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
The Myth of Womanhood and the Politics of Otherness: A Feminist Critique of No Honor and Someone Like Her
Gender is an inevitable part of our daily life that is not biological but rather socially and culturally constructed. Simone de Beauvoir states, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” (Beauvoir, p.15, 1949). The current study aimed to examine the portrayal of the myth of womanhood and otherness in Pakistani fictional literature, with a focus on Khan’s No Honor (2021) and Someone Like Her (2023). Beauvoir’s theory of gender construction is used. The study has explored how the selected novels depict the secondary status of women and gendered expectations such as submissiveness, purity, subservience, and domesticity within a patriarchal society in the Pakistani context. A qualitative research method is adopted. Through a close reading of the texts, the research has analyzed how the constructed ideologies regarding the female gender, such as myths of womanhood and the concept of otherness, shape women’s lives. It is found that Pakistani society is a patriarchal society where women are positioned as an inessential other and restricted to certain roles that deprive them of agency. Under the burden of these expectations, women live a marginalized and suppressed life. The analysis broadens the existing knowledge of the feminist critique of gender stereotypes in South Asian literature. Moreover, it demonstrates how Pakistani contemporary fiction reframes new perspectives on gender roles with time. This research asserts that Pakistani society is saturated with masculine privileges. In the future, scholars can extend this analysis to women’s writing. A comparative analysis would reveal whether male and female authors view gender issues differently in their narratives.
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HUMAN AI INTERACTION THROUGH A PSYCHOLOGICAL LENS: EMOTIONS, COGNITION, AND BEHAVIOUR
The growing application of artificial intelligence (AI) in personal, social, and work life has fundamentally changed people's interaction with technology. AI has come to be much more than simply a tool; AI now fills a near social duty reflected in emotion, decision making, and communication. From a psychological angle, this study looks at human AI interaction, emphasising the dynamic interplay among feeling, cognition, and behaviour. These develop user interest in artificial intelligence. Using insights from cognitive psychology, affective science, and human computer interaction studies, this article looks at the ways users create meaning, establish trust, and bargain control when using artificial intelligence systems. The emotional dimension of this life discusses how emotions in the form of trust, empathy, fear and anxiety develop in relation to AI systems particularly in sensitive contexts such as healthcare, education and finance. The cognitive dimension of this work focuses on attention, perception, reasoning and adaptive learning that contribute to how and for how long users are able to interpret or reconstruct algorithmic decision making in relation to their personal expectations. The behavioural layer considers user patterns of adoption, resistance, and long term use of AI, particularly as they reflect socio-psychological consequences of continued interaction with AI and technology whilst highlighting the dynamic interaction between humans and artificial systems in which human psychological states interact with systems use, as well as AI taking into consideration the emotional state of the user. The study also takes into account the ethical and societal ramifications of human AI interaction, which includes dangers of dependency or excessive reliance, cognitive offloading (which could allow the AI to perform entire tasks for the user), and disengagement or emotional distance, as well as the benefits of empowerment, efficiency, and personal, tailored support. It discusses ethical design principles, the importance of transparency in algorithmic decision making, and building user trust through human centric and empathic interfaces. Some practical suggestions for policymakers, designers, and stakeholders are provided to minimise harm and enhance psychological well-being through AI integration. In summary, the current study contributes to the growing academic research in this area, examining the user's psychology in understanding the interplay of emotion, cognition, and behaviour into human AI interaction. The gap in understanding the user's psychology contributes to human knowledge of AI as it relates to ethical considerations in human AI interaction, and it also has implications for creating this technology AI interaction and experience in practice.
TEACHER AGENCY AND CURRICULUM ADAPTATION IN HIGH-STAKES TESTING ENVIRONMENTS: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY IN EAST ASIAN EFL CONTEXTS
This study has explored teacher agency and curriculum modification in high-stakes testing settings in East Asian EFL settings. Using narrative inquiry and quantitative survey as research methods, the study investigated how 180 EFL teachers in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan overcame curriculum limitation and professional autonomy. All the data were collected online using structured questionnaires (n=168), semi-structured Zoom interviews (n=15), reflective journals, and digital artifacts within a period of six months. The SPSS quantitative analysis indicated that there was a significant difference in the agency levels between countries, positive moderate relation between teaching experience and the frequency of curriculum adaptation. The qualitative analysis by utilizing the narrative framework by Clandinin and Connelly found that there are six main themes, including strategic compliance, creative resistance, assessment-driven pedagogy, collaborative adaptation, contextual constraints, and professional identity negotiation. Results found that teachers adopted a variety of approaches to strike a balance between testing requirements and pedagogical ideology and commonly adjusted curricula by making micro-level choices on a macro-level scale. The researchers established that teacher agency was a continuum and not a dichotomy, and it was determined by the support of the institution, the cooperation of colleagues, and cultural norms. Findings also assist in comprehending how EFL teachers can preserve professional identity in the context of working with constraining testing regimes which can serve policy makers and educators working in the same settings.
Bridging the Lexical Overlap for Disambiguation of Meaning in English Language: An Empirical Lexicographic Study
As a lingua franca of the world, English language has a high degree of lexical ambiguity based on homophones, homographs, and homonyms, thus offering cognitive, pedagogical, and academic problems. This inquiry puts forward a regulated system of lexical reform proposing to incorporate etymological tracing, phonological distinctiveness, morphological transparency, semantic distinctiveness, borrow-ability and pedagogical evident-ness to systematically eliminate lexical ambiguity. The history of the English language shows that it has been developed through the continuous introduction of new words, which is testified by Shakespeare, Milton, Dickens, and Carroll. Suggested lexical replacements, such as using script instead of write, plumb instead of metal lead, and rive instead of river bank, attest to the ability of guided reform to reduce cognitive load, facilitate the learning of English, better access to lexis, and academic accuracy. This study is an icebreaker on the subject as it highlights the theoretical rationale as well as practical benefits of lexicographically informed language modernization. Keywords: Lexicon, lexical ambiguity, lexicography, neologism, language modernization homophones, homographs, homonyms. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18635462
EXPLORING WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LEGAL THEORIES AND IMPLICATIONS
The term "white-collar crime" is used to describe a broad range of non-violent and financially motivated offenses carried out by people who have gained an element of trust or authority over others. Because of their ubiquity and impact on society and the economy, white-collar crimes tend to be reported less often and investigated less thoroughly than street crimes, and their sanctioning usually does not meet the level of street crimes. In examining the reasons, methods, and continuation of these offenses, this study analyse major historical and criminological theories regarding white-collar crime differential association theory (DAT), rational choice theory (RCT), strain theory (ST), and labelling theory (LT) to determine how well each of these theories serves to explain the motivations for and persistence of white-collar crime. This qualitative research project employs a doctrinal legal analysis, as well as reviewing various statutory laws and decisions, landmark case law, and developing a comparative view of the regulatory frameworks in place in different jurisdictions. By reviewing the existing academic literature, government publications, and judicial decisions related to white-collar crime, this paper identify the theoretical relationships and gaps in white-collar crime enforcement. Additionally, the socio-economic impact of white-collar crime examined in relation to financial loss, erosion of public confidence, and many other areas. The analysis of white-collar crime indicates that existing legal theories on white-collar crime have many facets but must not be viewed in isolation. Therefore, a multi-theoretical approach is necessary to recognize the different effects of corporate culture, opportunity structures, and the influence of power on both perpetrators of crime and the response of the legal system to those crimes. Additionally, the analysis highlights substantial variation in prosecutorial discretion, leniency in sentencing, and lack of regulation which permits white-collar crimes to persist without consequence. The analysis also concludes that comprehensive and effective legal reform, strengthened regulatory oversight, enhanced accountability mechanisms for businesses, and ethics based education for individuals in professions that involve the use of financial resources are required to effectively combat white-collar crime. The analysis demonstrates that integrating criminological theories with the policy-making process lead to the development of proportionate sanctions and proactive measures for the prevention of white-collar crime. Future research include empirical examples and different national contexts in order to develop the theoretical framework of white-collar crime and improve the effectiveness of law enforcement and regulatory agencies against it.
