Multilingual Language Practices in Education in Pakistan: The Conflict Between Policy and Practice

Muhammad Azeem Ashraf,David A. Turner,Rizwan Ahmed Laar

doi:10.1177/21582440211004140

Muhammad Azeem Ashraf, David A. Turner + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211004140

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Abstract

This study examines the language practices in educational settings in Pakistan, taking the multilingual groupings in society into account. In Pakistan, each province is linked to the single or multiple identities of its people and the languages spoken by the majority. The national language Urdu is limited to educational settings and its function as a lingua franca. English serves people in authority, in offices, and in educational settings. Through discourse-ethnographic analysis, this study examines the individual and joint actions of policymakers and teachers to understand the role of language in educational policy and its practice in educational settings. The interview data identified issues regarding the relationship between language, identity, nation, region, religion, power, and personal attainment in regional, national, and international settings. Moreover, the power of national education policy to produce adequate results is limited by the regional discourses that policymakers ignore. This study concludes by arguing that policy practices for language-in-education in multilingual societies require thoughtful planning which should be informed by local conditions and requirements for its better implementation.

Highlights

Language studies that employ social and cultural methods have exposed a complex picture of language practices and language learning
Whereas nationalism and religion appeared to support the national aspiration of constructing unity among Muslims of different ethnic identities, development supported by expertise in the English language became crucial in Pakistan’s rise internationally
Significant distinction and complexity were reflected in the language practices, ideologies, and power reported by participants

Summary

Introduction

Language studies that employ social and cultural methods have exposed a complex picture of language practices and language learning. Article 251 of the Pakistani Constitution (National Assembly of Pakistan, 2018) requires the Pakistani government to replace English with Urdu in official settings, but in reality this has never been implemented (Channa, 2017) In this context, it is timely to explore the connections between power, ideology, and language education in Pakistan, which have important implications for policy development in multilingual societies. This study adopted discourse-ethnographic methods to examine how stakeholders including teachers and policymakers in Pakistan negotiate language choices by challenging local and national ideologies in educational settings where English is the dominant language, Urdu the national language, and local languages most accurately signify the speaker’s identity. The study focuses on three questions: Research Question 1: How do policymakers and teachers view the issue of language in educational settings? Research Question 2: How do teachers from different linguistic backgrounds perceive language choice in educational settings?

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