Today, English has become an integral part of the world language. Whether in business, technology or education, its importance is undeniable. Therefore, the majority of the world learns and speaks English because of urgent needs. It seems like a strange language to beginners. This study describes how English spelling becomes a barrier for EFL learners. It explains how English learners in general and Urdu learners are affected by deep spelling. This article outlines a fascinating history of English spelling. In addition, it shows the phonological relationships between Urdu and English consonants and provokes inferences based on grapheme-to-phoneme transformations. The study emphasizes how English vowels can create difficulties for L2 learners, as they can lead to incorrect assumptions about English orthography. Summarizes the importance of phonological awareness in English spelling to avoid his erroneous L2 phonology. (Sipra 2013).
The findings from two experiments revealed that bilingual (Urdu and English) 5- and 6-year-old children exhibited better performance compared to their monolingual (English) Counterparts on a syntactic recognition test involving the identification of grammatically incorrect sentences. These results were observed in both Experiment 1, which was conducted solely in English, and Experiment 2, which included testing in either English or Urdu. A 3-year-old and her 4-year-old bilingual child were better at identifying ungrammatical sentences than monolingual children only when tested in Urdu. However, no significant differences were found in the ability of monolingual and bilingual children to recognize grammatically correct sentences, and both grammatically correct and incorrect sentences were used to obtain accurate measures of syntactic recognition. It was suggested that it should be acquired: the question of whether bilingualism or linguistic characteristics influence syntactic recognition is pursued. (Mumtaz and Humphreys 2002).
This study aimed to assess how well the tasks of Rapid Automated Naming (RAN) and Non-Word Repetition (NWR) can anticipate reading fluency and accuracy in Urdu. Based on teachers reports, one hundred sixty children (ages 8–9) attending two types of schools (Urdu and English middle schools) were divided into a control group and a printing disorder group. The findings verified that RAN plays a significant role in forecasting reading fluency for both groups, and NWR's function as a predictor of accuracy was also affirmed. However, in the dyslexia group, the strength of the relationship was moderated by RAN. There is no test to identify children who have difficulty reading Urdu. Our study supports the efficacy of the NWR and RAN tasks for screening for dyslexia. The performance results also confirm the original groupings based on the teacher's report. The study also highlights the importance of instructional mediums in learning to read and the increasing use of verbal language input (Farukh & Vulchanova, 2014).
This study thoroughly analyzed the literacy levels among undergraduate students in Pakistan. The main objective was to compare and contrast the proficiency levels of reading and writing in their mother tongues with those in Urdu and English. Additionally, the study aimed to examine the real and perceived significance of local/regional mother tongues concerning Urdu and English. The research employed questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation involving a total of 162 undergraduate students. The study drew heavily from the framework of Continua of Biliteracy, an ecological approach that considers the educational environment in multilingual settings ("Revisiting the Continua of Biliteracy: International and Critical Perspectives," Language and Education: An International Journal, 14(2), 96–122; Continua of Biliteracy: A framework that considers the environment for educational policy, research, and practice in settings where multiple languages are used, Cleverdon: Multilingual Matters). The study's findings indicate that the proficiency levels of academic-oriented skills like reading and writing are notably lower in the students' mother tongues compared to Urdu and English. The participants' perception reveals that they attribute greater importance to academic literacy in Urdu and English due to the perceived influence and financial opportunities associated with these languages. Local native languages, on the other hand, are valued as carriers of identity in multicultural and multiethnic societies and are primarily used for interethnic interactions and family conversations. According to the continuum model, the context, development, and literacy across content are more evident in Urdu and English (languages traditionally considered more dominant) than in local native languages (languages traditionally considered less dominant), suggesting a prioritization of the former languages. (Manan and David 2014).
One of eight countries in South Asia, Pakistan has a population of over 212.2 million, making it the fifth most populous country in the world after China, India, the United States and Indonesia. It also has the second-largest Muslim population in the world. Eberhard et al. (Ethnologist: According to SIL International's Language of the World report in 2020, there are 77 languages spoken in Pakistan by its people. However, only two languages, Urdu and English, hold official status. After gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1947, much thought was required before the country switched from a monolingual Urdu orientation in education to a multilingual policy in 2009. This will lead to a gradual and promising shift from the dominant Urdu policy for the masses (and English reserved for elite institutions) to meet the growing societal demand for English and the incorporation of regional languages into curricula. Prompted.
Nevertheless, English and Urdu dominate current politics, themselves dynamic and volatile, constantly restructuring due to the country's de facto multilingual and multilingual repertoire, excluding local non-dominant languages in education. The study analyses the subject matter by drawing on Bourdieu's works (Outline of a Theory of Practice, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1977a, and The Economics of Linguistic Exchanges). Soc Sci Inform 16:645–668, 1977b, on the origin of the term's habitus and field. Social Criticism 2:11–24 1985, Language and symbolic power (Polity Press, Cambridge, 1991) This study conceptualizing habitus was published in major Pakistani English-language newspapers between 2002–2009 and 2018–2020. I am analyzing a letter; to the analysis reveals the linguistic tendencies discussed in the letter and their restructuring by market forces, demonstrating continuity between linguistic-political discourse and public attempt. The results also show conflicting feelings towards Urdu and English regarding nationalist ideology, modernity and identity. (Ashraf ,2022).