The Commodification of Religious Identity: Economic Exploitation in Nadeem Aslam’s The Wasted Vigil
This study explores the religious identity commodification and economic exploitation in Nadeem Aslam’s The Wasted Vigil (2008), with the aim of analysing how religious leaders, jihadis, and religious institutions are presented with the pursuit of material gain taking precedence over religious and moral commitments. Primary data collection took place through the close reading of the novel, analysing select text passages that demonstrate financial dealings, materialism, or religious manipulation, supplemented by secondary texts concerning Islamic ethics, political economies, and literary interpretations. This study takes a qualitative interpretative methodology, with the use of thematic analysis techniques to determine patterns in the text including economic opportunism, corruption, or the use of religious power. This study takes Critical Race Theory and Political Economy as its theoretical framework to position the intersectionality of religious systems, economic motivation, and politico-social structures. This study finds that the novel represents religious leaders, institutions, and jihadis as exploiting religious power for economic motives, deconstructing the trust that religious institutions have with the rest of the public, as well as the corresponding lawful and right-minded principles behind the religion of Islam, while concurrently reinforcing misinformed ideas about Muslims.
ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUALS AND CONSTRUCTION OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL OR PERSONAL IDENTITIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS (E.G., LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK). FOCUS ON LINGUISTIC CHOICES, VISUAL CUES, AND INTERACTION PATTERNS
The aim of the present study is for today’s youth, media and technology are major social elements, and they spend a substantial portion of their daily lives conversing via social media platforms i.e. Linkedin,Instagram,Tiktok. According to Rideout (2010), youth that use the media regularly have a large number of friends, get along well with their parents, and are pleased with their schools and institutions. Those that use the media frequently also say that they get into a lot of trouble, are frequently upset or unhappy, and are frequently bored. Individuals’ offline contacts with others decline as their spending on social networking sites increases, meaning that the majority of their socializing and sociability occurs in the glow of a screen. As a result, social media has the potential to influence an individual’s psychological well-being, particularly among teens, as well as identity building, modifying how people see themselves and others. Without needing to meet in person, people can utilize social networking to create an identity and communicate with others. It offers both chances and obstacles for developing a consistent, stable, and meaningful sense of self. The paper elucidates the impact of social media on young people’s self-presentation, social comparison, and self-esteem, as well as how it affects their identity construction. In today’s technology environment, most studies on social networking sites have focused on the bad effects. However, this paper focuses on the positive sides of social media and how it aids in the formation of identity.
Constraint Ranking and Linguistic Variation in Optimality Theory: Theoretical and Empirical Implications
This study examines how different Optimality Theory–based models account for linguistic variation through constraint interaction, using evidence from English, Pakistani languages such as Urdu and Punjabi, and Arabic. It presents a comparative analysis of Classic Optimality Theory, Partial Constraint Ordering, Stochastic Optimality Theory, and Weighted Constraint (Maximum Entropy) Theory based on quantitatively informed evaluation. Variable linguistic data involving alternation between consonant cluster preservation and vowel epenthesis were analysed by comparing model predictions with observed distributional patterns across the selected languages. The results show that Classic Optimality Theory fails to account for systematic variation, while partial constraint ordering successfully predicts the coexistence of multiple grammatical outputs but does not explain their relative frequencies. In contrast, Stochastic Optimality Theory and weighted constraint models demonstrate strong empirical adequacy by accurately modelling both variation and frequency patterns. In particular, weighted constraint modelling provides the closest fit to observed data, capturing gradient acceptability and probabilistic distribution with high precision. These findings support the view that linguistic variation is an inherent property of grammatical competence and highlight the importance of probabilistic approaches in contemporary Optimality Theory research.
Intergenerational Pragmatic Change in Pakistani Indigenous Languages: A Theoretical Socio-pragmatic Analysis
Pragmatic change, which has been defined as change in socially controlled language use, is a key and understudied aspect of change in linguistic development in multilingual societies. Historically, intricate sets of honorification, indirectness, address based on kinship, hierarchical politeness have been systematized in indigenous languages in Pakistan, including Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi, Saraiki, Hindko, and Brahui. These practical forms are symptomatic of the imbedded cultural principles of respect, collectivism, hierarchical age-based relations, and obligation of relatedness. But the modern Pakistan is experiencing a fast socio-cultural change due to urbanization, globalization, English-based education, free movement of labor, and online communication tools. It seems that these changes are associated with the intergenerational differences in communicative behavior, which are observed. The research provides a detailed socio-pragmatic investigation of intergenerational pragmatic shift in Pakistani native languages. The paper is based on the conceptualization of pragmatic change as reconfiguration as opposed to erosion in drawing on the politeness theory by Brown and Levinson (1987), politeness model by Leech (1983, 2014), rapport management model by Spencer-Oatey (2008), and variationist sociolinguistic theory (Labov, 1994; Tagliamonte, 2012). It posits that younger generations are evidenced to show domain-specific simplification of honorific resources, more solidarity-driven politeness, pragmatical hybridization using Urdu and English resources, and digitally mediated compression of politeness resources. Placing pragmatic transformation in the context of the overarching socio-cultural processes, the current research leads to the new socio-pragmatic scholarship in South Asian countries and to the need to document pragmatic systems as an aspect of preserving indigenous languages.
Vision or Dream, or Something Between: Uncertain Knowing and Liminal Consciousness in John Keats’ Poetry
Romantic poetry frequently explores the fluid boundary between perception and imagination; moreover, John Keats’ Poetry is especially marked by moments in which vision and dream seem to merge. Consequently, his speakers often inhabit a liminal state of consciousness where knowledge remains ambiguous and unresolved, and therefore this study examines how Keats represents such in-between states of awareness and how they produce uncertain knowing. The study aims, firstly, to analyze how Keats constructs liminal states between waking perception and dream-vision in selected poems, thereby highlighting experiences of epistemological ambiguity; secondly, it seeks to interpret how these liminal states embody Keats’s philosophy of negative capability and furthermore reveal his acceptance of doubt and suspended meaning. A qualitative, constructivist approach is adopted; moreover, close textual reading and thematic analysis are employed to examine Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn, La Belle Dame sans Merci, and The Eve of St. Agnes. Besides this, interpretive literary criticism is used to explore how imagery, symbolism, tone, and language construct liminal consciousness. The findings indicate that Keats consistently represents consciousness as an unstable threshold between waking reality and dream-vision; consequently, his speakers are repeatedly suspended between perception and imagination. Furthermore, these liminal states refuse final resolution, thereby embodying negative capability as a meaningful acceptance of ambiguity. The study concludes that Keats’s poetry inhabits the space between certainty and doubt, dream and waking, presence and absence; otherwise, if certainty were imposed, the imaginative atmosphere and philosophical richness would diminish. Finally, it is recommended that future research examine Keats’s liminal consciousness in relation to wider Romantic and post-Romantic thought; furthermore, interdisciplinary dialogue with psychology and philosophy may deepen understandings of dream-states and uncertain knowing. Keywords: Liminal consciousness, Negative capability, Uncertain knowing, Romantic poetry, John Keats, Dream-vision. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18261185
A Critical Discourse Analysis of Language Used During Police Interrogation in Pakistani TV Serials
Police interviews are one of the most important interrogation methods that legal fields employs to find out the truth and resolve cases. The renown Pakistan serials police interviews are investigated according to the rules of law, which is oriented by the interview goal, and is influenced by facilitating factors to find out the strategies of criminals and suspects. This study investigates the strategies used by police officers and crime suspects during police interrogation in Pakistani TV serials. The researcher opted qualitative method and Descriptive research Design to find out the research gap . To collect qualitative data, interviews were observed and transcripted from six different selected Pakistani TV serials.Interviews are investigated through theoretical framework Territory model by Thornborrow. This study also deals with statistical measurement of statements in the form of percentage according to the division of questions in the model .The data from the interviews provides clear distinctions in the way of responding of both parties. The analysis of this study shows that the Information attained from the suspects who are being interviewed ought to consistently be looked at against what the police officer definitely knows .This involves that that suspects must not be told at the start about all of the pertinent information about the case. In any event, when the suspects chooses the option to be remain silent, the police officers still has a right to ask especially when physical remand is granted. Questions are valuable in order to obtain crucial information,as the best strategy by police officer when the questions are relevant and not repetitive. Moreover, police officers interrupted the Suspects between twice or thrice per interview, which is literally less than suspect interruptions in responded to questions. The presentation of solid proof and background knowledge about the suspects was the most frequently discovered strategy by police officers .Swearing to family, religious tactics, fake health issues dramas, strong support and overconfidence were the most observed strategies frequently used by the suspects. Results shows that when the interviewer interrogated, the suspects shows unexpected attitudes that are usually the results of exercising power or politeness. Police interviews that are set apart by authority are chiefly connected with a higher extent of refusals of cases and questions though a methodology set apart by humanity is altogether connected with the provision of data.The study also highlights the fact that by giving suspects a chance to explain themselves, officers might uncover details they wouldn't have found otherwise which means this approach can lead to more reliable information and even increase the chances of true confessions.
