GLOBAL, NATIONAL, AND NATIVE LANGUAGES: COMPARING LANGUAGE ATTITUDES AMONG PUNJABI AND PASHTO SPEAKERS

Abstract

The present study examines and compares the linguistic attitudes of Pashto and Punjabi speakers toward English and Urdu, their native languages, within the Pakistani context. The study employs a qualitative research design with the goal of examining how Punjabi and Pashto speakers feel about Urdu and English, and about their native languages. 14 undergraduate students from a public university in Lahore (7 Punjabi and 7 Pashto speakers) participated in study through semi-structured interviews. The results of study show that both groups of students have a deep emotional connection to their local languages. Pashto and Punjabi serve as identifiers for their heritage and culture. However, these regional languages were marginalised by institutional policies and social pressure, which promoted English as the language of upward social mobility and Urdu as the nation’s lingua franca. Punjabi speakers, who value using their own language to communicate their deeper feelings; however, in urban settings, they tend to use Urdu more often, which reflects its perceived prestige. Pashto speakers, on the other hand, seem less inclined towards Urdu because they see it as an infringement on their local language and a danger to their ethnic and linguistic identity. Although both groups expressed concerns about English’s dominance eroding regional languages, they also acknowledged the language’s instrumental significance for their professional advancement. The study suggests the need to adopt more power languages consciously, while local languages should be maintained. It suggests integrating regional languages into the curriculum and needs for the creation of policies that support linguistic diversity.