<div dir="ltr">
<div id="detail_page">
<div class="">
<div class="" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/NewsArticle">
<h1 class="" itemprop="headline">
Language policy in higher education — II
</h1>
<div class="" itemprop="alternativeHeadline">
Despite the fact that English is the official medium of instruction
in higher education, only 49 percent of students from the public sector
reported English as their medium of instruction, and 68 percent did so
from the private sector
</div>
<div class="">
<div class="" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">
<div class="">
<a itemprop="url" href="http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/Columnist/sabiha-mansoor">
<img itemprop="image" src="http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/author_picture/85/sabiha-mansoor-1444687167-1815.jpg" alt="Sabiha Mansoor">
</a>
</div>
<div class="">
<ul><li class="">
<span class="">
<a itemprop="name" href="http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/Columnist/sabiha-mansoor">
Sabiha Mansoor </a>
</span>
</li><li class="" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/NewsArticle">
<span class="" itemprop="datePublished">October 14, 2015</span>
</li><li class="">
<span class="">
<a itemprop="interactionCount" href="http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/14-Oct-2015/language-policy-in-higher-education-ii#disqus_thread">
</a>
</span>
<br></li></ul>
</div>
<div class="">
<div class="">
<div class="">
<div style="padding:0px 10px;display:inline-block">
<div class=""><span style="vertical-align:bottom;width:49px;height:61px"></span></div>
</div>
<div style="padding:5px 10px 0px 0px;display:inline-block">
</div>
<div style="padding:5px 0px 0px;display:inline-block">
</div>
<br>
<div class="">
<span class=""><span class="" style="text-decoration:none;color:rgb(0,0,0);display:inline-block"><span style="background-image:url("http://w.sharethis.com/images/email_32.png")" class=""></span></span></span>
<span class=""><span class="" style="text-decoration:none;color:rgb(0,0,0);display:inline-block"><span style="background-image:url("http://w.sharethis.com/images/linkedin_32.png")" class=""></span></span></span>
<span class=""><span class="" style="text-decoration:none;color:rgb(0,0,0);display:inline-block"><span style="background-image:url("http://w.sharethis.com/images/pinterest_32.png")" class=""></span></span></span>
<span class=""><span class="" style="text-decoration:none;color:rgb(0,0,0);display:inline-block"><span style="background-image:url("http://w.sharethis.com/images/sharethis_32.png")" class=""></span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="">
<br> <div itemprop="articleBody" class="" style="">
<p>The results of the three major nationwide research studies
conducted by the author during the last 10 years (2005-2015), funded by
Aga Khan University and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) as well as
Punjab government and Beaconhouse National University (BNU) on language
planning and higher education, english and employment, and successful
women educators of Punjab are insightful in terms of the gap between the
current de jure and de facto language policy, academic outcomes,
sociocultural outcomes and the failure of not addressing the issues of
access and equity as well as development.</p><br>
<p>With regards to access to higher education, a number of critical
factors were identified. In terms of language speaking communities, a
key finding in the random sample of 2,136 students was that, first of
all, the majority of students in the study to access higher education
from all provinces were from the Urdu speaking community (42 percent)
followed by Punjabi (30 percent), Pushto (14 percent), Sindhis (four
percent), Balochi (five percent) and others (five percent). The random
sample of higher education institutions from Sindh included not only the
capital city of Karachi, which was heavily populated by the Urdu
speaking community, but were on the recommendation of the statistical
advisor of Hyderabad city. The results are indicative of the rapid
spread of Urdu due to its official status as the national language.
Also, it is important to note that the Urdu speaking community,
including those who migrated during and after partition, were more
highly educated having studied in Aligarh and other leading universities
where Urdu was the medium of instruction. Urdu speakers soon entered
the corridors of power as they assumed leadership positions.</p><br>
<p>The study also provides an insight into the role of attitudes in
languages, leading to the language spread/shift of Urdu, English and
regional languages through competency and use of mother tongue and Urdu
or English as the first language in informal and formal domains. The
students reported highly positive attitudes towards English and
instrumental motivation needed for higher education and work, followed
by Urdu for higher education whereas, negative attitudes were reported
for their mother tongue and its use for education, even at the primary
levels of schooling. Regional language speakers, except Punjabi,
urban-educated speakers (where a significant number of them reported
Urdu as a first language), reported high ethnolinguistic vitality and
were competent in their mother tongue, using it with family and friends
in informal domains.</p><br>
<p>Secondly, the socio-economic status of speakers was a major factor in
accessing higher education in terms of the quality of education they
received. Students in the sample belonged to varied backgrounds and the
monthly household mean income ranged from those studying in the public
sector (Rs 13,718l) and students studying in the private sector higher
education institutions (Rs 30,361). Around 572 students (approximately a
quarter of students) did not respond. The low income group of students
could access only public sector higher education mainly in a mix of the
Urdu and English medium whereas the higher income group could access
private universities where English was the medium of instruction. The
private sector higher educational institutes are considered superior in
terms of offering a better quality education.</p><br>
<p>Thirdly, despite the fact that English is the official medium of
instruction in higher education, only 49 percent of students from the
public sector reported English as their medium of instruction, and 68
percent did so from the private sector. In self-reports and interviews
of students it was seen that it was bilingual education (Urdu and
English) being practiced in the classrooms. An interesting aspect of
this was that English teachers explained that they used a blend of
English and Urdu in teaching English since there was a demand from
students whereas the students blamed their English teachers for
inadequacy in spoken English.</p><br>
<p>Finally, the inefficient English Language Teaching (ELT) programmes
being offered from class one to 14 were seen as the intervening variable
between positive attitudes, high motivational intensity and successful
second language learning. As per UNESCO reports, 1,200 hours of teaching
a second or foreign language programme, spread over two years, should
be sufficient for successful learning.</p><br>
<p>In case of access to graduate employment, there was a study with
regards to a random sample of 1,335 graduate employees from 184 small,
medium and large scale public and private organisations belonging to
manufacturing, service and trade from all provinces of Pakistan. The
results from this study revealed that the majority of employers reported
that there was no written official language policy.</p><br>
<p>In terms of language speaking communities, a key finding in the
random sample of graduate employees was that, firstly, the majority of
graduate employees that were employed in all provinces were from the
Urdu-speaking community, followed by Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto, Balochi
and others. Secondly, the socio-economic status of speakers was a major
factor in accessing white collared jobs in terms of ‘soft skills’.
Thirdly, highly positive attitudes of both employers and employees to
English motivated the graduates for instrumental reasons to be fluent in
English and was seen as critical to access graduate employment. The
findings of the study revealed a factor of serious concern, as only 17
percent female graduate employees were identified mostly in a
non-management cadre from all provinces of Pakistan. These results have
to be seen in the perspective that the majority of female graduates opt
to work as academics in educational institutions, which was not included
in the sample.</p><br>
<p>Research findings in these studies reveal that de jure or legal
language policy is different, especially in the case of higher education
and employment, from the defacto language policy in practice in
Pakistan. To conclude, for a language policy in education to be
successful, far more research in areas of language and education are
necessary. However, one point is clear and that is the need to enhance
the status and role of regional languages, develop materials in Urdu and
local languages, focus on training bilingual teachers for primary
schooling and finally for the HEC to note the need for setting up
translation departments in universities. Therefore, we must adopt a
‘cultivation’ policy and produce graduates who are additive and not
subtractive bilinguals.</p><p><a href="http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/14-Oct-2015/language-policy-in-higher-education-ii">http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/14-Oct-2015/language-policy-in-higher-education-ii</a><br></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
</div>