NARRATING GENDER THROUGH LANGUAGE: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN TARIQ RAHMAN’S SHORT STORIES
This study critically examines the linguistic representation of female characters in the selected short stories by Tariq Rahman through the three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) by Norman Fairclough. The qualitative analysis of the chosen textual extracts shows that the female characters are mostly presented in discourses of invisibility, relational identity, emotional excess, and unpaid labor, reflecting all issues of deep-rooted patriarchal ideologies of the Pakistani society. The use of lexicon, transitivity and narrative silences often marginalize the agency of women and naturalize their domestic and moral roles. It is also shown that there are moments of discursive resistance especially when egalitarian gender relations are linguistically constructed. This study adds to the interdisciplinary literary research and proves the usefulness of the discourse analysis in revealing the gendered ideologies in the literary works by extending the CDA to the Pakistani English short fiction.
Anthropocentrism in Water Governance: An Ecolinguistic Analysis of Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy (2021)
Pakistan is one of the most effected countries because of climate change-related issues. It leads to increased water scarcity in the country. Therefore, water management can be termed as the most important area of intervention in the climate policies of Pakistan. Despite of the fact that earlier studies focused on the management of water resources in Pakistan mainly dealing with technical issues related to water management in the country, very few efforts have been directed towards studying the role of the language used for the conception of water management in the climate policies of Pakistan. This has been dealt with in this study by the ecolinguistic approach that has been evaluated on the basis of the conceptual representation of the water resources management in the National Climate Change Policy 2021 of Pakistan on the basis of anthropocentrism. On the one hand, drawing upon a set of ‘stories we live by’ developed by Arran Stibbe, and combined with knowledge developed through ‘Critical Discourse Analysis’—which is a qualitative method of text analysis—examples of policies are scrutinized concerning their water governance through this method. The major concepts of ecolinguistic studies are: ideological framing, erasure, and agency. In the results, it may be seen that the main category relates to resource, security, and value. There is an emphasis on the technocratic and managerial worldview, alongside human development and security. Additionally, it may be seen that the non-human species and systems seem to be marginalized and disguised. Furthermore, the main actor is again the human system. The importance of the anthropocentric approach in management may be seen. The result of the study verifies that though there is an acceptance of climate change as a concern in the policy, there is a limited climate vision in the language framework that hardly accommodates the view of the non-human. The importance of the theory of ecolinguistics has been made manifest in the study through the role of language in the policy of climate change, promoting the actual relevance of the theory to language evaluation in an environmental context in Pakistan.
A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PAKISTAN
Education in Pakistan is a luxury that most cannot afford. Without educating children, there is no hope for empowerment and progress. A state is obligated to specific duties towards its children. Along with the other basic rights of nationality, housing, recreation, freedom, protection, and belonging, the most significant of all is the provision of education (Tahera Hasan, 2022). The core objective of this study is to critically analyze the implementation of Right to Education in the Constitutional History of the Pakistan after independence. Therefore, in this study the Independence Act, 1947 till the 18th amendment in which article 25-A is inserted in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973 are critically analyze for finding the enactment of the Right to Education. While, education played as a role of third eye for human being, in connection with this the various documents have been framed in the legal system of Pakistan, but huge gap still exists in the codified Constitution and laws, when we talk about its true spirit in letter and patent. Moreover, this study is only conducted from the available data and researchers have tried to conduct critically study over the measures taken by the government regarding implementation of the Right to Education. Furthermore, Article 37-b allows the state to promote social equity and eradicate socially unacceptable behaviors, such as eliminating illiteracy and providing free and mandatory education within the shortest practicable time frame.
Standardization of Pakistan Sign Language (PSL): A Mixed-Methods Analysis from National Policy, Linguistic, and Inclusive Education Perspectives
The standardization of Pakistan Sign Language (PSL) constitutes a landmark advancement in Pakistan's inclusive education framework, linguistic equity paradigm, and disability rights architecture. Utilizing a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, this study empirically examines stakeholder perceptions, institutional preparedness, and pedagogical ramifications following the National Review Workshop on PSL Standardization (Islamabad, December 22-29, 2025). Quantitative data from 50 participants via Likert-scale questionnaire revealed robust consensus across awareness (M=4.48), educational efficacy (M=4.52), and training imperatives (M=4.61), while qualitative thematic analysis from semi-structured interviews with Deaf adults, educators, interpreters, and policymakers elucidated identity validation, capacity deficits, and policy-practice disjunctors. Integration confirms PSL as a foundational enabler of Deaf inclusion, contributing novel empirical evidence to Global South language planning scholarship while furnishing policymakers with operationalized recommendations.​
Exploring Individual Differences Among Second Language Learners In Esl Classrooms At Sbbu Sba: A Case Study Of Undergraduate Students
This article is about the individual differences among ESL Learners at SBBU SBA. Knowing about the differences among learners has remained as topic of debate since last many decades. It has been discussed that students are the result of many remote areas and similarly at the same time they possess different cultural, moral, ethical, religious and other various kinds of backgrounds which have their own impact on the learner’s personality. These all types of differences create individuality among the language learners. To know more about these individual differences this study is conducted within the premises of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Shaheed Benazir Abad. Current paper is qualitative in nature to investigate about the individual differences in second language learning in ESL classrooms at SBBU SBA. The core issue behind this investigation is to know about the judgment of individual differences and their management for learning purpose. Moreover, it is to say that what strategies and styles are adopted for this aim.
