Liberal Journal of Language & Literature Review
The "Liberal Journal of Language & Literature Review" is a groundbreaking scholarly publication dedicated to exploring and advancing the realms of language and literature from a liberal perspective. Launched in this journal seeks to foster a dynamic intellectual environment for scholars, researchers, and academics to engage in critical discussions, exchange innovative ideas, and contribute to the evolving landscape of language and literature studies.
Discovery Education & Research Institute
Rhetorical Strategies and Discursive Construction of Ideology: Critical Discourse Analysis of Nelson Mandela’s Speeches
This study examines the ideological evolution in Nelson Mandela’s oratory, tracing his transition from resistance leader to unifying statesman. Although much is written about Mandela’s moral authority, less is understood about how his political ideology was discursively constructed and shifted over time. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this paper analyzes six major speeches from 1962 to 1999, representing three phases: trials and imprisonment, post‐release leadership, and presidency. The findings reveal a clear discursive trajectory: from confrontational, dichotomous discourse to inclusive, reconciliatory rhetoric aimed at forging a new national identity. Key markers include shifts in pronoun use (from “I” to “we”), metaphorical framing, and changing modality and argument structures. The study contributes to discourse studies, political communication, and postcolonial studies by showing how ideology is not static but is performed and transformed through language, especially in transitional political contexts.
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Mapping Meaning through Corpora: A Lexico-Semantic Exploration of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness
This study applies corpus-assisted lexico-semantic analysis to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness to map patterns of lexical choice, semantic prosody, and thematic foregrounding across the novella. A single-text corpus of the work was extracted from project Guttenberg, and was compiled and processed with Voyant to extract keyword lists, collocations, node-word networks, semantic-tag frequencies, and distributional-semantics visualizations. Quantitative measures (keyness, mutual information, dispersion, and log-likelihood) were triangulated with qualitative close reading to interpret how recurrent lexis constructs representations of space, race, morality, and interiority. Results show a cohesive lexico-semantic field clustering around darkness, movement (river/journey), and degradation; these clusters demonstrate negative semantic prosodies and systematic metaphorical mappings that align lexical cohorts with colonial ideology and psychological collapse. Notably, lexical co-occurrence networks reveal that ostensibly isolated images (e.g., fog, abyss, whisper) function as distributed signals that reinforce thematic coherence across narrative layers and narrator voices. The analysis also detects subtle editorial shifts in lexical distribution, suggesting editorial influence on thematic emphasis and reader positioning. Methodologically, the paper demonstrates an integrative protocol for single-text corpus construction, multi-level annotation (lemma, POS, semantic tag), and transparent reporting of statistical thresholds to balance reliability with interpretive sensitivity. This corpus-led reading refines traditional critical accounts by providing reproducible evidence for semantic relations, and by demonstrating how lexico-semantic patterning contributes to affective and ideological effects. Implications extend to stylistics, postcolonial criticism, translation studies, and digital humanities: lexico-semantic mapping can reveal latent ideological structures, facilitate interdisciplinary dialogues, and inform future comparative and reception-based research on Conrad and colonial modernism. The study makes two contributions: empirically, it maps recurrent semantic expressions that strengthen Conrad’s rhetorical power to enable verification and extension by other researchers and pedagogy broadly. Keywords: Heart of Darkness; Lexico-semantic patterns; Thematic foregrounding; Voyant tools
Exploring Irish Nationalism as an Art of Resistance: Reconsidering Border, Identity, and Literature
Irish nationalism has long been intertwined with the cultural and literary fabric of the nation, functioning not only as a political ideology but as a creative force of resistance and identity formation. This study explores Irish nationalism through the lens of postcolonial and cultural theory, viewing it as a dynamic artistic practice that reflects the nation’s struggle for self-definition amid colonial oppression. Irish writers such as W. B. Yeats, James Joyce, and Seamus Heaney reimagined national identity by transforming historical trauma into artistic expression. Their works reveal how literature operated simultaneously as a weapon of resistance—challenging imperial narratives—and as a mirror of self-discovery, illuminating the complexities of Irish consciousness. The paper employs interpretive literary analysis to examine how myth, language, and memory serve as instruments of cultural reclamation. Yeats’s mythic nationalism, Joyce’s linguistic rebellion, and Heaney’s ethical reflection collectively illustrate the evolution of Irish identity from colonial subjugation to creative autonomy. Literature, in this sense, becomes a repository of collective memory and a site where the boundaries between politics and aesthetics blur. Ultimately, the study argues that Irish nationalism persists as a living art of resistance, continually redefined through the nation’s literary imagination. By tracing how writers reinterpret Irishness across generations, this research underscores the enduring power of art to challenge domination, preserve identity, and reshape the cultural and political contours of Ireland in a postcolonial world.
