The tyranny of language in education : the problem and its solution / Zubeida Mustafa.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mustafa, Zubeida, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Language and education--Pakistan.

Language and education.

Language policy--Pakistan.

Language policy.

Pakistan.

Physical Description:

xlii, 253 pages ; 22 cm

Edition:

Revised and expanded edition.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2015.

Summary:

Language is closely linked with a person's socialization. It is something that develops in a community. The culture, political thought, and sociological dimension of people living in a group have a direct bearing on the language they speak. That is why language is never regarded as something neutral, and the medium of instruction used in school has far-reaching implications. It can facilitate the social, cultural, and intellectual development or it can hurt the capacity to learn. Unfortunately, factors other than these obvious ones have determined the language to be used to teach a young child in Pakistan. The failure to look at language as a crucial component of education per se has resulted in our failure to spread literacy and learning in the country. Can we reform education in Pakistan using any language? No, says the author, who argues her case from a young child's perspective. Since the first edition of this book, a lot of research has been carried out on this subject. The findings have not changed, but they shed new light on the subject and should certainly create more awareness among educationists and policymakers, as well as parents. The author proposes the roles to be assigned to the mother tongue, the national language, and English, the international language of the day. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 What is the Problem? 1

2 The Vital Component 12

3 Language in Education 37

4 Language Acquisition 65

5 The Mysteries of Bilingualism 94

6 English Learning Experience 106

7 Ground Realities 139

8 Random Testing 164

9 Language, Society, and the Economy 183

10 What Needs to be Done 201

11 The Importance of Equity in Education 222.

ISBN:

9780199400713

0199400717

OCLC:

910969097