Investigating the Impact of Task-Based Language Teaching to Enhance Writing Skills of Undergraduate Students
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Task-Based Language Teaching on writing skills of undergraduate students. To conduct this quantitative study, forty undergraduate students from 4th semester of English Department were taken as sample. A writing test was taken as tool to collect data from students. Writing test was used as pretest and posttest to analyze the differences in the performance of participants. The focus of this study was on five domains of writing: content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics. Data were analyzed using SPPS while applying Paired Sample t-test. Statistical values computed through SPSS indicated that TBLT has more impact on content and grammar while it showed less impact on organization, vocabulary, and mechanics in writing of undergraduate students. Overall findings computed through SPSS suggested positive effect of TBLT on writing skills of undergraduate students. In the light of these findings, TBLT has been recommended to be implemented as a regular technique to improve the writing skills of students.
Pragmatics of Disagreement and Conflict Management in Pakistani Indigenous Discourse
This study investigates how disagreement strategies are pragmatically realized in Pakistani indigenous discourse across different social power relations. Drawing on a qualitative, discourse-analytic framework, the research examines naturally occurring interactions from family, educational, workplace, and community settings to explore how speakers negotiate opposition while managing relational harmony. The study integrates insights from speech act theory, politeness and rapport management theory, and conversation analysis to analyze the linguistic and interactional features of disagreement. Particular attention is given to the influence of hierarchy, honor (izzat), respect (adab), gender norms, and multilingual practices on the design and trajectory of disagreement episodes. The findings reveal that disagreement in Pakistani discourse is predominantly mitigated and relationally oriented, especially in hierarchical contexts such as elder younger or teacher student interactions. Speakers frequently employ hedging, agreement-prefacing structures, honorific forms, indirect questioning, and code-switching to soften opposition and prevent escalation. Escalation occurs primarily when relational norms are violated through direct accusation, interruption, or threats to dignity. However, repair mechanisms including apology, humor, concession, and third-party mediation are commonly used to restore social balance. The study concludes that disagreement in Pakistani indigenous discourse functions as relational work embedded within broader sociocultural values of hierarchy, honor, and communal harmony. By providing a culturally grounded account of disagreement and conflict management, the research contributes to cross-cultural pragmatics and expands theoretical understandings beyond Western-centric models.
An Insight Into Language Polices And Development In Kohat: A Qualititive Study Of Language Development In Three Dissimilar Families
This qualitative case study examines family language policy (FLP) and its role in shaping children’s language development across three socioeconomically distinct families in Kohat, KP, Pakistan. This study is guided by Spolsky’s (2004) framework of language practices, beliefs, and management. In this study, Data were collected through semi-structured parental interviews and home-based observations. The findings reveal clear socioeconomic variations in family language policy. As the high-SES family prioritizes English for education and social prestige, the middle-SES family maintains Pashto for cultural identity while using Urdu and English for educational purposes and the lower-SES family sustains Hindko as the dominant home language with limited exposure to English. Likewsise, observational data corroborate interview findings, demonstrating that socioeconomic conditions, parental ideologies and access to linguistic resources that shape children’s linguistic environments. Finally, the study contributes to family language policy research by offering a localized, comparative perspective from a non-metropolitan Pakistani context.
THE SOVEREIGN'S DILEMMA: PLATFORM GOVERNANCE AND DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY FROM A GLOBAL SOUTH PERSPECTIVE
The prevailing academic discussion of platform governance has been largely structured around the opposing paradigm of the American free-speech framework and the European regulatory framework. This dualistic construct, however, does not capture the complexities of the realities and particular issues of the Global South. As hypothesized in this paper, a radical change in thinking is necessary to create a more globally relevant conceptualization of platform governance, including shifting the emphasis towards the sovereign issues of post-colonial states. Using Pakistan as a focus case study, we explore the ways in which concerns of national security, political stability, and compliance with religious-cultural norms often override Western principles of unregulated expression. This paper, in its initial stage, questions the prevailing Western paradigms using a critical literature review. It then dismantles these paradigms by applying a Global South perspective to elucidate individual cases of platform-state confrontation in Pakistan. Our study is a part of this ongoing discourse since it suggests a more comparative, culturally-sensitive, and context-focused approach to research by proposing a decolonized research agenda. The aim of this work is to overcome a Eurocentric focus, and advocate a pluralistic approach enhancing the global perspective of digital sovereignty in the increasingly connected world.
A Critical Examination of Personification and Simile as Literary Devices in Muhammad Zaman’s Poem “Freedom Is in Chains”
Figurative language refers to the use of words and expressions that convey meanings beyond their literal sense to enhance imagery, emotional depth, and interpretive richness in literary texts. Through devices such as simile and personification, poets articulate abstract ideas in concrete and relatable forms. The present study critically examines the use of personification and simile in Muhammad Zaman’s poem “Freedom is in Chains.” The study is guided by two research objectives: first, to identify and analyze instances of personification and simile in the poem; and second, to interpret the thematic significance conveyed through these figurative devices. The findings reveal that Zaman employs personification and simile to construct a powerful critique of freedom as an illusion constrained by religion, culture, language, geography, and sociopolitical structures. These figurative expressions reflect themes of moral conditioning, ideological confinement, identity formation, and existential tension. Ultimately, the poem presents freedom not as physical liberation but as a complex awareness of imposed boundaries, offering a nuanced reflection on individuality, control, and silent resistance.
Split Selves and Mortal Fears: Terror Management Analysis of Aging, Anxiety, and the Body in The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray offers a powerful critique of society’s obsession with youth, beauty, and the denial of aging. This article examines Dorian Gray’s psychological disintegration through the lens of Terror Management Theory (TMT), focusing on age-related anxiety, fear of mortality, and the fragmentation of identity. Employing qualitative close textual analysis, the study explores how Dorian’s fixation on eternal youth functions as a terror-management strategy aimed at suppressing death awareness and preserving symbolic immortality. The analysis introduces the concept of split aging the separation of biological, moral, and psychological aging as central to Dorian’s character, manifested through the division between his youthful body and the decaying portrait. By integrating TMT with literary analysis, the article demonstrates how fear of death, animality, and insignificance drives Dorian’s rejection of aging and moral responsibility. Ultimately, the study argues that Dorian’s denial of human limitations leads not to transcendence but to psychological fragmentation and self-destruction. This interdisciplinary approach offers a novel interpretation of Wilde’s novel by situating ageism and mortality anxiety at the core of Dorian Gray’s tragic downfall.
A Cognitive Linguistic Analysis of Twilight in Delhi through Prototype Theory
This study applies Prototype Theory, a central model in cognitive linguistics, to interpret the characters, symbols, and themes in Ahmed Ali’s Twilight in Delhi (1940). By analyzing cognitive-linguistic dimensions such as category gradience, centrality, and experience-based meaning, the paper uncovers how key figures (e.g., Mir Nihal), motifs (e.g., palm tree, pigeons), and colonial symbols (e.g., English boots) function as cultural prototypes. Through close textual analysis, the research demonstrates how these prototypes anchor the narrative and reflect cultural and psychological decline. The findings suggest that the erosion of these cognitive prototypes mirrors colonial disruption, identity fragmentation, and cultural decay in Indo-Muslim Delhi. This analysis supports the value of Prototype Theory as a literary-critical tool, particularly in postcolonial contexts where shifting categories and hybrid identities dominate the narrative terrain. Keywords: Prototype Theory, Cognitive Linguistics, Twilight in Delhi, Symbolism, Cultural Decline, Postcolonial Identity
DEVELOPING AI THAT DYNAMICALLY TRANSLATES AND LOCALIZES CONTENT TO SUPPORT MULTICULTURAL LEARNING
Globalized education increasingly requires culturally sensitive and multilingual instructional materials to support diverse learners. This study examines the effectiveness of a dynamic AI-based translation and localization system in enhancing multicultural learning experiences. Using a quantitative research design, 200 university students and educators participated in a study evaluating AI-translated content across multiple languages and cultural contexts. Data were collected via surveys measuring perceived content accessibility, learning satisfaction, and cognitive engagement. Multiple regression analysis indicated that perceived accuracy of AI translations (β = .48, p < .001) and cultural appropriateness of localized content (β = .42, p < .001) significantly predicted improvements in learner engagement and satisfaction (R² = .51). The findings suggest that AI systems capable of real-time translation and localization can effectively support multicultural learning and inclusive pedagogy.