Mysticism in Ghani Khan and William Blake's Poetry: A Comparative Study
Mysticism refers to the attainment of insight into the ultimate or hidden truths and into the transformation of the human psyche from a superficial thinking and cognition to a much deeper view of the world and occurrences around us. Mysticism is an abundant theme in most of the poetry that exists, be it oriental or occidental literature. The current research has focused on the comparative study of Ghani Khan and William Blake’s poetry with respect to their mystic perceptions on divine love, human nature and beauty. Through the comparative study of the poems of the eastern poet Khan Abdul Ghani Khan and the western poet William Blake, the present research highlights mysticism as a prominent theme in the literary genre of poetry regardless of any distinction of geographical, social, cultural and religious boundaries. the present research is a comparative study and is conducted by thorough textual and thematic analysis of the selected poems of the two mystic poets with the aim to explore the theme of mysticism and all the aspects of their poetry which are them summed around the elements of mysticism. The present study has attempted to highlight the similarities and the contradictions in the poetry of the two poets in their usage and approach towards the themes surrounding mysticism. Findings reveal that poetry of both the poets is replete with mystic elements, and the themes of divine love, beauty and human nature, but both the poets’ treatment of these are quite different. Ghani khan’s poetry carries a casual air and his language usage around the theme of mysticism is quite light-hearted, simple, casual and sincere. On the other hand, William Blake’s language around the theme of mysticism is a bit difficult to interpret, and the elements through which mysticism shows through his poetry are also quite different from those of Ghani khan. Where Ghani khan sees the manifestation of God through human beauty, William Blake sees divinity through wrath and passion in the feelings of animate objects like human and animals. This study can help to further develop literary researchers’ insights and help them to identify themes in much more depth and with much more criticality. Key words: Mysticism, Divine Love, Beauty, God’s Reflection And Human Nature.
Stylistic Analysis of Personification and Narrative Voice in Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
The current paper explains how Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" employs the stylistic devices of personification and the development of a narrative voice in this potent examination of the nature of death. In order to identify the linguistic techniques employed to give the poem narrative and philosophical weight, the discussion text analyses diction, imagery, syntax, tone, and temporal organisation using pragmatic stylistics, narrative stylistics, and figurative language. These observations demonstrate how the author reimagines a terrifying idea by personifying Death as a graceful suitor who makes death seem like a noble journey rather than a terrible end. While she guides the reader through a figurative chronological timeline that resembles the stages of life, the retrospective first-person narration also conveys intimacy and authority. The point of view is elevated to transcend this world. This personification and narrative position actually eliminate the fear of deaths but also move the reader in a new dimension of accepting it, of having immortality and the quest of continuity after death. The paper shows that in her style, Dickinson does not merely express her thematic concern but redefines death without a panic state to enter eternity and shows how language can reconstruct, mediate and change human perception of death. Keywords: Personification, Death, stylistics, mortality, narrative, thematic expression
Exploring the Impact of Neuro-Linguistic Programming Meta Model Inquiries on Enhancing English Language Teaching Practices: A Case Study in Pakistan's Educational Context
This study examines the impact of NLP Meta Model inquiries on English Language Teaching (ELT) in Pakistan. This research investigates the impact of NLP methods on students’ interest in learning, motivation, and proficiency in speaking and writing in Pakistan. The method involved observing classes, conducting interviews with some teachers, and administering questionnaires to a sample group of students. It was found that using NLP Meta Model queries enabled teachers and students to work much more closely, promoting learning centered around the students and boosting their critical thinking and involvement. Many teachers observed better clarity of students’ thinking and improved skills in speaking and writing. Additionally, the students were more actively engaged and motivated in class, and they felt certain that they were improving their language skills. The results of the ANOVA again confirmed that the changes in education made a significant difference. NLP techniques could significantly enhance the outcomes and learning of students in Pakistani ELT if they are applied in teacher development and classrooms. Improving professional services through the use of the NLP Meta Model requires assessing the long-term benefits and expanding the study to rural areas.
From Anxiety to Autonomy: Examining Automated Feedback Systems Shape Reading Motivation and Emotional Engagement Worldwide
The automated feedback systems, spread worldwide through digital reading platforms, have not only changed access to education but have also not been insufficiently studied in terms of their effects on learner’s emotional and motivational pathways, especially their ability to transition anxiety to autonomy across cultures. The purpose of the study was to investigate the roles of AI-based feedback systems in shaping reading motivation, emotional involvement, and self-regulated autonomy among diverse learners worldwide. The study employed a quantitative pre-post experimental design with N = 500 adult participants of 10 countries, stratified by age, education, and culture region. For structured tasks, participants were randomly assigned to receive either personalized AI feedback or static reading material. Key measures included the Reading Anxiety Scale, Emotional Engagement Scale, Reading Motivation Questionnaire, and the Perceived Autonomy Index. Findings showed that automated feedback significantly reduced reading anxiety and increased emotional engagement, with effects persisting at four-week follow-up. Cultural individualism mediated autonomy gains more strongly, revealing 81.5% more effects in western samples. Personalization intensity accounted for 31.2% of the variance in intrinsic motivation, and biometric integration doubled the mediated interaction between anxiety and autonomy. These results support a Dynamic Anxiety-to-Autonomy Continuum Model, where culturally adaptive, physiologically responsive AI serves as a driving force for equitable reading development. The findings imply the need for inclusive edtech tool design and a research approach that is longitudinal and multimodal to maximize global learning outcomes. Keywords: Affective Computing, Anxiety, Cultural Moderation, Automated Feedback Systems, Emotional Engagement, Reading Motivation, Self-Determination Theory, Global Education,
Examining Context-Based Assessment Approaches for Enhancing English Language Learning in Pakistani Higher Education
The incorporation of authentic and meaningful assessment practices in English language teaching and learning has been widely recognized in second language acquisition and pedagogy as essential for promoting effective language development. The present study investigates the pedagogical benefits of integrating authentic assessment tasks into a university-level English language course in Pakistan, conducted through a blended learning mode. Undergraduate students from intermediate and advanced proficiency levels collaborated with peers and trained mentors to complete assessment tasks designed around real-life communicative contexts, reflecting the core elements of authenticity. Data were collected from multiple sources, including students’ written tasks, reflective journals, semi-structured interviews, and online discussion forums. Findings indicate that, despite certain implementation challenges, the integration of authentic assessment practices significantly enhanced students’ communicative competence, learner autonomy, and motivation. The study concludes with practical recommendations for educators and policymakers on how to effectively embed authentic, context-based assessments into ESL curricula within Pakistani higher education institutions.
