&t an lo2;value in another

Methodolog*

Setting: 7 large pu1lic sector university in Karachi, Pa#istan

$ "ilingual language policy $ English is the ominant language in Sciences 5an other high profile epartments in Social Sciences such as I%/= Ur u is mainly use in lo2 profile epartments $ "ilingual classroom iscourse in 7EE epts $ ,ass -om epartment; *2o separate sections, i.e., English an Ur u;me ium

Universit* o! +arachi ,ilingual )olic*-

Methodolog*

Purposive samplingC *hree stu ents from the English an Ur u me ium sections of the mass communications epartment 2ith varie linguistic 1ac#groun sAopportunities for learning English in school
$ English;me ium sectionC 3 stu ents 5Interme iate an 7 level trac#s each/ $ Ur u;me ium sectionC . stu ent

0arrative Intervie2ing

Data .nal*sis
Identity as analytic lens Four #in s of i entity
$ 0;i entity; a state 5 evelope from forces in nature/= also the #in of househol re social status in 2hich a chil is 1orn an 1rought up $ I;i entity;a position 5authorize 1y authorities 2ithin institutional/= also the #in of e ucational institution 5English;Ur u me ium/ to 2hich you 1elong $ D;i entity;an in ivi ual trait 5recognize in iscourseA ialogue 2ith HrationalI in ivi uals/ $ 7;i entity;e&periences 5share in the practice of Haffinity;groupsI/ 5Dee, 3>>>C .>>;.>9/

During school *ears /arina's I-identit*

English medium H,era 4o school thha 2o English me ium #e naam se 4ana 4ata he Jmy school is #no2n as an English;me ium schoolKI JBo2ever, no focus in school on eveloping linguistic s#ills ; learnt English mainly at home through help ! encouragement from ol er si1lingsK

During school *ears D-identity

English: a high value asset in construction of D-Identity HI 2as the ice can y for my teachers, for my English teachers especially. . . . I 2as al2ays raising my han , ans2ering +uestions, 2riting goo character s#etches. *here 2as iscrimination. *hey Jthe teachersK use to li#e me 1etter. Dirls 2ante me to rea out.I

During school *ears D-identity

H7lthough I stu ie in @( levels till 9th gra e, I ha other cousins 2ho 2ere stu ying in reno2ne an prestigious schools li#e L an M. *hey use to 4u ge me ke ho2 much o you #no2 of English. 7n I on(t #no2 2hy 1ut they al2ays concentrate on this particular language an i not 2ant to 4u ge me on my Science capa1ilities, ,athematics capa1ilities. *hey al2ays 2ante to #no2 ke ho2 much English o you #no2. 7n 1asically I(m not a very goo spea#er. *hey use to +uestion me ke 2hat o you call chowkidar in English) *hey use to test me. "ecause their chil ren 2ere in much a vance schools. . . 'hen I 2as not a1le to ans2er their +uestions, I use to feel that I 2as not a goo person= I 2as not a goo learner. I 2as an or inary chil . I on(t #no2 anything. I use to feel li#e that.I

During school *ears D-identit*

HI

i n(t feel goo 2hen they 2ere +uestioning my capa1ilities. It 2as li#e they 2ere +uestioning my i entity.I Jre social classK

0-identit*: /amil* income " its role in learning English

HI can tell from my chil hoo e&perience that a lot epen s on your schooling. If your schooling has 1een goo you(re efinitely going to ma#e it. If you have ha your schooling in the English language you 2ill efinitely thrive. Mou 2ill efinitely get proficiency in English. 7n I ac#no2le ge that there is a lot of ifference in schooling. ,y frien s 2ho on(t #no2 English; they i n(t have goo schooling. ,ine 2as relatively 1etter;4ust relatively 1etter;less that 7 level stu ents.I 5*ranslate /

0-identit*: /amil* income " its role in learning English

H@( levels 7( levels ki peRhai tu sab ko pata he ke e&pensive bhhe hoti he comparatively tu saat saat hazar, tu wo mi le class family jo kamati das hazar he, wo seven thousan agar apne sirf ek bache ki fees me~ de raha he, ho2 is it possi1le= wo survive kese kere~ ge) So ultimately status sym1ol ban gaya. No parents ker sakte he~, wo status wale he~. Tumhare parents nahi~ he~ bhhaee; tum interme iate ker rahi ho.I
5#ey 2or s spo#en in English have 1een highlighte /

Universit* level: #hanging identities

I-identity: English-medium [Matriculation and Intermediate trac! H*hey J7 levels streamK are entirely ifferent people. I on(t #no2 for 2hat reason. . . . *hey consi er it as a privilege to 1e there= to learn English= to learn Sciences 1etter= to learn a vance ,athematics . . . they consi er us ke matriculation ke stu ents= kia aage in kya future he Jthey thin# matriculation stu ents o not have a 1right futureK So I thin# that is the 1arrier. . . . ,y frien has got a mission at I"7 1ut he(s not satisfie 2ith it. For an interme iate stu ent, it(s a privilege to 1e an I"7 gra uate, oing ""7 from there. *hey thin# that you #no2 2e have opportunities, bahar jane ki Jto go a1oar K. 'e J7 levels streamK are privilege = you Jinterme iate streamK are not.I

