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INDIGENOUS CULTURE AND ACADEMIC DISCOURSE A CRITIQUE OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS IN PAKISTAN

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09 Pages : 130-149

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2017(II-I).09      10.31703/gssr.2017(II-I).09      Published : Jun 2017

Indigenous Culture and Academic Discourse: A Critique of English Textbooks in Pakistan

Abstract

    The paper aims to explore how far English textbooks in Pakistan embody Pakistan and its culture. In this connection, the reading passages and pictures/images of the textbooks taught at secondary level in the government schools of Punjab were analyzed. It was a mixed method study and the specific method employed was content analysis. For this purpose all the reading passages of both the textbooks were firstly categorized and quantified into three categories; Source Culture/s, Other Culture/s and Neutral and then the cultural elements of Source Culture/s were discussed qualitatively using an adapted checklist. The results of the study reveal that the English textbook of class 9 has 12 passages out of which 75% have Source cultural elements, 8.83% have cultural elements of Other Culture/s and 16.66% are Neutral. As far as the English textbook of class 10 is concerned, there are 13 reading passages out of which 23.07% have Source cultural elements, 15.38% have cultural elements of Other Culture/s and 61.53% are Neutral. The findings of the study show that English, being an international language and as a result of globalization, has become compulsory for people belonging to different countries to learn it. However, in order to retain their identity, they try to appropriate English language to underpin their own culture/s through English language used in the textbooks of Pakistan.

    (1) Azhar Habib
    PhD Scholar, Air University, Islamabad & Research Fellow, University of North Texas USA
    (2) Inayat Ullah
    Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, Air University, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Cite this article

APA

    APA : Habib, A., & Ullah, I. (2017). Indigenous Culture and Academic Discourse: A Critique of English Textbooks in Pakistan. Global Social Sciences Review, II(I), 130-149. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2017(II-I).09

CHICAGO

    CHICAGO : Habib, Azhar, and Inayat Ullah. 2017. "Indigenous Culture and Academic Discourse: A Critique of English Textbooks in Pakistan." Global Social Sciences Review, II (I): 130-149 doi: 10.31703/gssr.2017(II-I).09

HARVARD

    HARVARD : HABIB, A. & ULLAH, I. 2017. Indigenous Culture and Academic Discourse: A Critique of English Textbooks in Pakistan. Global Social Sciences Review, II, 130-149.

MHRA

    MHRA : Habib, Azhar, and Inayat Ullah. 2017. "Indigenous Culture and Academic Discourse: A Critique of English Textbooks in Pakistan." Global Social Sciences Review, II: 130-149

MLA

    MLA : Habib, Azhar, and Inayat Ullah. "Indigenous Culture and Academic Discourse: A Critique of English Textbooks in Pakistan." Global Social Sciences Review, II.I (2017): 130-149 Print.

OXFORD

    OXFORD : Habib, Azhar and Ullah, Inayat (2017), "Indigenous Culture and Academic Discourse: A Critique of English Textbooks in Pakistan", Global Social Sciences Review, II (I), 130-149

TURABIAN

    TURABIAN : Habib, Azhar, and Inayat Ullah. "Indigenous Culture and Academic Discourse: A Critique of English Textbooks in Pakistan." Global Social Sciences Review II, no. I (2017): 130-149. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2017(II-I).09