The Effect of AI-Generated Texts on the Internal Grammar Formation of L2 English Learners
The extensive use of AI-generated texts, chiefly those manufactured by bulky language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, is swiftly renovating second language (L2) learning settings. These tools are gradually used for reading, writing aid, grammar modification, and vocabulary acquisition. However, their influence on the internal grammar formation—the involuntary grammatical acquaintance system that inspires fluent language use—remains underexplored. Drawing on second language acquisition (SLA) theories such as the Input Hypothesis, Noticing Hypothesis, and Usage-Based Learning, the current study explores how exposure to AI-generated texts may affect L2 English learners' acquisition of grammatical structures. A proposed mixed-method study is introduced, designed to compare learners showed to AI-generated in competition with human-authored texts. Results from preceding and hypothetical findings suggest AI texts may improve accuracy in frequent grammatical structures, but lack of linguistic variability may hinder acquisition of complex or irregular patterns. This paper concludes with pedagogical recommendations and a discussion of implications for SLA theory in the AI era. Keywords: L2 learners, AI-generated texts, grammar acquisition, internal grammar, ChatGPT, SLA
A Corpus-Based Analysis of Colloquial Language and Nature Imagery in the Poetry of Robert Frost
This paper investigates the lexical and thematic qualities to be observed in seven selected poems of Robert Frost: “The Road Not Taken”,“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”,“MendingWall”“Birches”,“AfterApple-Picking”, “Fireand Ice”,and “Nothing Gold Can Stay”.A qualitative and corpus study of the methods employed by Frost in the use of natural imagery, conversational diction and symbolic contrast to portray man in his natural environment, showing complex emotions and philosophic ideas. The results of the study show that Frost delivers his literary messages in simple colloquial language, handing his reader universal themes such as choice, duty, isolation, desire, transiency and the search for meaning. Poetic diction, nevertheless, is easily recognisable and is marked by everyday words, rhythmic balance, and subtle tonal changes, creating a domestic and realistic atmosphere. Nature functions as both a literal and symbolic framework, revealing Frost’s view of life as a cycle of growth,decay,andrenewal.The frequent use of binaries such as Fire and Ice,earth and heaven,and gold and grief highlights his contemplation of moral and emotional dualities. The study also finds that Frost’s style merges classical restraint with modern introspection, making his poetry accessible yet intellectually layered. By analysing linguistic choices and thematic patterns, this research affirms Frost’s position as a poet who unites simplicity with depth, emotion with intellect, and nature with human experience. His poetry remains an enduring reflection on the beauty and fragility of existence, capturing the delicate balance between the external world and the inner life of the human spirit.
Role of Resilience in Enhancing Students’ Academic Performance and Psychological Well-Being at University Level
Resilience plays a vital role in enhancing students’ academic performance and psychological well-being by enabling them to adapt positively to academic stress and life challenges. It fosters persistence, motivation, and effective coping strategies that contribute to better learning outcomes. Students with higher resilience demonstrate stronger emotional balance, self-efficacy, and overall mental health, which support sustained academic success. The objectives of the study were to find the level of Resilience in Enhancing Students’ Academic Performance and Psychological Well-Being, and to determine the effect and relationship among Resilience, Students’ Academic Performance and Psychological Well-Being at University Level. The present study employed a quantitative research design using the survey method. The population of the study comprised all universities in Lahore, which include a total of 39 universities (both public and private). A multistage sampling technique was adopted. A structured questionnaire was developed as the main research instrument. To ensure content validity, the questionnaire was reviewed by a panel of education experts and university professors, who evaluated the items for clarity, relevance, and alignment with the study’s objectives. The collected data were coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics (Mean and Standard Deviation) and inferential statistics, including multivariate analysis and Pearson correlation, were employed to interpret the data. The results revealed a strong positive relationship between resilience, academic performance (r = .629, p < .01), and psychological well-being (r = .691, p < .01), indicating that higher resilience is associated with better academic and emotional outcomes. Moreover, MANOVA results confirmed a significant effect of resilience on both academic performance (R² = .222) and psychological well-being (R² = .176), demonstrating that resilience substantially contributes to students’ success and mental health at the university level. Keywords: Resilience, Students’ Academic Performance, Psychological Well-Being, University Level https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17471307
Exploring Aspects of Absurdism in Albert Camus's novel The Stranger
The Stranger as an absurd novel, consists widely of life difficulties in human senseless existence. It also suggests that how to compete with absurdity and learn to know living in it till death. The protagonist, Meursault, being a strange person to his society and his own existence in this absurd universe, how lives his life through absurdity and faces multiple challenges owing to his indifferent attitudes at the funeral of Maman and in the court. So, the main concentration of this paper is to study the minor absurd elements that are represented through plenty of dialogues and usage of different symbols in the novel. Life is a dynamic process of effort but unfortunately, human all actions and elbow greases are in vain. Eventually, the inevitability of death, confrontation between absurd and human struggle to live is highlighted with the recurring death events broadly with easy explanation and argumentations.
