LANGUAGE IN INDIA

A Comparison of Students' Achievement in
The Subject of English -
A Pakistani Context

Iram Gul Gillani, Khalid Khurshid, Nabi Bux Jumani and
Fazalur Rahman

Abstract

The present study aims at analyzing the effects of medium of instruction on students' achievement in the subject of English at secondary level. The participants of the study were 310 students of grade X. Sample was randomly selected from 12 boys and girls schools. A multiple choice-item test in subject of English was used as research instrument.

It was found that in most cases the performance of the English medium school students was better than that of the Urdu medium students. On the whole, in some cases, by keeping in view the difference of means, the study showed almost the similar performance of both groups but apparently, the students of English medium school students were better in the subject of English.

Key words: English, secondary students, performance, Pakistan

Introduction

Medium of instruction should be understandable to teachers and students. It should also enable them to attain comfort levels so that they can both deliver and receive messages using the chosen medium. Farani (1990) described the characteristics necessary for a language in order for it to be adopted as a medium of instruction. These are:

• The language should be lucid and understandable for the teachers and taught.
• It should be possible to promote advance research work in that language.
• It should have simple grammatical structure, not complicated one.
• It must have rich vocabulary.
• It should be considered language, spoken and understood all over the country.

Mostly, the educational experts recommend that the mother language of a child should be adopted as a medium of instruction at the primary level. Zubair (1993) proposed mother tongue as a medium of instruction at the primary level and argued that, "Ideally, the medium of instruction of a child living in its own language environment should be the mother tongue. Children should be taught in their mother tongue and the second language i.e. English, should be adopted/taught as a subject".

Great Debate

In fact, medium of instruction is a matter of great debate among teachers, educationists and parents. The majority of teachers and parents say that English should not be the medium of instruction but should be taught as a subject right from the very beginning of the school. But as we all are well aware that English is a widely used international language. It has (as a medium of instruction and as a subject) its roots in pre-partitioned India, when the controversy started with the emergence of two distinct opinions at the time of making educational policy for India by the British Government. The controversy was between the Orientalists and Occidentalists (Ahmad, 1997).

After the emergence of Pakistan in 1947, the problem of language arose for teaching as well as for other communications. Like all free nations, there was a national demand in the public for the national language as a medium of instruction in teaching institutions. However, English language occupies a very important place in the educational curricula in Pakistan. It enjoys the status of an international language. It also remains the language of diplomats of Pakistan in diplomatic affairs, legal proceedings. Of all the language in the world today, English is taken as the primary language.

English in Pakistan

English has top most position as compared with other languages in Pakistan and studied as one of the major foreign languages. Mueen (1992) described that in Pakistan, the use of English is well entrenched. It is often a pre-requisite for employment in the public and private sector. It is a language of science and technology. Therefore, in order to remain in step with the expanding frontiers of human knowledge, the use of English in Pakistan needs to be actively sponsored by the educated and patronized by the policy makers.

Similarly Taimurie (1999) cited that, no doubt, Urdu is the national language of Pakistan, but English is the language of science and technology, despite the emphasis on Urdu, Pakistan cannot ignore English.

It is evident that English is a foreign language for Pakistan but it has multifaceted and compound position all over the country now. It is used as an official language, medium of instruction and symbol of status too. Its importance can also be judged from the fact that there is no country in the world where English cannot be understood. Further Shahid (2002) described that by accident of history and by the rapid spread of industrial development of science, technology and international trade, English has become the world language. It is the means of international communication, there is no other language.

Pakistan has a dual system of education, Urdu and English medium, but in both English is taught as a compulsory subject. Mostly Urdu medium schools are run by the government where English is a subject, while, on the other hand, in the English medium schools, which are run by some private organizations and missionaries, English is a subject, the medium of instruction and communication tool. English medium schools are being establishing more rapidly in Pakistan and educated parents, even non-educated also, prefer to send their children to English schools.

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