LANGUAGE CONTORVERSY IS TURNING INTO A LANGUAGE SHIFT

Presented By: Aneezah Arshad, Fatima Ghazanfar, Tooba Arshad.

Linguistic background of Urdu in Sub-Continent

The British were the first rulers to promote
Urdu. It was used for material gains by the rulers.

Language of the sub-continent.

Linguistic background of Urdu in Pakistan

The National language of Pakistan is Urdu, and arrangements shall be made for its being used for official and other purposes within fifteen years from the commencing day. The English language may be used for official purposes until arrangements are made for its replacement by Urdu. (Article: 251 National language)

 The position of Urdu was strong in the early years as compared to other indigenous languages: Punjabi Sindhi Balochi Pashtoetc.

According to the constitution of 1973

Joint Official Languages

ENGLISH

URDU

English language policy Overt policy

(1) The National language of Pakistan is Urdu, and arrangements shall be made for its being used for official and other purposes within fifteen years from the commencing day. (2) Subject to clause (1), the English language may be used for official purposes until arrangements are made for its replacement by Urdu.

Covert policy
Continuation of English as an official language regardless of constitutions declaration. Allowed to function as a medium of instruction in elitist schools. Bureacracy and military invested heavily in creating English medium schools

Hierarchy of languages in Pakistan

According to Mansoors survey (1992),

1 2 3

English
Urdu
Mother tongue/ indigenous languages

English-Urdu controversy
English language
used in higher domains e.g. governance, judiciary, bureaucracy, education, military, commerce, media.

Urdu language
used at lower levels.

offers better chance of jobs, more marks in interview, better marriage proposal, better business deals.

Offer opportunities but to some extent.

English-Urdu controversy
English medium students are very proud on their lack of competence in Urdu. Urdu Medium students are being the victims of inferiority complex due to Urdu language Along with the English language, western culture is also dominant cultural shame about Urdu in anglicized elite. English is associated with literacy, modernity and efficiency (Mansoor, 1992) Urdu is associated with lack of pretigious education

PROGRESSION OF ENGLISH
According to Harris Khalique, In General Ayub era, Cadet colleges were established. Urdu-medium institutions were created in order to provide the lite and affluent middle class with an underclass of clerks, munshis and literate servants.

PROGRESSION OF ENGLISH
Year
Ratio of English speakers
2% 11 % Increased by 50%

1951- 1961 1997 2003

REASONS OF LANGUAGE SHIFT

Contact with other languages. If the foreign language has prestige in society, it gains Domains of power. When one is ashamed of his language. To acquire good jobs, status and sophistication.

FUTURE OF URDU
Urdu language is too enriched to die. It is used in many domains.

Insufficient but there is some awareness between the masses about the importance of their native language and culture.

Position of English in Pakistani society

Occupies highest position in languages. Entrenched in domains of power. Class differentiator; identity marker. Means of empowerment.

High investment in English learning.

Favored by elite and middle class.

FACTS

Skills in English can be used to secure better scores in exams, interviews, better business deals, better marriage proposals etc. English suppresses the middle class. creates frustration in lower classes as they cannot afford English medium education.

RECOMMENDATIONS
We are rich in languages. Let us treat them as cultural assets and not liabilities. In our language policy let us add English and Urdu to our repertoire of linguistic skills without destroying our mother tongues, our authentic selves, our culture and our identity. (Rehman, 2004)

 Mansoor (2005) recommends that English should continue to be used as an alternate medium of instruction for government schools until class 12.
(Mansoor, 2002, p. 316)

SOME OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

Its the state duty to control language shift with its resource, control over media, on education and jobs. Eradication of cultural shame. Domains of power should allocate to the language by status planning.

SOME OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

Equal Access to good quality education to eliminate the hegemony of elite class. Equal chance for Urdu to develop and employ the modern technology. For e.g. development of Microsoft window in Urdu.

THANKYOU