Instagram Stories as Literature: Narrative, Audience, and Form in Social Media Storytelling
In this paper, we will discuss Instagram Stories as a specific style of digital storytelling with its narrative patterns, interactions with the audience, and differences with other social media networks, along with the standard models of short narrative that are flash fiction and diaries. The paper utilises a qualitative content analysis method to analyse Instagram Storeys shared between March and May 2023 as a form of analysis of the essential elements of narrative, thus including plot, character, and interactivity of the audience. The overall result indicates that Instagram Stories are distinguished by their fusion of brevity, multimodality, and interactivity, creating a dynamic, participatory narrative experience flow. Contrary to sites such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter/X, the presence of multimedia and interactive tools in Instagram enables more complex and flexible storytelling. Furthermore, the work demonstrates how Instagram Stories have additional features that are standard to traditional communicative narratives as they focus on conciseness and self-expression. Finally, this study reveals how Instagram stories redesigned digital storytelling, which explains how social media is changing the purpose of narration building. Keywords: Instagram Stories, Online Storytelling, Analysis of Narratives, Social Media Networks, User Engagement, Flash Fiction, Diaries, Multimodality, Interactivity, Comparative Analysis.
Hybrid Identities and Colonial Power: Negotiating Selfhood in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Afterlives
This study investigates the impact of German colonial power structures on the identities of marginalised individuals in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s novel Afterlives (2020). It explores how colonial hierarchies, cultural displacement, and patriarchal oppression shaped fractured identities, while also highlighting the strategies of resilience and resistance that emerged within East African communities under German colonialism. Employing a qualitative methodology, the study applies close reading and thematic analysis, framed by Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism and Homi K. Bhabha’s theories of mimicry and hybridity. The analysis demonstrates that Ilyas’ tragic assimilation reflects the ambivalence of mimicry, Hamza’s selective retention of cultural identity illustrates the transformative potential of hybridity, and Afiya’s perseverance reveals the intersectionality of gendered oppression and agency in colonial contexts. Ultimately, the study argues that while colonial power fragmented subjectivities, it also opened possibilities for cultural reclamation and resistance, providing new insights into the psychological and cultural consequences of imperialism in postcolonial literature. Keywords: Abdulrazak Gurnah, Afterlives, German colonialism, Orientalism, mimicry, hybridity, identity, resistance, postcolonial literature, East Africa
Hybridity and Resistance in the Selected Works of Abdulrazak Gurnah and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: A Comparative Analysis
This study examines the interrelated themes of hybridity and resistance in the selected works of Abdulrazak Gurnah and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, situating both authors within the broader discourse of postcolonial African literature. While Gurnah’s narratives often foreground the ambivalent negotiations of identity under colonial and diasporic conditions, Ngũgĩ’s fiction is rooted in the politics of linguistic and cultural reclamation in the wake of imperial domination. Drawing upon Homi K. Bhabha’s concepts of hybridity and mimicry alongside theories of cultural resistance, the research undertakes a comparative textual analysis of selected novels by both writers. The analysis reveals that Gurnah presents hybridity as a contested but potentially transformative site where fractured identities seek negotiation and renewal, whereas Ngũgĩ frames resistance as an uncompromising act of cultural assertion through language, memory, and collective struggle. Together, their works demonstrate how African literature both critiques the enduring legacies of colonialism and imagines alternative possibilities for cultural survival and self-determination. By juxtaposing Gurnah’s exploration of diasporic subjectivities with Ngũgĩ’s advocacy for decolonization through language, this study highlights the diverse strategies African writers employ to articulate resistance and resilience in the face of imperial power. Keywords: Hybridity, Resistance, Postcolonial Literature, Identity Formation, Cultural Negotiation, Mimicry, Decolonization, African Literature
Enhancing English Language Teaching through Technological Tools and Collaborative Approaches
English Language Teaching (ELT) in Pakistan faces persistent challenges due to large class sizes, limited resources, and diverse learner backgrounds. This study explores how technology and collaborative learning can address these gaps and improve teaching outcomes. Using a qualitative research design, the experiences of Pakistani educators and students were gathered through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom observations. Traditional methods of instruction often struggle to engage learners and meet varied needs. However, the integration of technological advancements such as mobile-based language learning apps, virtual classrooms, and multimedia tools has the potential to enhance accessibility, personalize instruction, and encourage active participation. Furthermore, collaborative learning practices, including project-based tasks and online discussion forums, help develop essential skills such as critical thinking, communication, and teamwork within the Pakistani context. This paper draws on successful local case studies and examines both the benefits and challenges of applying these strategies in Pakistani classrooms. Findings highlight the transformative potential of technology and collaboration in ELT, offering context-specific recommendations for educators and policymakers to adopt these innovative approaches effectively.
Analyzing Positive and Negative Effects of Slang in Family Guy
This qualitative research aims to explore positive and negative effects of the slang used in the series “Family Guy”. The focus of the study is to identify and categorize the slang into different types based on the function they perform in an utterance, and the effect they have on the listeners. The study also examines the origin of the slang and the connotation associated with it. The review of the literature delves into the other relevant researches in the area of slang, considering the input of contemporary use and effects of it. It offers an insight into the etymology and various word formations that evolved during years. For analysis, the data are triangulated through a theoretical framework of a theory of effects of slang by Swanson and Golden (2010). The qualitative approach is adopted as research design. The data are analyzed through the postulates of the applied framework. On the basis of the findings, it was concluded that the slang used in Family Guy show is mainly negative and associated with vulgar connotations.
