LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13 : 3 March 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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A Study on Attitudes towards Varieties of Spoken English in
Pakistani Context

Sabahat Parveen, M.A., M.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D. Research Scholar
Prof. Dr. Asim Mehmood, Ph.D. English

Abstract

Pakistan has a multilingual environment and thus has a rich setting for the exploration of language attitudes. Despite the intense interest in this issue in the media and at both the governmental and community levels, there have been little systematic attempts at documenting this phenomenon. Keeping in view the status of English and its importance in Pakistan, this study has been designed to investigate attitudes towards different varieties of English and the importance of PE as a non native variety of English. Specifically, the researcher is interested in understanding English from the perspective of a Second Language Listeners? (ESL) perceptions of two different varieties of English – Standard English (SE) and Pakistani English (PE) The present study deals with the concept of language attitude, speakers’ perceptions in different contexts of language use with a special focus on the perceptions of Pakistani ESL students in Pakistan.

Keywords: Pakistani English, Standard English, Attitudes, Accent, ESL.

Introduction

It is widely accepted that English is now the primary lingua franca, that is, ‘the language used to communicate among speakers of different native languages throughout the world.’ The growing need and importance of English language at the present day has made the acquisition of this language as an important requirement for today’s student. As English is perceived as an indispensable tool in order to survive in the global economy, the demands for English language have grown.

English is the most widely taught learnt and spoken language in the world. It is used by over 300 million people as a first language in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA and by over 700 million people as a second or additional language in the countries of Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, and of the island nations of the world (Crystal, 1985a; B. Kachru, 1999). Recent years have observed changes and rapid emergence of many new Englishes..Efforts have been made on various levels to prove that new varieties of English are getting importance in specific areas.

The varieties of English which are commonly accepted and considered ‘legitimate’ for educational purposes all over the world are American and British English. The other varieties, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand English, are still trying to achieve legitimacy (Bell and Kuiper, 1999; Collins and Blair, 1989; Turner, 1997; Hundt, 1998). Thus, English made up of many varieties, all of these varieties are internationally recognized.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Sabahat Parveen, M.A., M.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D. Research Scholar
Government College University Faisalabad
Pakistan
sabahatmushtaq@hotmail.com

Prof. Dr. Asim Mehmood, Ph.D. English
Government College University Faisalabad
Pakistan
masimrai@gmail.com

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