WOMEN AS A VICTIM AND PERPETRATOR OF VIOLENCE IN POPULAR CULTURE
With a particular emphasis on the superhero movies Captain Marvel (2019) and Wonder Woman (2017), the paper analyzes the representation of superwoman to examine the claim by liberal feminism that equal representation of women in numbers causes emancipation. Using post-structural feminism, the study investigates how language creates and places female characters in discussions of violence, power, and gender conventions. This paper conducts critical discourse analysis by employing the analytical tools of predication, presupposition, and subject positioning to deconstruct the meanings in dialogues of the selected movies. The paper emphasizes how popular culture upholds and challenges conventional gendered stories. Women are often depicted as passive victims molded by patriarchal narratives as well as forceful agents of violence in opposing attitudes. This dual positioning shows more general society debates on the interpretation of female agency in conflict. Using a post-structuralist viewpoint, the study does not treat identity as rigidly fixed having ingrained characteristics instead it observes identity as discursively constructed and motivated by power. By identifying the gap, the liberal feminism ignores the small discursive processes sustaining gendered power systems, the research endorses post-structuralist feminism.
FAMILIAL BONDAGES AND SUBJECTIVITY IN OCEAN VUONG'S THE EMPEROR OF GLADNESS
The Emperor of Gladness (2025) is the second novel by Ocean Vuong, published by Penguin Books, which involves a thorough investigation of the two-sidedness of familial bondages ties that both restrict and at the same time nurture, and also attempts to explore the subjectivity of identity, in the form of memory, trauma, and relationships between people. The story unfolds in the crumbling fictional East Gladness, Connecticut, where a 19-year-old Vietnamese-American with a depression problem, an addiction problem, and a family secret, Hai, develops a deep connection with an 82-year-old Lithuanian widow, Grazina, with dementia. Vuong opposes the biological family requirements with the so-called found or chosen ones, through the experience of Hai as her caretaker and his work in the HomeMarket fast-food restaurant, the problems of subjective perceptions, that are shaped by the cultural displacement, loss and mental health and redefine belonging. This paper discusses these themes by using close readings of major passages based on the poetic prose of Vuong to assert that subjectivity is a transformational one, that the characters can move in and sometimes even surpass the repressive frameworks of the traditional family relations in a socioeconomically disadvantaged American setting. Giving literary analysis intertwined with arguments of reviews and interviews, it points to the fact that Vuong rejects the idea of linear progress, believing that development arises due to the subjective, empathetic reinterpretations of relationships.
A RESEARCH STUDY OF THE IMPLICATURE OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION: A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF MEANING MAKING IN SOCIAL MEDIA INTERACTION
The paper will focus on the use of implicature in the realm of digital communication, and how the context in which something is asserted affects the meaning of that assertion in social media communication. The research focuses on how people communicate indirectness in the digital realm using text, emojis, punctuations, and the hashtags considering the theory of conversational implicature outlined by Grice and the recent discoveries of the digital pragmatics. A collection of social media posts on Facebook and WhatsApp is analyzed to ascertain trends of implicature and considerations to be used to interpret them. The results suggest that context is an important element in the meaning of implied message in digital communication. Platform norms, the around discourse, and the nonverbal cues, such as emojis, punctuation, and text styles, are important influencing factors to gain better understanding of a message. Where these contextual factors are either missing or vague or they are perceived differently by the users, misinterpretation is likely to occur and hence the need to be sensitive to both linguistic and nonlinguistic representations in order to achieve effective communication in the online world.It is stated in the paper that the nature of the pragmatic strategies used in online communication is changing and it is important to pay attention to both linguistic and non-linguistic information to be able to communicate successfully in an online setup
LOVE, REVENGE, AND SELF-DESTRUCTION: A THEMATIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF HEATHCLIFF IN EMILY BRONTË’S WUTHERING HEIGHTS
The paper discusses a thematic and psychological analysis of the notions of love and revenge in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, with particular attention to the figure of Heathcliff. It aims to study how intense frustrated love becomes transformed into destructive vengeance and the way such a vicious circle furthers violence, suffering, and ruination throughout generations. Qualitative research methodology is employed in this study because close textual reading and thematic analysis, as its tools, are necessary to trace causes, development, and consequences of revenge within the narrative. Analysis reveals that the vengeful behavior of Heathcliff originates from social alienation, class prejudice, childhood abuse, and emotional betrayal, mainly Catherine Earnshaw’s denigrating her emotional commitment for social status. The research further discusses an intriguing connection between obsessive love and revenge; it indicates how passion, when strangled by social mores, acts as a catalyst for cruelty and moral degeneration. Most importantly, this study suggests that Brontë had denounced revenge as a self-deprecating impulse, and how such a cycle of revenge is retarded in the second generation through mutual comprehension, forgiveness, and nourishing love. By placing revenge as the central thematic force of the novel, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of Wuthering Heights as a psychological and moral exploration of human passion, suffering, and the possibility of redemption.
GRAMMAR WITHOUT VOICE: UNPACKING THE PEDAGOGICAL PARADOX OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOL STUDENTS' INABILITY TO TRANSLATE GRAMMATICAL COMPETENCE INTO PRAGMATIC FLUENCY IN ENGLISH
This study investigates the pedagogical paradox within Pakistani government schools where students demonstrate grammatical competence in English yet remain unable to translate that knowledge into pragmatic fluency. Despite English being a language of prestige and a requirement for the job market, public school students often reach only a basic level of spoken proficiency. To bridge this gap between having grammatical competency in English language and have no spoken fluency a mixed-methods approach, the research conducted a survey, written grammar tests, and interviews with 15 students of 8th class from Government Girls High School, Jamshoro. The data analysis reveals a significant gap between written and oral skills: out of the 15 students, 10 scored high on the written grammar test, while only 2 were able to speak English with low proficiency. This discrepancy is attributed to linguistic barriers such as limited vocabulary and L1 interference, as well as psychological factors including shyness and a fear of making mistakes. Furthermore, pedagogical issues—specifically the reliance on traditional grammar-translation methods (GTM) and a lack of classroom interaction—hinder communicative development. The study concludes that students are learning "about" the language rather than how to use it. To resolve this, it is recommended that schools implement interactive speaking activities, introduce technology, and create a supportive environment that encourages real-life English usage.