Closing the Gap in Corpus Linguistics: Introducing a Groundbreaking Multimodal Corpus of Informal Digital English, Encompassing Texts, Emojis, And Voice Notes
Mainstream English corpora, such as the British National Corpus (BNC) and the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), predominantly focus on edited prose and formal speech. This limited approach creates a critical gap in our understanding of everyday informal digital English, particularly in the dynamic interaction between text, emojis, and short voice notes. This paper decisively addresses this gap by proposing the design of an ethically sourced, balanced, and richly annotated multimodal corpus that thoroughly captures private-by-default digital conversations, particularly those occurring in messaging apps and group chats where English is utilized. This research provides an exhaustive review of existing corpus-linguistic methodologies and establishes robust design principles for sampling, anonymization, and multimodal annotation. Furthermore, it introduces comprehensive analytical pipelines aimed at examining lexis, pragmatics, sentiment, discourse moves, and phonetic-pragmatic features in voice notes. The study precisely formulates research questions and hypotheses, presents a reproducible methodology that includes comprehensive data governance and Institutional Review Board (IRB)-ready protocols, and delineates a meticulous evaluation plan. The proposed corpus, EDDE (English Digital Discourse & Emoji), is specifically engineered to: (i) model emojis and text as co-expressive units; (ii) operationalize pragmatic functions such as stance, politeness, and mitigation; (iii) capture prosodic correlates of stance in voice notes; and (iv) provide essential insights for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a second Language (ESL) learners. This endeavor will significantly advance both fundamental and applied corpus linguistics, closing the crucial multimodality gap in the field. Keywords: Corpus Linguistics, English digital discourse, Emoji, voice note, Text, digital corpus design, informal English.
Subtitling Tauntive Expressions in Pakistani Drama: A Pragmatic Analysis
This study explores the translation of sarcastic speech acts in the English subtitles of the Pakistani Urdu drama Chaudhary and Sons, with a focus on tauntive expressions. Sarcasm, mockery, and verbal irony are essential components of character interaction and humor in Urdu dialogues. They often present significant challenges in subtitle translation due to cultural specificity and pragmatic complexity. Drawing on Speech Act Theory, particularly the concepts of locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts, this research examines how tauntive expressions function in the source text and how their tone and communicative intent are preserved, altered, or lost in translation. The analysis reveals a consistent pattern of pragmatic dilution, where sarcasm is often transformed into neutral or factual statements. This article advocates for increased sensitivity to illocutionary force and cultural context in subtitle translation, particularly when addressing tauntive and performative language in audiovisual media. Keywords: Subtitle Translation, Sarcastic Speech Acts, Tauntive Expressions, Speech Act Theory, Urdu Drama.
International Testing Agencies: A Comparative Analysis of Global Assessment Practices
This study explores how international testing agencies and large-scale testing influence accountability, educational quality, and student adaptability. This study compares the performance of agencies such as Educational Testing Service (ETS), Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), the National Testing Agency of India (NTA), and the China Gaokao system to worldwide benchmark tests such as PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS. A qualitative comparative study design was applied, including secondary sources (institutional reports, peer-reviewed publications, and global evaluation databases). Thematic data analysis revealed parallels and contrasts in governance structures, technology integration, psychometric consistency, transparency, and influence on international policy. The discoveries show that whereas the agencies such as ETS, UCAS place a premium on psychometric validity, and centralized efficiency, others such as NTA, Gaokao call on the reputation of large-scale national testing, but remain confronted by evenhandedness and impartiality. International tests such as PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS offer international standards but may be biased and excessively standardized. The paper concludes that international testing agencies play a vital role in education reform in the world, but should strike a balance between standardization and inclusiveness to achieve fair results. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17313760
Narratives of Therapy and Trauma: Representations of Mental Health in Contemporary Pakistani Fiction
This paper examines how contemporary Pakistani Anglophone fiction represents trauma, therapy, repression, and healing, focusing on Uzma Aslam Khan’s The Geometry of God, Bina Shah’s Before She Sleeps, and Mohammed Hanif’s A Case of Exploding Mangoes. Using trauma theory (Cathy Caruth; Dominick LaCapra) alongside psychological criticism, the study asks whether these novels normalize clinical therapy, treat it with suspicion, or refigure therapeutic practice in culturally specific ways. Through close readings and comparative thematic analysis, I show that formal strategies—silence and fragmentation in Khan, dystopian collectivities in Shah, and satire in Hanif—function as alternative modalities of psychic negotiation. Rather than foregrounding institutional psychiatry, the texts stage therapy as (1) protective silence that doubles as psychic injury; (2) clandestine relational practices that approximate working-through; and (3) humor and parody that operate as communal coping mechanisms. The paper argues that while Caruth’s notion of belated trauma and LaCapra’s acting-out/working-through remain analytically useful, they require cultural calibration: testimony and clinical recovery are not universally available or desirable in contexts marked by stigma, honor politics, and authoritarian risk. By situating these novels within both global trauma studies and Pakistan’s socio-cultural landscape, the study contributes a pluralistic framework for reading literary therapies—one that recognizes silence, solidarity, and satire as legitimate, politically inflected forms of healing. The paper concludes with suggestions for interdisciplinary work linking literary analysis to culturally sensitive mental-health practice.
