Fauzia ShamimLinguistic Inequalities UEA Sept 09

8/13/2019 Fauzia ShamimLinguistic Inequalities UEA Sept 09

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Linguistic Inequalities:The Urdu-English Medium

Divide in PakistanDr Fauzia Shamim

Professor, Dept of EnglishUniversity of Karachi, [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Outline

Introduction & BackgroundRole and status of Urdu and English

Educational context in Pakistan

Whats the issue?

The studyResearch questions

MethodologyPreliminary findings

Conclusion


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Role and Status of Different

Language in Pakistan

1) The National language of Pakistan is Urdu andarrangements shall be made for its being used for officialand other purposes within fifteen years from thecommencing day.

2) Subject to clause (1) the English language may be usedfor official purposes until arrangements are made for itsreplacement by Urdu.

3) Without prejudice to the status of the National language,a Provincial Assembly may by law prescribe measures for

the teaching, promotion and use of a provincial language inaddition to the national language (Constitution of Pakistan,1973, Article 251).


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Role and Status of Urdu & English

Urdu- national language and lingua franca(MT of only 7%)

English- official language and gatekeeperfor entry into prestigious higher educationinstitutions, high salaried jobs; also thelanguage of military and bureaucracy

Regional languages- used mainly ininformal social interactions


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Truisms in Pakistan

English is necessary for individualand national development

English is a passport to success andupward social mobility

English is the key to national progress


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Educational Context in Pakistan

School level

Three parallel systems of education Urdu-medium schools (mainly state operated)

English-medium schools (mainly private) Elitist

Non-elitist (so-called English-medium)

Madrassahs (mainly Arabic)

(Rahman, 2004)

Two tracks within English-medium O/A level

Matric/intermediate


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Educational Context in Pakistan

Higher Education

Englishis the medium of instruction in allprestigious privatehigher educationinstitutions (HEIs)

Both English AND Urduallowed as mediumof instruction in publicsector HEIs

Textbooks and other reading materialmainly available in English, particularly inSciences, Business Studies etc.

(see also Mansoor, 2005 & Shamim, 2007)


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Higher Education Commissions

ELT reforms project

envisages revolutionizing the socio-economic indicators ofPakistan 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 andinstitutions of higher learning, to compete for good jobs in

Pakistan.

(Source: www.hec.gov.pk)


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Whats the issue?

Tayyab Z aidi

[email protected]

Bole keh labb aazad hain

terey

B ole keh jaan abb tak teri

hai

Tayyab Z aidi

[email protected]

Bole keh labb aazad hain

terey

B ole keh jaan abb tak teri

hai


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Whats the issue?

Linguistic (and social) inequalitymediated through kinds ofeducational institutions, and

educational practices in Pakistan

MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION

TRACKING at secondary and post-secondary level


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Therefore, need for: systematic situation analysis

debate and dialogue about relative

ROLE(S) and STATUS of Urdu, English(and regional languages)

improving quality of teaching-learningof English in schools and HEIs

(Mansoor, 2005; Rahman, 1996; Shamim & Allen, 2000;Shamim & Tribble, 2005)


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The present study

Research Questions:

1. How do bi/multilingual learnersexperience the Urdu-English medium

divide in the context of a highereducation institution in Pakistan?

2. How do their experiences (and

perceptions) affect their desire toacquire and manage high and low-valuelanguage assets?


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Definition of terms

Linguistic assets:

Languages are assigned valueaccording to the context in whichthey areused- so the same languagemay be considered high value in onecontext and low-value in another


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Methodology

Setting:A large public sector university inKarachi, Pakistan

Bilingual language policy

English is the dominant language in Sciences(and other high profile departments in SocialSciences such as IR); Urdu is mainly used inlow profile departments

Bilingual classroom discourse in ALL depts Mass Com department- Two separate sections,

i.e., English and Urdu-medium


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University of Karachi

Bilingual policy!


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Methodology

Purposive sampling: Three students fromthe English and Urdu medium sections ofthe mass communications departmentwith varied linguisticbackgrounds/opportunities for learningEnglish in school English-medium section: 2 students

(Intermediate and A level tracks each)

Urdu-medium section: 1 student

Narrative Interviewing


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Data Analysis

Identity as analytic lens

Four kinds of identity N-identity- a state (developed from forces in nature);

also the kind of household re social status in which a

child is born and brought up I-identity-a position (authorized by authorities withininstitutional); also the kind of educational institution(English-Urdu medium) to which you belong

D-identity-an individual trait (recognized indiscourse/dialogue with rational individuals)

A-identity-experiences (shared in the practice ofaffinity-groups)

(Gee, 2000: 100-107)

D i h l


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During school years

Farinas I-identity

English medium

Mera jo school thha wo English medium kenaam se jana jata he [my school is known

as an English-medium school]

[However, no focus in school on developing

linguistic skills - learnt English mainly athome through help & encouragement fromolder siblings]


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During school years

D-identity

English: a high value asset inconstruction of D-Identity

I was the ice candy for my teachers, for my

English teachers especially. . . . I wasalways raising my hand, answeringquestions, writing good charactersketches. There was discrimination. They

[the teachers] used to like me better. Girlswanted me to read out.


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During school years

D-identity

Although I studied in O levels till 7th grade, I had othercousins who were studying in renowned and prestigiousschools like X and Y. They used to judge me kehow muchdo you know of English. And I dont know why but theyalways concentrated on this particular language and did not

want to judge me on my Science capabilities, Mathematicscapabilities. They always wanted to know kehow muchEnglish do you know. And basically Im not a very goodspeaker. They used to question me kewhat do you callchowkidarin English? They used to test me. Because theirchildren were in much advanced schools. . . When I was not

able to answer their questions, I used to feel that I was nota good person; I was not a good learner. I was an ordinarychild. I dont know anything. I used to feel like that.