ALTERNATIVE KINSHIP AND CULTURAL RESISTANCE: A CRITICAL STUDY OF ELIF SHAFAK’S HONOR THROUGH DONNA HARAWAY’S THEORY OF KINSHIP
Elif Shafak’s Honor (2012) offers a subtle narrative that questions notions of family, gender, and cultural identity within a transnational context of Turkey and London. The current study aims to explore how Shafak’s novel portrays alternative kinship as a form of cultural resilience against patriarchal norms, honor-based violence and rigid communal structures. Through the analyses of the central characters of the novels like Pembe, Jamila, Adam and Iskender and their relationships, the study focuses on highlighting how these alternative structures challenges traditional definitions of family, honour and redefines the notion of belonging beyond blood ties. Anchored in Donna Haraway’s theory of kinship (2011), the paper argues that Shafak’s narrative constructs a counter-discursive space where choice, empathy and agency undermine oppressive cultural practices. In doing so, Shafak’s Honor (2012) contributes to broader discussions on identity formation, agency and resistance in the contemporary migratory fiction. The study employs a qualitative methodology with a close textual analysis of the novel to highlight instances of resistance and transformation. The paper contributes to feminist and diaspora literature by offering new insights into how Honor (2012) redefines kinship beyond patriarchal constraints. The researchers emphasises the novel’s significance in reimagining kinship as a site for cultural resistance and the redefinition of familial belonging in the contemporary migrant fiction. The study point out that these redefined kinship structures function as a form of cultural resistance that empowers characters like Pembe to disrupt established oppressive cultural norms. Eventually, the paper demonstrates how Shafak’s Honor (2012) offers a novel perspective on kinship and skilfully highlights emotional and chosen relationships as alternative as well as transformative forces that reimagines the concept of family, identity and belonging
Understanding Procrastination as Habitual Pattern in ESL Classrooms: An NLP intervention study
Academic procrastination is a pervasive barrier to linguistic proficiency, often stemming from deep-seated cognitive habits rather than simple time mismanagement. This study investigates the phenomenon of academic procrastination among undergraduate English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, specifically through the lens of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). The research aims to measure procrastination levels, identify the most procrastinated language skills, and analyze the specific NLP Meta-Model patterns—Deletion, Distortion, and Generalization—that sustain these avoidance behaviors. Employing a mixed-methods research design, data were collected from 30 undergraduate students enrolled in Public Universities in the Hazara region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study utilized the Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS) by Solomon and Rothblum (1984) to quantify procrastination frequency and elicit qualitative reasoning for delays. Quantitative analysis using descriptive statistics revealed a high overall procrastination level (M=3.68), with "Writing" identified as the most significantly avoided skill (M=4.25). The qualitative findings, processed through Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, uncovered that students predominantly use "Distortion" (specifically Mind-Reading regarding teacher evaluation) and "Generalization" (Universal Quantifiers regarding failure) to linguistically justify their inaction. The study concludes that procrastination is a structured linguistic habit, suggesting that NLP-based interventions could effectively reframe these internal dialogues to enhance academic engagement.
AI-BASED SIGN LANGUAGE RECOGNITION AND ITS IMPACT ON DEAF EDUCATION
Sign language serves as the primary mode of communication for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. However, communication barriers between deaf students and hearing educators continue to hinder inclusive education. Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly in Computer Vision and Deep Learning, have enabled the development of automated Sign Language Recognition (SLR) systems. This research proposes an AI-based real-time sign language recognition framework designed to enhance accessibility in deaf education. The system integrates Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to recognise both static and dynamic gestures. Experimental evaluation demonstrates improved recognition accuracy (96.3%) and reduced latency (under 200 ms), leading to measurable improvements in classroom engagement and comprehension levels. The results indicate that AI-driven SLR systems can significantly enhance learning experiences, reduce dependency on human interpreters, and promote inclusive education.
INTEGRATING NARRATIVE AND TRANSGENERATIONAL TRAUMAS: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF KOCHAI’S SHORT STORIES
Trauma narratives offer valuable insights into historical events by exploring the psychological turmoil experienced by the victims as well as the long-term effects. However, trauma research has focused mainly on Western views, often overlooking the diverse experiences of people and communities outside dominant narratives. A more inclusive approach is necessary to better understand the multifaceted impact of trauma on marginalized populations. Kochai's (2022) work presents a fresh, non-Western perspective on trauma narratives. This study explores the narration of non-Western trauma literature and illuminates the intergenerational transfer of trauma. Furthermore, it understands that trauma can have an inpact that is not only severe and prolonged but also intergenerational, which contradicts the Western-centric perspective of trauma as an individual experience. This recognition develops more successful approaches to trauma recovery and healing. By addressing this gap, the study aims at contributing to the development of the field of literary trauma studies and to provide important insights into the inherited and shared dimensions of trauma. A close reading of Kochai's (2022) text allows us to analyze how trauma is experienced, interpreted and passed down from generation to generation, and how it is further expressed through forms of various narrative and literary techniques in literature. This approach supports a dynamic relationship between narrative approaches and the intergenerational trauma in literature, which will facilitate the intersection of literary analysis and psychological inquiry and enrich our understanding of human condition. Keywords: Narrative Analysis, Transgenerational Trauma Theory.
Clipping in Pakistani English: An Exploratory Study of Digital Discourse
This study investigates clipping in Pakistani English, where words are shortened while retaining their original meanings. Clipping, common in many English dialects, exhibits unique characteristics in Pakistani English due to the influence of local languages such as Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, and Pashto. By employing a qualitative approach, this research aims to identify and analyze unique clipping patterns. Data is gathered from social media platforms to understand speakers' attitudes towards clipped words, their usage patterns, and the appropriateness of such words in various contexts. This study's findings reveal distinctive clipping practices in Pakistani English, influenced by bilingualism and code-switching, and provide valuable insights into English language variation in South Asia. By comparing these findings with existing studies on clipping in other English varieties, this research contributes to a broader understanding of global English language dynamics.
Narrating Ecological Crisis: Environmental Anxiety and Literary Form in The Hungry Tide
This article examines Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide as a literary articulation of ecological crisis, environmental anxiety, and postcolonial ecological consciousness. Focusing on the Sundarbans as a fragile and volatile bioregion, the study analyses how the novel represents environmental instability as a permanent condition shaped by natural forces, state policies, and historical displacement. Using a postcolonial ecocritical framework, the article explores the interconnection between human and non-human life, highlighting how conservation practices, biodiversity loss, and forced migration converge to produce socio-ecological injustice. The analysis further demonstrates that the novel’s non-linear, polyphonic narrative structure mirrors ecological complexity and enables a dialogue between scientific knowledge and indigenous, myth-based epistemologies. By foregrounding environmental anxiety as an embodied and collective experience, The Hungry Tide positions literature as a critical space for cultivating ethical awareness and environmental responsibility. The study concludes that Ghosh’s novel contributes meaningfully to contemporary ecological discourse by advocating relational, culturally rooted approaches to understanding and responding to environmental crises.
Code-Switching and Pragmatic Meaning in Multilingual Pakistan: A Socio-pragmatic Study of Indigenous Languages in Urban and Rural Settings
Pakistan is a linguistically diverse country characterized by the coexistence of multiple indigenous languages alongside Urdu and English. In such a multilingual ecology, code-switching—the alternation between two or more languages within a single interaction—has emerged as a central communicative strategy. This study investigates code-switching not merely as a structural linguistic phenomenon but as a socio-pragmatic resource through which speakers construct identity, negotiate power, signal solidarity, and manage interpersonal relationships. Specifically, the study examines how speakers of indigenous languages such as Punjabi, Saraiki, Sindhi, and Pashto alternate with Urdu and English in urban and rural settings of Pakistan. Adopting a mixed-method approach, the research draws upon 48 hours of recorded natural conversations, 30 semi-structured interviews, and 120 survey questionnaires collected from urban centers (Lahore, Karachi, Multan) and rural communities in Punjab and Sindh. The data were analyzed using interactional sociolinguistics, the Markedness Model, and socio-pragmatic theory to identify patterns, motivations, and pragmatic functions of code-switching. Findings reveal significant differences between urban and rural speakers in both frequency and function of code-switching. Urban speakers display frequent integration of English into Urdu and regional languages, often indexing modernity, education, and global affiliation. Rural speakers primarily alternate between indigenous languages and Urdu, using code-switching for accommodation, clarification, and institutional alignment. Social variables such as age, gender, and educational background strongly correlate with switching behavior. The study concludes that code-switching in Pakistan functions as meaningful social action rather than linguistic deficiency and calls for pedagogical and policy recognition of multilingual repertoires.