Acting-Out and Working-Through: A LaCaprian Analysis of Trauma in Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe’s legendary novel Things Fall Apart is more than a story of colonial devastation; it is a meditation on the wounds that refuse to fade. As first advocated by Freud and later interpreted by LaCapra, trauma is not confined to a single moment. It lingers, recurs, and disrupts until it is compulsively acted out or consciously worked through. This paper situates Achebe’s novel within this framework of Dominick LaCapra and examines how trauma is inherited, reenacted, and sometimes transformed. While previous scholarship has analyzed Okonkwo’s psychology and the distortion of Igbo culture by colonizers, none has explicitly applied LaCapra’s ideas on the novel. Through close reading and engagement with LaCapra’s concepts of acting out and working through, this paper explores Okonkwo’s obsession with his father’s perceived weakness, which traps him in the constant cycle of repetition, collapsing the distinction between past and present. In contrast, Nwoye drives himself away from this inherited trauma, signaling towards the tentative but essential path of healing. Ultimately, this study argues that Things Fall Apart dramatizes the haunting persistence of trauma and also hints at the possibility of healing. Keywords: Trauma, Acting out, Working through, LaCapra, Achebe.
Linguistic Choices and Relevance of Essays Generated Through AI Tools: A Corpus-Assisted Analysis
This study aims to identify AI-based linguistic choices in various text types within the academic genre and to investigate the relevance of AI-generated text in performing the communicative function across informative and persuasive texts, employing a corpus-assisted mixed-methods research paradigm. The corpus for this study comprises AI-generated essays, classified into informative and persuasive text types within the academic genre. It uses Lexical Specificity by Hyland (2009) as a theoretical framework to synthesise the findings. The study's findings reveal that although AI generates genre-compatible content, a significant linguistic deviation from norms has been found in both the selected text types of the academic genre. However, AI tools generate more relevant content in informative writing than in persuasive writing, as evidenced by text-type-compatible linguistic choices. Thus, the study concludes on the reliability of the AI-generated content in informative writing within the academic domain. The study's findings could help developers enhance the outputs of such tools in the future, enabling them to be utilised by students in the academic domain, particularly in linguistics. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Corpus Linguistics, Linguistic Choices, Academics, Genre Analysis https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17328655
A Critical Discourse Analysis of Capitalist Ideology in Pakistan’s KFC Instagram Ads
The study aimed to analyze the linguistic and multimodal features of KFC Instagram selected advertisements to understand how KFC reinforces capitalist ideology within KFC Pakistan’s Instagram advertisements posted on 1st March 2025. Two culturally significant advertisements from 1st March, 2025, were selected through purpose based sampling. They were analyzed to uncover how linguistic choices, visual elements, and branding strategies promote consumerism, convenience, and brand loyalty within Pakistani context. Norman Fairclough’s Three Dimensional Model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was used to explore the interplay of language, imagery, and socio cultural discourse in influencing consumer perceptions and reinforcing market ideologies. Findings reveal that KFC constructs consumer desire through emotionally charged language, commodifies local traditions by integrating familiar elements like “Zingeratha” and “Karak Chai”. Also, it uses religious occasions such as Ramadan for commercial gain. Multimodal imagery and strategic use of brand logos and culturally resonant symbols further increase consumer engagement. Keywords: Critical Discourse Analysis, Capitalism, Advertising, KFC Pakistan, Instagram, Consumerism, Fairclough, Multimodal Discourse, Globalization, Ramadan. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17329252
Deforming Tendencies in the English Translation of Preemchand’s Kafan by Reeck and Ahmad: An Analytical Study
This study investigates the changes that occurred due to the translation of the original text (ST) of the short story Kafan, composed by Munshi Premchand in 1936. This story, originally composed in Urdu, focuses on the bleak realities of poverty and the struggles of the lower class in Indian society. The English version analyzed in this study is The Shroud, translated by Matt Reeck and Aftab Ahmad in 2004. Through a close reading technique and a qualitative approach, the study investigates selected passages from the English translation to identify deforming tendencies. The analysis reveals that certain deformities occurred in terms of syntax and semantics during the translation process. These shifts impact the stylistic and semantic unity of the source text. According to the theory of deforming tendencies by Antoine Berman (1985), translation often results in changes that reduce the beauty and spirit of the original text. The researchers found that the translator adopted many deforming tendencies to make the translation appear more admirable and clarified. In total, seven deforming tendencies were identified in this study including rationalization, clarification, ennoblement, expansion, the destruction of underlying networks of signification, quantitative impoverishment, and the destruction of linguistic patterning. The study analyzed these deforming tendencies and identified specific linguistic forms, including words, phrases, and sentences. Keywords: Munshi Premchand, Kafan, Matt Reeck and Aftab Ahmad, Translation studies, Deforming tendencies. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17361289
Exploring the Role of Peer Assessment and Digital Literacy as Tactics to Improve Reading Proficiency among ESL Students
In the 21st century, digital literacy is a vital skill for university students, yet many Pakistani ESL learners still face difficulties using online learning tools effectively, which affects their reading proficiency and engagement. This study investigates the impact of peer assessment-based digital literacy on the reading competency and engagement of ESL students in Pakistani universities. Using a quasi-experimental design, two groups of students were selected through cluster random sampling, with 30 participants in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. Data were collected through post-tests and a questionnaire, and analyzed using One-way ANOVA and MANOVA in SPSS 26.0. The results revealed that peer assessment-based digital literacy significantly improved both reading proficiency and engagement among ESL students. The combined effect suggests that integrating digital literacy with peer assessment enhances reading outcomes and active learning. The study emphasizes the importance of incorporating such strategies in higher education and recommends further research on learner motivation and institutional support.