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N-identity: Family income

& its role in learning English

I can tell from my childhood experience that a lotdepends on your schooling. If your schooling hasbeen good youre definitely going to make it. If

you have had your schooling in the Englishlanguage you will definitely thrive.You willdefinitely get proficiency in English.And Iacknowledge that there is a lot of difference inschooling. My friends who dont know English-

they didnt have good schooling. Mine wasrelatively better-just relatively better-less that Alevel students. (Translated)


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N-identity: Family income

& its role in learning EnglishO levels A levelski peRhai tu sab ko pata he ke

expensivebhhe hoti hecomparatively tu saatsaat hazar, tu womiddle class familyjo kamatidas hazar he, woseven thousandagar apne sirf

ek bache kifeesme~ de raha he, how is itpossible; wosurvivekese kere~ ge? Soultimately status symbolban gaya. Jo parentskersakte he~, wostatuswale he~.Tumhareparentsnahi~ he~ bhhaee; tumintermediateker rahi

ho.

(key words spoken in English have been highlighted)


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University level: Changing identities

I-identity: English-medium [Matriculation and]Intermediate track

They [A levels stream] are entirely different people.I dontknow for what reason. . . . They consider it as a privilege tobe there; to learn English; to learn Sciences better; to learnadvance Mathematics . . . they consider us kematriculationkestudents; kia aage in kyafuture he[they thinkmatriculation students do not have a bright future] So Ithink that is the barrier. . . . My friend has got admission atIBA but hes not satisfied with it. For an intermediatestudent, its a privilege to be an IBA graduate, doing BBA

from there. They think that you know we haveopportunities, bahar jane ki[to go aboard]. We [A levelsstream] are privileged; you [intermediate stream] are not.


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University level: Changing identities

Construction of D- identity in relation tocurrent and future life chances

[i]n the English class, there are very fewstudents who are proficient in English. Theyre

one year older to me because A levels studentsare always one year older so they have goodvocabulary because they have gone through SATpreparations and IELTS as well.

They [teachers] always go for people who canconverse better in English rather than my group.


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A-identity

Mainly has friends who are moreinclined towards Urdu

Seems very impressed with A levelstudents

A bridgebetween English-medium [Alevel] and Urdu-medium students in

her dept.


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A-Identity

. . . many people from the Englishsection moved to the Urdu sectionbecause it has now become common thatthe Urdu media is boosting. So manystudents shifted not on the basis oflanguage but because of the practicalapproach. Urdu students are much betterat Mass Communication abilities because

theyre always writing letters to Jang [aleading newspaper] etc. but were still atthe elementary stuff.


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A-identity

I think Im standing somewhere inbetween [Urdu and English-medium]. Imin the middle.Im more inclined towardsUrdu because I dont think Im qualified

enough, especially after entering MassCommunication where . . . we have manyA levels students. My school teachersused to encourage me that youre good atEnglish, at least you are good at English

but now that Ive come to the university,things have changed. I now feel that thecompetition is quite tough. My vocabularyneeds to be improved.


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Crossing the Language (Social)

Barrier!

Im the only one from amongst mygroup of friends] who hasconnections with the A levels

students as well. Otherwise, theresa lot of space between the A levelsstudents and us [English-medium

Intermediate track and Urdu-mediumstudents].


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Farinas perception of her English

proficiency

Basically whenever I read Anjum Niazarticles, I have to keep a dictionary onone side and then read it. I think that I do

not use the language properly. Somehow,misuse of tenses happens and the onlyreason is my schooling. Had their been abetter approach towards English in my

school, I wouldve written better articles.When I go through these articles and seemy own writings, I find huge differences.


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Future aspirations

Improving English Language SkillsMy elder brother always wanted me to master

English language and its his wish that I enterDawn News some day. So I see myself in theEnglish section, in the English media. My brother

and sister are the only reasons why Im hereright now. ThhoRi si bhhe jo mujhhe ati he, woun ki wajah se ati he. [Whatever little I know isbecause of them.] Had I listened to them andcontinued to practice, I would have been much

much better. Whenever my brother calls me, hesays Fatima, please improve your English. Hesreally good at it. His friends are very impressedwhen he converses in English.


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Sense of Loss?

I started concentrating towardsEnglish. Urdu I thought was mymother language; Ill learn. I was

wrong enough. I think one shouldknow, especially a journalist. Im anaspiring journalist. So I should be

mastering each and every language.


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Summary

Farinas Linguistic Assets

Urdu:home language, high value asset forfamily and social interactions (e.g.shopping and with friends at KU)-

English:second language, high valueasset in academic domain and for futurecareer prospects; also for higher socialstatus within family

Wants to improve her English languageskills for improved life chances in future


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More generally . . .

Social class shapes learners accessto different kinds of educationalinstitutions and, therefore, their

access to English (and Urdu)Differences in educational

opportunities lead to linguisticinequalities, which in turn, affectlearners perception of self/othersand their future life chances


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Conclusion (tentative)

Different kinds of school types in Pakistanlead to linguistic inequalitieswhich, inturn, help perpetuate social inequalities

(cf. Willis, Why do working class kidsbecome working class?)

However, some discourses of resistancecan be heard. (see Canagarajah, 1999:22-26)


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Major Challenge!

How can linguistic inequality based onparallel systems of education beaddressed, or more important, amore equitable education system

developed in Pakistan?


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Fauzia ShamimLinguistic Inequalities UEA Sept 09

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