Balochistan Journal of Linguistics

TECHNOLOGICAL ACCEPTANCE AMONG PAKISTANI PUBLIC-SECTOR UNIVERSITY TEACHERS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF TEACHING LITERATURE ONLINE

Sehrish Shafi — 2023-11-29

In the context of the pandemic, teaching and learning in higher education shifted greatly towards the online mode of learning. Having moved on from the scenario, we have looked at the perceptions of teachers regarding challenges and opportunities provided by online teaching and learning of literature. Five teachers from two public-sector institutions were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The analysis showed that teachers faced a number of challenges such as lack of connectivity, lack of competence and training. They also believed that students tended to become rather passive in online classes. However, they not only pointed out the challenges but also focussed on how literature teaching had become more fun due to the use of online learning platforms. We recommend that online teaching of literature should be continued to some extent post- Covid 19 as well.

INVESTIGATION OF BACK VOWELS IN PAKISTANI ENGLISH THROUGH ACOUSTIC LENS

Shazia Kousar — 2023-12-29

The examination of distinct features of non-native varieties of English has been the focal point of many research studies. The current study is also a continuation of this query. It intends to observe the acquisition of back vowels /ɒ/, /ʊ/, /ɑ: /, /ʊ: /, /ɔː/ regarding their spectral (the lowest two Formants) and temporal (duration) aspects in Pakistani English. The data were collected from the female learners of English at middle level (about 15 years old) from a public institute of Pakistan. The target back vowels were embedded into / hvd / syllables in the carrier phrase ‘say --- please’ as a stimulus. Data comprising of seven hundred and fifty tokens of English back vowels were analyzed using FormantPro (Xu, 2015) software. The results show that the acoustic patterns of back vowels of Pakistani learners of English are not much aligned with those of native speakers. The back vowels /ɑ: / and /ɒ/ are produced as central vowels rather than back vowels on horizontal plane of tongue fronting (corresponding to Formant 2). Likewise, back vowels, particularly /ɒ/ and /ɔː/, are also displaced on vertical horizon of tongue height (corresponding to F1). The results of the study reflect that vowels of Pakistani English are distinct from the patterns of the English reported by Roach (2004). This distinctness can be linked with discrepancy between phonological and orthographic form of the English language and inter-lingual effects from Urdu/indigenous languages of Pakistan.

LANGUAGE CONTACT AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PHONOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF BALOCHI

Dr. Hamid Ali — 2023-07-03

In this paper, the language contact trend and its impact on the phonological evolution over time of Balochi an Indo - Iranian language spoken in Balochistan was explored. The interaction of Balochi with various Iranian languages such as Old Persian, Middle Persian, Parthian, and Avestan has also been studied. The research brought to light that the language has undergone phonetic changes during distinct periods, influenced by various languages such as Median, Avestan, Old Persian, Middle Persian, Parthian, Eastern and Western Iranian languages, Modern Persian, and Arabic. Balochi continues to borrow and assimilate foreign words, particularly due to its geostrategic location in Balochistan. However, the origins of these borrowed words remain unclear. The research also addresses the decline of Balochi's significance as a lingua franca and the reasons for its assimilation in some regions while retaining its originality in others. Furthermore, it addresses the contemporary challenges faced by Balochi, including its assimilation into other languages and the impact of English as a global language. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for further research on language contact in Balochistan and its consequences for Balochi's preservation and development.

EXPLORING THE USE OF FILLERS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS

Muhammad Mooneeb Ali — 2024-01-01

This study attempts to investigate the use and types of fillers by the English language teachers in local classrooms. Various studies have validated the importance of using fillers in second language contexts. Hence, this research will be significant to view the use of fillers in English language classrooms. This research is binary in nature. Firstly, Participants of the research were the 20 randomly selected English language teachers from various five different universities of Lahore. Then, data was collected through the recordings of the teachers. A total of 20 lectures of forty-five minutes each were taken from these teachers. Further, Qualitative approach was chosen for data analysis. The analysis of data presented that these English language teachers used a high ratio of fillers in their classroom teaching. It was also explored that both lexical and non-lexical fillers were part of their spoken discourse. At the second stage five open-ended questions were also asked by the 20 teachers to gather their opinion regarding the use of fillers in the lectures. Teachers opinioned that fillers are integral part of their second language, and it has positive effect on learners.

USING CORPUS LINGUISTICS AS A VALUABLE TEACHING TOOL TO TEACH ENGLISH LANGUAGE TO BS STUDENTS AT A GOVERNMENT UNIVERSITY

Muhammad Anwar — 2024-01-01

This study discusses the use of corpus linguistics as a valuable teaching tool to teach English compulsory to BS students and certain issues which arise when using corpus linguistics as a teaching tool to teach English language to BS students at a government university in Karachi. Corpus linguistics is an important area within applied linguistics, but it is also a valuable tool to teach and learn a language through computers and books. This study shows the effectiveness of corpus linguistics for teaching English language at BS level. It was quantitative research in which an experimental design was used. For this purpose, the data was collected from 54 students at a government university studying at BS 1st Semester. The findings of this study suggest that using corpus linguistics as a tool plays a significant role in making students know about the usage of words with different prepositions and multiple meanings, their frequency and about the natural way of using English language (collocation) which are very important for the learners who are learning English as a second or foreign language.

LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF THAI LAKORNS AND PAKISTANI DRAMAS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GENDER REPRESENTATION

Muntazar Mehdi — 2024-01-03

This paper examines the representation of females in Pakistani TV dramas and Thai lakron. In Thai lakrons, women are treated as an object of pleasure, whereas the situation in Pakistan is not that worse. Their media repeatedly portray women as an object rather than an individual according to Freidickson and Roberts' "Objectification theory"(1997). Their dramas objectify women based on their appearance and the sexual pleasure they can provide to the dominant people in a patriarchal society. To conduct this research, a qualitative approach is used to draw the comparison between the dramas of two countries that are; "Ghissi Pitti Mohabbat[1]" and "Prom Pisawat[2]".. The data was retrieved from the dramas in form of the discourses as uttered by the characters. This study is meant to add to the vast canvas and multifaceted area of research related to the fragility and under representation of women in media where rape, violence, abuse, and standards of beauty for female characters are romanticized.

[1] Khan, Faseeh Bari . “Ghisi Pitti Muhabbat Episode 1 | 6 August 2020 (English Subtitles) ARY Digital Drama.

[2] “Prom Pissawat Online” Dramacool, dramacool.hr/prom-pissawat-episode-1.html.