The Weight of Quiet Grief: Intergenerational Trauma in Lahiri’s “The Third and Final Continent”
To explore how intergenerational grief colors the migrant experience, this essay re-reads Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Third and Final Continent” through the lenses of trauma theory and the concept of post memory. Through careful silences, muted feelings, and jagged recollections, the story reveals the long reach of inherited and personal wounds, even as it outwardly tracks a Bengali immigrant’s orderly and outwardly successful ascent into American life. Drawing on Marianne Hirsch’s (1997) formulation of postmemory as the felt inheritance of parental trauma and Cathy Caruth’s (1996) argument that trauma eludes complete narrativisation, the analysis argues that Lahiri’s narrator carries, almost without knowing it, the unspeakable grief of his parents’ uprooting and colonial dislodgement, a grief that interfaces constantly with his own uncertain self and his tentative domestic life. This argument explicates Lahiri's favoring of subtle, non-stunning techniques—focalization shift, subtle details, the silence after the absence of accessible memory—over the overt showing of pain, thereby suggesting that the migrant's belief in a new start nevertheless holds under the inaudible knowing of inherited loss. The paper will engage with broader conversations about diasporic writing, the politics of cultural memory, and trans-generational trauma transmission via an, generally, contemporary trauma theory reading of Lahiri’s narrative.
A Morpho-Phonological Study of Inflectional Morphemes in English: The Case of Pakistani ESL Learners
This study investigates the morpho-phonological patterns of inflectional morphemes in English as produced by Pakistani ESL learners, focusing on short stories "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson and "Clearing in the Sky" by Jesse Stuart. Utilizing Chomsky and Halle’s (1968) generative phonology framework, the analysis examines assimilation processes influencing pronunciation. Results reveal that progressive assimilation, where the final phoneme of a base word shapes the articulation of inflectional morphemes, is predominant. For instance, voiced consonants in words like "eye" (/aɪ/ → /aɪz/) and "halve" (/hɑːv/ → /hɑːvz/) trigger voiced realizations of the plural morpheme "-s," while voiceless consonants in "chop" (/tʃɒp/ → /tʃɒps/) and "moment" (/ˈməʊmənt/ → /ˈməʊmənts/) result in voiceless articulations. Similar patterns occur with possessive "-'s" and third-person singular "-s" morphemes. These findings underscore the importance of understanding phonological assimilation for Pakistani ESL learners to achieve accurate pronunciation and natural speech. The study offers insights for educators to design targeted pronunciation curricula addressing these morpho-phonological challenges.
Style in fiction: A Stylistic Analysis of Historical Novel A Season for Martyrs ByBina Shah
Abstract: Stylistics is a modern critical approach that analyses and evaluates a piece of work with the tools, techniques and methods used in linguistics. The present study is a stylistics analysis of The Season for Martyrs (2014), a novel written by Bina Shah, a renowned Pakistani contemporary writer who has made a significant contribution in modern Pakistani English Literature. The selected novel shifts between past and present, depicting history, culture and politics in Sindh through a variety of characters. The main theme of the novel is love for motherland. Those who love their motherland and its people and are ready to sacrifice their lives are martyrs. The stylistics analysis has been carried out with the application of Leech and Short model (2007). It consists of four extensive categories i.e. Lexical categories, Grammatical Categories, Figures of Speech and Cohesion and Context. The study reveals that the apt usage of vocabulary along with figures of speech, local and foreign words and narrative style used by the novelist performs a key function in contributing towards the plot of the fiction. Shah has triumphantly dealt with the nationalistic tone through her extraordinary grip over the selection of vocabulary and patterns which otherwise could have been a challenging task to cope with.
Persuasive Strategies in Religious Discourse: A Pragmatic Analysis of Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza’s Lectures
The religious discourse is a critical tool of persuasion, as the beliefs are shaped and the authority is built. Amidst the emergence of digital preaching, rhetoric approaches have taken a new form in new communicative settings. Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza in Pakistan has become well known in his rational and reformist lectures which prompts an enquiry into the linguistic processes involved in his persuasive appeal. This study seeks to establish the key pragmatic measures used by Engineer Mirza in his religious talks and discusses how the pragmatic measures create authority and credibility in his lectures. Based on the Rhetorical Theory of Aristotle, this qualitative study uses reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2019) on chosen lectures in Urdu language on YouTube. The themes considered in the analysis are the themes on ethos, logos and pathos in the lectures of Mirza. The findings indicate that the persuasion of Mirza is based on the use of rational argumentation (logos), moral integrity (ethos) and moderate emotional appeal (pathos) which allows his presentation of intellectual credibility and spiritual authenticity. The study emphasizes the fact that Aristotelian appeals are still useful in online religious, which complements the knowledge on persuasive pragmatics in contemporary Islamic communication.