Universit* level: #hanging identities

"onstruction of D- identity in relation to current and future life chances HJiKn the English class, there are very fe2 stu ents 2ho are proficient in English. *hey(re one year ol er to me 1ecause 7 levels stu ents are al2ays one year ol er so they have goo voca1ulary 1ecause they have gone through S7* preparations an IEE*S as 2ell.I

H*hey JteachersK al2ays go for people 2ho can converse 1etter in English rather than my group.I

.-identit*
,ainly

has frien s H2ho are more incline to2ar s Ur uI Seems very impresse 2ith 7 level stu ents 7 1ri ge 1et2een English;me ium J7 levelK an Ur u;me ium stu ents in her ept.

.-Identit*

H . . . many people from the English section move to the Ur u section 1ecause it has no2 1ecome common that the Ur u me ia is 1oosting. So many stu ents shifte not on the 1asis of language 1ut 1ecause of the practical approach. Ur u stu ents are much 1etter at ,ass -ommunication a1ilities 1ecause they(re al2ays 2riting letters to Nang Ja lea ing ne2spaperK etc. 1ut 2e(re still at the elementary stuff.I

.-identit*

HI thin# I(m stan ing some2here in 1et2een JUr u an English;me iumK. I(m in the mi le. I(m more incline to2ar s Ur u 1ecause I on(t thin# I(m +ualifie enough, especially after entering ,ass -ommunication 2here . . . 2e have many 7 levels( stu ents. ,y school teachers use to encourage me that you(re goo at English, at least you are goo at English 1ut no2 that I(ve come to the university, things have change . I no2 feel that the competition is +uite tough. ,y voca1ulary nee s to 1e improve .I

#rossing the Language 1 ocial2 ,arrier HI(m

the only one from amongst my group of frien sK 2ho has connections 2ith the 7 levels( stu ents as 2ell. @ther2ise, there(s a lot of space 1et2een the 7( levels stu ents an us JEnglish;me ium Interme iate trac# an Ur u;me ium stu entsK.I

/arina's )erce)tion o! her English )ro!icienc*

H"asically 2henever I rea 7n4um 0iaz( articles, I have to #eep a ictionary on one si e an then rea it. I thin# that I o not use the language properly. Someho2, misuse of tenses happens an the only reason is my schooling. Ba their 1een a 1etter approach to2ar s English in my school, I 2oul (ve 2ritten 1etter articles. 'hen I go through these articles an see my o2n 2ritings, I fin huge ifferences.I

/uture as)irations Im)roving English Language kills

H,y el er 1rother al2ays 2ante me to master English language an it(s his 2ish that I enter Da2n 0e2s some ay. So I see myself in the English section, in the English me ia. ,y 1rother an sister are the only reasons 2hy I(m here right no2. ThhoRi si bhhe jo mujhhe ati he, wo un ki wajah se ati he. J'hatever little I #no2 is 1ecause of them.K Ba I listene to them an continue to practice, I 2oul have 1een much much 1etter. 'henever my 1rother calls me, he says HFatima, please improve your English.I Be(s really goo at it. Bis frien s are very impresse 2hen he converses in English.I

ense o! Loss(
HI

starte concentrating to2ar s English. Ur u I thought 2as my mother language= I(ll learn. I 2as 2rong enough. I thin# one should #no2, especially a 4ournalist. I(m an aspiring 4ournalist. So I shoul 1e mastering each an every language.I

ummar* /arina's Linguistic .ssets

Ur uC home language, high value asset for family an social interactions 5e.g. shopping an 2ith frien s at KU/; EnglishC secon language, high value asset in aca emic omain an for future career prospects= also for higher social status 2ithin family 'ants to improve her English language s#ills for improve life chances in future

More generall* 3 3 3
Social

class shapes learners( access to ifferent #in s of e ucational institutions an , therefore, their access to English 5an Ur u/ Differences in e ucational opportunities lea to linguistic ine+ualities, 2hich in turn, affect learners( perception of selfAothers an their future life chances

#onclusion 1tentative2

Different #in s of school types in Pa#istan lea to linguistic inequalities 2hich, in turn, help perpetuate social inequalities 5cf. 'illis, 'hy o 2or#ing class #i s 1ecome 2or#ing class)/ Bo2ever, some O iscourses of resistance( can 1e hear . 5see -anagara4ah, .888C33; 3F/

Ma4or #hallengeBo2 can linguistic ine+uality 1ase on parallel systems of e ucation 1e a resse , or more important, a more e+uita1le e ucation system evelope in Pa#istan)