English in the Language Policy and Planning of Pakistan

Abstract

The paper reviews the role of English and its evolution in the language policy and planning (LPP) of Pakistan. Because areas such as language policy and language planning and the categories of language planning such as status, corpus and acquisition are interrelated with each other, the paper discusses the categories and applies them as a theoretical framework in order to examine an overall role of English in Pakistan. The paper notes with regard to the status planning of English that English lies at the highest position not only in the LPP of Pakistan but also in the Pakistani society. So far as the corpus planning of English is concerned, English is not a first language (L1) spoken in Pakistan, no any policy has so far mentioned whether a certain language authority be established for the corpus planning of English; nor has any policy officially declared that Pakistan should use American, British, and/or Pakistani English. Finally, with regard to the acquisition planning of English, English has undergone the bleak time when it was disfavoured in the General Zia’s era to the current time in which it is mandated in the National Education Policy (2009) that English not only be taught as a compulsory subject in Grade 1 onward but also be used as the medium of instruction in Grade 4 and onward for the content subjects such as mathematics and science in the public schools of Pakistan. The paper concludes that considering the burgeoning influence of English bred by globalization English shall be enjoying the highest status in Pakistan.