The Perceptions of ChatGPT and Academic Integrity among Teachers: A Case Study of University Faculty in Pakistan
The present study examines the use of ChatGPT and its impact on academic honesty by university teachers. It uses the Uses and Gratifications Theory to investigate the perspectives of teachers regarding the use of ChatGPT, its potential overreliance, and the effects it has on academic stability. Data were gathered by applying qualitative design methods in which semi-structured interviews with purposely chosen teachers of universities were conducted and analyzed thematically. The results show that educators view ChatGPT as an effective learning resource that helps to optimize work and facilitate the teaching and research processes. They however raise concerns regarding overdependence on AI by students, lack of critical thinking, and threats to originality and authenticity. Respondents note that not only is ethical training required, but also institutional policies are necessary to help guide the responsible use of AI. The paper concludes that ChatGPT can be used intelligently in the academic field- innovation with maintaining academic integrity and trust. Keywords: ChatGPT, scholastic dishonesty, perception of educators, artificial intelligence, higher education.
International Climate Change Regime and Pakistan’s Response: Post-Paris Agreement
This paper examines the response of Pakistan to the issue of climate change following the Paris Agreement. It addresses the impact that the country has on climate risk as a security threat and its implication on its policies. The methods used were interviews and reading of the main policy documents. We evaluated the correspondence of the plans of Pakistan the National Climate Change Policy, 2012 and its 2021 revision with the expectations of the world and the needs of Pakistan. We discovered that Pakistan has done nice progress in initiating policy and preparation to climate change but still has huge challenges in implementing the same. These are the problems of inadequate funds, the issue of weak institutions and the interdepartmental lack of coordination between government policies. The research explains that in order to be effective, Pakistan requires stronger institutions, improved money alternatives, and political determination. Keywords: Climate Change, Pakistan, Paris Agreement, Securitization, Climate Policy, Adaptation Strategies
The Role of ChatGPT in Enhancing Pakistani ESL Learners’ Writing Skills
Artificial intelligence (AI) in education is a part of the ongoing development process, and its latest chatbot, ChatGPT is a part of it. This research investigates the role of ChatGPT in enhancing ESL learners' writing skills by addressing the following three main goals: (1) To find out the main perceptions of ESL learners to determine ChatGPT’s usefulness in enhancing their writing skills,(2) To investigate the ESL learners’ perceptions of ChatGPT’s ease of use in improving their writing skills among undergraduate ESL students, and (3) To measure the extent of ESL learners’ intention to use ChatGPT as a tool for enhancing their writing skills and to investigate the manifestation of this intention in actual use. Using cluster sampling technique, quantitative data were collected from 120 students of the University of Malakand (UOM) through a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Employing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the findings indicate a discrepancy between students' perceptions of ChatGPT and their real interactions with it. A lack of new technology literacy and inadequate application advice, low confidence, lack of awareness are attributed to it. The results of this study reveal challenges in adopting ChatGPT as a writing assistant and inform instructional strategies in ESL. Keywords: ChatGPT, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), writing skill
The Role of Language in Social Stratification: Examining How Language Affects Social Identity
In this study, the researcher has explored the role of language in shaping social class divisions and how language, through accents, dialects, and vocabulary choices, influences perceptions of class status in modern societies. Basedon Identity Negotiation Theory of Ting-Toomey, (2015), this research investigates how individuals use language as a tool for negotiating social identity, managing power dynamics and sometimes social hierarchy in everyday interactions. In addition to it, the study aims to answer two research questions: (1) What role does language play in the creation and maintenance of social class divisions in modern societies? and (2) How do accents, dialects, and vocabulary choices influence perceptions of class status? Moreover, data for this study was gathered through interviews with a diverse sample of individuals from different social classes, that provided a rich source of real-life examples of social stratification. The findings showed that language significantly contributes to social stratification, with accents and dialects work as markers of social class. The study also shows how individuals modify their language on the basis of context, such as shifting from formal speech in professional settings to informal language with friends. The research also highlights the continuing power of language in reinforcing class distinctions. It suggests that some individuals influenced by cultural, social, and educational factors, strive to change their language to align themselves with higher social classes. Furthermore, this paper actually contributes to the current discourse on language and social stratification and offer insights into how language shapes our understanding of class identity in both local and global contexts.
A Postcolonial Study of the Train as a Vibrational Force of Identity, Culture, and Hybridity in Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan
This paper examines how the train is used as a symbol of vibrating force that shapes and disrupts identity, culture, and hybridity through a postcolonial lens. In Train to Pakistan (Singh, 1956), the train is not only a mode of transportation but also a carrier of mixed identity and cultural hybridity. It is employed as a metaphor for the transformation and deconstruction of various communal identities, owing to the movement of passengers from different communities in the same train. The train carries Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus, following the same route with multiple mindsets and ideas between Faqiranwalla and Mano Majra. The main purpose of this research is to illustrate how the train, as a postcolonial metaphor, becomes both a unifying and dividing force. It brings together identities and cultures into shared spaces, while at the same time exposing the ruptures and traumas that Partition created. The study revolves around how the involvement of powerful outsiders plays a vital role in shaping the identities and cultures of these communities. It also highlights the trauma vibrating back and forth during the Partition between Muslims and Hindus. The train plays a vital role in harmony and disharmony of various communities. Although, with the passage of time, these trains turned into destructive forces. The train turning highlights the destruction with emergence of modernity. Key terms: Culture; Hybridity; Identity; Train; Transformation