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Article published In: Language Problems and Language Planning
Vol. 41:1 (2017) ► pp.66–86

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Ethnolinguistic dilemma and static maintenance syndrome

A study of language policies and language perceptions in Pakistan

 | Baluchistan University of IT Engineering & Management Sciences, Quetta, Pakistan | University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
 | Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya
 | Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya
Published online: 20 July 2017
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https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.41.1.04man
Abstract
Only two out of over 70 indigenous mother tongues are recognized in schools in Pakistan. This study examines orientations of the governments’ language-in-education policies, and scrutinizes the influence the policies exert on vitality of indigenous mother tongues, and the perceptions of their speakers. Using undergraduate students as samples, the study employed mixed-method for data collection. Linguistic diversity and multilingualism have been looked upon as problem than asset in successive government policies. We find that although indigenous mother tongues enjoy strong roots and oral presence in informal private domains; however, they suffer from acute shrinkage in more literate domains such as schools and different media as majority of respondents passively assimilate towards Urdu and English languages. Language policies and current linguistic hierarchy appear to have exerted appreciable effect on respondents’ attitudinal and cultural orientations. Although, respondents demonstrate sentimental attachment towards their languages as cultural and identity signifiers; however, they overwhelmingly support English and Urdu as their desired languages-in-education leaving their own mother-tongues marginalized. Respondents’ approach is marked by ‘static maintenance syndrome, an attitudinal conundrum, in which they rationalize the ‘supposed inferiority of their languages’ vis-à-vis English (the official) and Urdu (the national) languages. Top-down and bottom-up orientations are characterized by neglect towards linguistic diversity.
لنډیز
په پاکستان کې په څه باندې ۷۰ ځايي مورنيو ژبو کې يوازې دوې ژبې په ښوونځيو کې ښودل کيږی. دا څيړنه د حکومت لخوا په تعليم کې د ژبو د تګلارې د فهم يا لور موندنې جاج اخلي. پر دې سربيره د هغه اغيز ازموينه کوي چې دغه تګلارې يې د ځايي مورنيو ژبو پر پايښت او د ويونکو پر ادراک کوي. په څيړنه کې له څوارلسم صنف څخه لاندې زده کوونکې د نمونې په توګه اخيستل شوي دي او په دې کې د معلوماتو راغونډولو لپاره ګډه طريقه کارول شوې ده. د حکومت په تګلارو کې په پرلپسې توګه د ژبو تنوع او ګڼو ژبو ويلو ته د يوې پانګې په سترګه نه بلکې د يوې ستونزې په سترګه کتل کيږی. موږ ته معلومه شوې چې که څه هم ځايي مورنۍ ژبې په غير رسمي شخصي څانګو کې ټينګې ريښې او شفاهي حضور لري خو دوی په ډېرو ادبي او علمي څانګو کې ځپل شوي دي. د بيلګی په توګه په ښوونځيو او بيلابيلو رسنيو کې زياتره کسان په پټو سترګو په اردو او انګليسي ژبو کې ځانونه جذبوي. داسې ښکاري چې د ژبو تګلاره او د ژبو اوسنۍ درجه بندۍ د خلکو د رويو او کلتور پر پوهې د قدر وړ اغيز کړی دی. که څه هم خلک د کلتور او شناخت د مسما په توګه د خپلو ژبو په اړه احساساتي تړاو څرګندوي خو د تعليمي ژبې په توګه په پرېکنده ډول د اردو او انګليسي ملاتړ کوي او خپلې مورنۍ ژبې يې بې ارزښته ګرځولي دي. د ځواب ورکوونکو خلکو مېل د پر ځای ولاړې پديدې له لارې ذکر شوی دی چې د رويې معما ده. په دې عمل کې دوی د انګليسي (چې سرکاري ژبه ده) او اردو (چې ملي ژبه ده) په پرتله د خپلو مورنيو ژبو هغه کمتري په دليل وړاندې کوي. له لوړې څخه لاندې او له لاندې څخه لوړ فهم د ژبو د تنوع په لور له پامه غورځول شوی دی.
Resumo
Etnolingvistika dilemo kaj la sindromo de senmova konservado: Studo de lingvaj politikoj kaj lingvaj perceptoj en Pakistano
Nur du el inter 70 indiĝenaj patrinaj lingvoj estas rekonataj en lernejoj en Pakistano. La nuna studo ekzamenas orientiĝojn de la registara politiko pri lingvo en edukado, kaj detale ekzamenas la influon de politikoj je la vivipovo de indiĝenaj patrinaj lingvoj kaj la perceptojn de iliaj parolantoj. Uzante bakalaŭrajn studentojn kiel samplojn, la studo utiligis miksmetodon por datenokolektado. Tuta sinsekvo de registaraj politikoj emas rigardi lingvodiversecon kaj multlingvismon kiel problemon, ne bonaĵon. Ni konstatas, ke, kvankam indiĝenaj patrinlingvoj ĝuas fortajn radikojn kaj perbuŝan viglon en neformalaj privataj domenoj, ili tamen travivas akutan ŝrumpiĝon en pli kulturitaj domenoj, ekzemple lernejoj kaj aliaj medioj, dum la plimulto de respondantoj pasive asimiliĝas al la urdua kaj angla lingvoj. Lingvaj politikoj kaj la nuna lingva hierarkio ŝajne havis rimarkeblan efikon je la orientiĝoj de respondantoj rilate iliajn opiniajn kaj identecajn orientiĝojn. Kvankam respondantoj montras sentimentalan ligon al siaj lingvoj kiel kulturaj kaj identecaj markiloj, ili preskaŭ komplete subtenas la anglan kaj urduan kiel siajn deziratajn edukajn lingvojn kaj lasas marĝene siajn patrinlingvojn. La starpunkton de la respondantoj karakterizas “senmova konservada sindromo,” vidpunkta enigmo, laŭ kiu ili raciigas la “supozatan malsuperecon de siaj lingvoj” kontraste al la angla (la oficiala) kaj urdua (nacia) lingvoj. Desupraj kaj desubaj orientiĝoj estas karakterizataj de neglekto al lingva diverseco.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Attitude formation, policy and planning
  • Sociolinguistic situation and language policies in Pakistan
    • Policy towards Urdu
    • Policy towards English
    • Policy towards indigenous languages
  • Methodology
    • Instrumentation
      • Questionnaires
      • Interviews
  • Results
    • Linguistic background of participants
    • Language use within the family
    • Use of media
    • Importance of indigenous languages
    • Respondents’ favorite language policy in schools
  • Discussion
    • The local attitudes – indigenous languages and domain shrinkage
    • The official attitudes – language-as-a-resource versus language-as-a-problem
    • Static maintenance syndrome and ethnolinguistic dilemma
  • Conclusion and the way forward
  • References
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