LITERARY CARTOGRAPHY: THE EFFECT OF IMAGINATION AND REALITY IN S.T. COLERIDGE’S KUBLA KHAN ON THE ORDINARY MAN
The present paper revealed how imagination and reality interact in the poem Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge with the help of the literary cartography theory, discussing how the poem generates physical and mental landscape that influence the experience of the common reader. A prominent space, such as the pleasure dome, sacred river Alph, measureless den, sunless sea, and delight gardens, are used as symbolic space coordinates describing the fluctuation between of the mind between order and chaos, conscious and unconscious kingdom. The study, based on a qualitative, interpretive approach based on close textual analysis, Romantic theories of imagination and the beauty, and current spatial literary theory proves that Coleridge turns the imaginative experience into a cognitive and emotional map to readers. The results indicate that the spatial and symbolic architecture used in the poem evokes a feeling of awe, pleasure and significant involvement in the poem that makes the reader be able to actively explore the visionary scenery. In this way, Kubla Khan can be discussed as a living mental map, which helps to transcend and increase imaginative awareness. The work is a contribution to Romantic studies, literary geography, and the reader-response theory, which emphasizes the timeless ability of poetic imagination to work out and alter common sense in perception and aesthetic experience.
THE IMPORTANCE OF AI (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE) IN LEARNING OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AT DISTRICT SHANGLA KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA PAKISTAN
This study explores the importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in learning of English as a second language (ESL) among university students in District Shangla, KPK, Pakistan. The research aims to analyze the role of AI, identify its benefits and challenges, and examine how students use AI tools like (ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini, Perplexity and Meta AI) for language learning. A qualitative approach was used, with data collected through structured interviews involving 12 ESL learners. Thematic analysis revealed key findings. Students found AI tools accessible and user- friendly, helping them learn anytime and anywhere. These tools improved skills like vocabulary, reading, and writing, though speaking and listening received less focus. AI also increased motivation by providing instant feedback and interactive features. However, challenges were noted. Students emphasized that AI cannot replace teachers due to its lack of emotional intelligence and real-life experience. Concerns about data privacy, confusing responses, and reliance on internet connectivity were also raised. Despite these issues, participants viewed AI as a valuable supplement to traditional learning. Recommendations include developing offline AI tools, ensuring data privacy, and integrating AI into classroom activities while maintaining teacher guidance. Policymakers should promote equitable access to digital resources, especially in rural areas. In conclusion, AI enhances ESL learning by making it flexible and engaging, but it works best alongside human instruction. Future research should explore AI role in speaking and listening skills and address accessibility challenges. This study provides insights for educators, developers, and policymakers to optimize AI use in language education.
Identity construction through Urdu-English code-switching in mobile network Advertisements in Pakistan
This study investigates the role of Urdu–English code-switching in constructing consumer identities in Pakistani mobile network advertisements. Drawing on a qualitative discourse-based approach, the research analyses selected television and YouTube advertisements from four major telecom brands in Pakistan: Jazz, Telenor, Ufone, and Zong. The study examines how linguistic choices, particularly the strategic mixing of Urdu and English, are used to associate mobile connectivity with values such as modernity, empowerment, humour, inclusivity, and national belonging. The findings reveal that English is predominantly employed to index technology, speed, and global digital culture, while Urdu functions to convey emotional depth, cultural familiarity, and collective identity. Each brand adopts a distinct code-switching pattern to target specific audience segments and project a unique brand persona, ranging from empowerment-driven and lifestyle-oriented identities to humour-based and efficiency-focused representations. Overall, the study demonstrates that code-switching in Pakistani telecom advertising is a deliberate communicative strategy that reflects and reinforces contemporary bilingual practices while actively shaping consumer perceptions and identities in the digital age.
NEGOTIATING CULTURES: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH AND PASHTUN VALUES IN TARIQ RAHMAN’S TEARS IN A MAN’S EYES
This paper explored the processes of construction and comparison of the cultural values of both the English and the Pashtun culture in the text, “Tears in a Man Eyes” by Tariq Rahman through the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) based upon the Three-Dimensional Model given by Norman Fairclough. Focusing on family arrangement, expression of emotions and social behavior, the research looks at fifteen extracts of texts to expose how language provides and reproduces the socio-cultural ideologies. Results have demonstrated that the Pashtun culture is being deprived as the culture that values emotional control, communal esteem and patriarchal, but the English culture is depicted as emotional, individualistic and morally loose. In this comparative study, the paper has identified the ideological bargaining between cultures and the use of literary language as an instrument of strengthening and subverting social norms. Such results can be applied to the understanding of the interaction of culture, identity and discourse in the South Asian literature and how such a method as CDA can be applied in the analysis of the text.
Identity Discourse in ESL Learners' Facebook Writing: A Critical Discourse Analysis
The increasing use of social networking sites has reshaped how English as a Second Language (ESL) learners engage in written communication and construct social identities beyond formal educational settings. This study investigates how identity discourse is constructed and negotiated in ESL learners’ Facebook writing through a quantitative, corpus-based approach informed by Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Drawing on Fairclough’s view of discourse as social practice, the study examines the linguistic resources through which learners position themselves, express agency, and align with or resist dominant language ideologies in digitally mediated contexts. The data comprises a self-compiled corpus of approximately 100,000 words of naturally occurring Facebook posts and comments produced by 150 ESL learners over six months. Identity discourse was operationalized into quantifiable linguistic categories, including self-referential markers, stance and evaluative features, interactional elements, and code-switching practices. These features were systematically coded and normalized, and statistical analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, and regression analyses. The findings reveal that ESL learners employ a range of discursive strategies to construct both individual and collective identities, frequently negotiating competence, belonging, and visibility through language choice. Quantitative patterns further indicate significant variation in identity construction across gender, proficiency levels, and academic status. Interpreted through a CDA lens, these patterns reflect the influence of broader ideologies related to English proficiency, native-speaker norms, and digital power relations. By integrating quantitative corpus analysis with critical discourse perspectives, this study contributes methodologically to applied linguistics and offers empirical insights into identity construction in ESL learners’ social media writing. The findings have implications for understanding learner agency, digital literacies, and identity formation in contemporary second language contexts.
To examine the Critical Thinking and Reflective Practices: Perspectives of Novice and In-Service Teachers
This study examines how novice and in-service teachers conceptualize critical thinking and reflective practices, as well as the extent to which these pedagogical orientations are operationalized within classroom contexts. Adopting a descriptive interpretive research design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire aimed at eliciting teachers’ perspectives on instructional practices, questioning strategies, reflective cycles, metacognitive processes, self-regulated learning, and the perceived role of artificial intelligence in education. The analysis of responses from 24 teachers revealed a strong consensus regarding the transformative value of reflective and critical pedagogies in enhancing teaching and learning processes. Despite this shared philosophical commitment, participants reported persistent challenges, including limited time for reflection, insufficient opportunities for professional dialogue, and inconsistent integration of higher-order cognitive strategies and digitally mediated instructional practices. The findings indicate a notable disparity between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and their classroom enactment, highlighting the need for supportive institutional frameworks, targeted professional development, and sustained learning opportunities to facilitate the effective implementation of reflective and critical teaching practices.
