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

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 l...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inSAGE open Vol. 11; no. 1
Main Authors Ashraf, Muhammad Azeem, Turner, David A., Laar, Rizwan Ahmed
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2021
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
SAGE Publishing
Subjects
Cultural Influences
Education
Education policy
Educational Policy
Educational Practices
Elementary Secondary Education
English (Second Language)
Foreign Countries
Geographic Regions
Global Approach
Higher Education
Ideology
Indo European Languages
Language
Language Attitudes
Language of Instruction
Language Role
Multilingualism
Native Language
Official Languages
Policy Formation
Power Structure
Religious Factors
Teacher Attitudes
Urdu
Pakistan
language practices
language-in-education
Pakistan
language policy
multilingual societies
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary: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.
ISSN:2158-2440
2158-2440
DOI:10.1177/21582440211004140