Fareed, Ashraf et al. claimed that writing is essential for language production. The skill of writing can be challenging, particularly for students who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). This difficulty is evident among Pakistani undergraduate ESL learners who encounter several obstacles in developing their writing abilities. To gain a better understanding of these challenges, the objective of this study was to explore the writing difficulties experienced by these learners and identify the factors that impede their writing proficiency. It was also intended to get suggestions on how to improve her writing skills for her ESL learners in Pakistan. For this purpose, a focus group was conducted by a Pakistani English teacher and her ESL learners in undergraduates. We also collected writing samples from 30 ESL undergraduates to find their main writing problems. Interviews and essays were evaluated using thematic content analysis. As a result, the main writing problems faced by his ESL learners of Pakistani undergraduates are poor language skills (including acquisition of grammar, syntax and vocabulary), writing anxiety, and lack of ideas; it has been shown to be a dependent, weak structural organization. These challenges are influenced by a variety of factors, including unqualified teachers, ineffective teaching methods and assessment systems, lack of reading and writing practice, large classrooms, low motivation and lack of ideas. The study also highlights improvements such as reading comprehension, conscious and incidental vocabulary teaching, writing practice, teacher training, testing system reforms, and writing contests. (Fareed, Ashraf et al. 2016).
Farrukh's current study focused on examining the effects of increased exposure to First Language (English) orthography on first-language reading accuracy by using it as a medium of instruction. Increased L2 exposure might support her L1 reading accuracy. The study sample was 8–9 years old, with three children. The children were selected from a private Urdu school and an English middle school in an undeveloped area of Punjab, Pakistan. The students were heavily exposed to Urdu spelling, but this had no benefit in improving the accuracy of Urdu reading. On the other hand, English secondary school children achieve much higher reading accuracy in Urdu. It may indicate that you have actively migrated (Farukh, Ali et al. 2020).
The introduction of the English language in India had a multi-faceted impact on society, but its linguistic impact has endured. Even after 69 years of independence, mastery of English is viewed as a representation of elevated social status and professional proficiency. Additionally, a distinct Pakistani variant of English has emerged. The society, which is divided along class lines, harbours varying attitudes towards the English language based on their economic and social standing. This is mirrored in the English Language Teaching (ELT) classrooms, where different methods, materials, and techniques are employed to teach the English language for varying objectives (Raza, 2015).
In Pakistan, Rehman argued that there is a significant paradox concerning the status of English. The English language allows young Pakistanis to ascend the social hierarchy with ease. However, it also poses a significant obstacle for those who need to be proficient in the language. Although many people in urban areas have a basic understanding of English, they need help to hold extended conversations. Conversely, individuals belonging to the elite stratum of society speak English naturally and habitually rather than to impress native speakers of the language. English is the primary language used in the highest levels of the state apparatus, superior judiciary, government orders, and the officer corps of the armed forces. It is also the dominant language used in universities, think tanks, NGOs, and newspapers, serving as the language of power in Pakistan. This chapter provides a diachronic (historical) assessment of the functions and roles of the English language that have shaped contemporary Pakistan. It investigates how people of different generations have used English and what the future holds for English in Pakistan (Rahman 2020).
Abbas and Pervaiz conducted a study to investigate the status of Urdu and English in Pakistan, where there has always been a competition between the two languages to dominate in areas of power such as education, law, and bureaucracy. In 2015, a new plan was introduced to replace Urdu with English as an official language, prompting the researchers to re-evaluate the role of Urdu and English during this transition period. Data for the study was collected through an interview protocol with 60 purposively selected participants, focusing on each language's importance and educational value and their future prospects. The study concluded that Urdu is perceived as a language for nationwide communication. At the same time, English is seen as a language for global communication, with better educational value and prospects than Urdu (Abbas, Pervaiz et al. 2018).
Language acquisition in bilingual children is influenced by various factors, including linguistic and societal aspects that can either facilitate or hinder the learning process. To gain a better understanding of these factors, a study was conducted on Urdu-English bilingual children in Canada and Pakistan who shared the same first and second languages but learned them in different contexts. The study involved 76 participants from Pakistan and 50 from Canada, all aged between 8 and 10 years, and compared their language and literacy skills in both languages. The results revealed that the children's language abilities in each language were influenced by the dominant societal language of their respective countries (Urdu in Pakistan and English in Canada). While some similarities were found in the relationship between skills within each language, intriguing differences were also observed in the role of first-language skills in acquiring second-language reading abilities across various language learning contexts. These findings challenge prevailing theories that are primarily based on data from second language learners in immersion settings, commonly found in North America or Europe, where learners acquire the dominant language of the society (Mirza, A. and A. Gottardo 2023).
Rehman, Z., Anwar, W., & Bajwa, U. I. claimed in their work that the Urdu language is morphologically rich with the different nature of its characters. Tokenizing and disambiguating sentence boundaries in Urdu text is more challenging than in languages such as English. The improper spacing between words mainly hinders tokenization, while the absence of case differentiation adds to the difficulty of detecting sentence boundaries. This paper addresses the issues surrounding these language-processing tasks in Urdu and identifies several challenges that must be overcome.