THE AUTONOMOUS PROPAGANDIST AND THE DIGITAL WAKIL: AGENTIC AI AND POLITICAL COMMUNICATION IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH
The academic discussion of artificial intelligence in communication has been dominated by the ability of Generative AI to generate content. In this paper, it is argued that a more profound disruption lies with the advent of Agentic AI - autonomous systems that can perform goal-oriented, multiple-step communication campaigns. Although existing studies on this technology are mostly Western-centric, it will have its influence depending on local political and media ecological systems. The debate will be repositioned as Global South perspective with Pakistan serving as a critical case study. We start by distinguishing between the agentic and generative paradigm and define its consequences on the communication theories of authorship, authenticity, and trust. We then speculate on how Agentic AI, in the form of a Digital Wakil (agent or representative), might perform in the highly polarized and personality-based politics of Pakistan, and the ability to provide hyper-personalized outreach and control narratives on an unprecedented scale. The paper ends with a post-human research agenda that involves an empirical study of agentic outputs, audience reception research, and comparative regulatory policy. This work presents an indispensable critical framework that can be used to understand a technology that is going to redefine political communication and democracies worldwide.
ASSESSING SECURITY RISKS FOR PAKISTAN UNDER TALIBAN RULE
The return of the Afghan Taliban in 2021 significantly changes the geo-political landscape of the South Asian region. The Taliban's return not only opens new opportunities for the neighbouring countries but also increases the security challenges for the neighbouring countries, especially for Pakistan. The 2025 October skirmishes also highlight the growing trust deficit. This research paper assesses the major security risks for Pakistan under the Afghan Taliban rule. The security risks are traditional and non-traditional threats that create fear between two states. The potential threats include cross-border terrorism and the rise of Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP). The Taliban's return also inspires many local extremist elements, which will destabilise Pakistan internally. At the same time, the Pak-Afghan historical background can't be ignored as it shapes the recent relations. The number of Afghan migrants seeking refuge in Pakistan has significantly increased since the Taliban took power. Pakistan, regardless, creates a mechanism for the return of Afghan migrants but their presence without documentation always poses a threat to the state. The economic sector is also directly affected because smuggling through the border is also taking place. All these threats required extraordinarily quick measures. Pakistan is looking towards the maximisation of security on its western border and to maintain relations as Pakistan's relations with the eastern border are not good, while Islamabad does not want to open a new front from the western side. However, the major threats are coming from the western border, which Pakistan is insecure to handle due to the previous close ties with the Taliban.
PROMOTING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: A CLASSROOM-BASED STUDY OF INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
The emergence of intercultural competence (IC) has become an inseparable part of English Language Teaching (ELT) in the twenty first century, allowing students to navigate the cultural disparity and be able to communicate effectively in a wide range of situations. This qualitative study explored the application of instructional strategies to develop IC by primary English teachers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in Pakistan, the reaction of students to instructional strategies, and the difficulties encountered by ECDs. The observations (classrooms based) were carried out in six weeks in the grades one to five with a focus on the use of role-plays, cultural comparisons, authentic materials, and collaborative activities. Thematic analysis provided the understanding that, despite differences in the strategies used by teachers, they were not implemented consistently because, on the one hand, the traditional teaching methods were firmly established, and on the other hand, the number of students in the classes was quite large, the resources were limited, and there was a high dependency on the translation-based approach. The students were seen to exhibit enthusiasm and interest especially in interactive and multimedia based activities; however, their understanding of the deeper cultural norms and values was shallow. The results also point out the gap between the IC theory and classroom practise and emphasise the importance of systematic reflection, teacher training, curriculum change, and adequate means to facilitate meaningful intercultural learning. The research supplements the applied linguistics discipline by providing empirical data in the nature of IC teaching at primary level in Pakistan and therefore provides practical implications to teachers, curriculum developers, and policy makers to enhance culturally sensitive ELT activities.
The Use of Generative AI Tools in English Academic Writing: Implications for Teaching and Learning
The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools has significantly influenced academic writing practices in higher education. This study investigated the impact of generative AI tools on the quality of English academic writing and examined their implications for teaching and learning. A mixed-methods research design was employed, involving pre-test and post-test writing tasks, a structured questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews with university students and instructors. Quantitative findings revealed a statistically significant improvement in students’ writing performance after the guided use of generative AI tools, particularly in grammar, vocabulary, and organisational structure. Qualitative results indicated generally positive perceptions among students, who reported increased writing confidence and enhanced idea generation. However, concerns related to overreliance and academic integrity were also identified, particularly among instructors. The findings suggest that generative AI can serve as an effective instructional support tool when integrated within a structured pedagogical framework that emphasises ethical use and critical engagement. The study highlights the importance of AI literacy, balanced instructional design, and institutional guidelines to ensure that technological innovation supports rather than replaces independent academic writing skills.
An Analysis of Syntactic Devices in Israel-Hamas Treaty: A Syntactic Perspective on International Discourse
This paper presents a syntactic analysis of the Israel-mediated peace treaty between the United States and Israel. The study examines structural sentence types (simple, compound, and complex), functional sentence types (declarative, imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, and optative), as well as the use of pronouns, adverbials, and coordinating conjunctions. The study uese qualitative methods to analyze treaty text, that is sourced from the official website. The findings reveal a predominance of simple sentences (based on one independent clause), eleven compound sentences (coordinating two independent clauses), and eleven complex sentences (an independent clause with at least one subordinate clause). Functionally, the text contains thirty declarative sentences, which serve to make commitments and define responsibilities, and ten imperative sentences, which provide instructions. Notably, there are no interrogative sentences, and only one exclamatory and one optative sentence, reflecting a reserved rhetorical style. Modal analysis shows that "will" appears thirty times to indicate intention and future promises, while "must" is absent. The coordinating conjunctions "and," "or," "for," and "so" are used, with "and" being the most frequent. Thirty adverbials enhance clarity and procedural sequencing. Pronoun usage is limited and selective, with only "we," "it," and "they" appearing, suggesting an impersonal, institution-based diplomatic tone. Future research could compare syntactic patterns across different peace agreements, explore cross-linguistic differences, or investigate how syntactic choices influence perceptions of authority, neutrality, and conflict resolution.
Language as a Tool of Social Identity and Power in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
This study examines language as a central tool for constructing social identity and power in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Using a qualitative research design, the study employs close textual reading and discourse-based analysis grounded in postcolonial theory and critical discourse analysis to examine key linguistic features in the novel. The analysis focuses on proverbs, ritual speech, gendered expressions, and narrative voice to show how language functions within indigenous Igbo society to establish authority, regulate gender roles, and reinforce communal hierarchy. The study also explores how colonial discourse, introduced through missionary and administrative language, undermines indigenous systems of meaning by redefining truth, legitimacy, and social order. The findings reveal that linguistic competence operates as a marker of wisdom and social status, while gendered language normalises patriarchal power and marginalises women’s voices. In contrast, colonial language functions as an ideological tool that asserts dominance through representation and discursive control rather than physical force. The study concludes that language in Things Fall Apart is an active social force that shapes identity and power relations and becomes a contested site during the colonial encounter.
THE INTERPLAY OF RELIGION, CULTURE, AND DEVIANCE: A CORRELATIONAL STUDY OF PREDICTIVE RELATIONSHIPS
This thesis examines the intricate interplay between religious convictions, cultural norms, and deviant behavior, employing a mixed-methods approach to explore their influence on moral reasoning and behavioral outcomes. The quantitative study (Study 1) employed a correlational design with a convenience sampling strategy, and data were collected from 185 participants. Religious Commitment Inventory (RC-10), Cultural Proficiency Belief Inventory, and Deviant Behaviour Variety Scale were used to measure Religious Commitment, Cultural Norms, and Deviant Behaviour. Results strongly revealed positive correlations between religious commitment and Deviant Behaviour (r = .65, p < .001), Cultural norms and Deviant Behaviour (r = .26, p = .009). Both religious convictions and cultural norms served as significant predictors of Deviant Behaviour (R² = .48). Gender differences were notable, with males exhibiting higher deviance (Cohen’s d = 0.65). The qualitative study (Study 2) involved a purposive sampling strategy. Participant-led interviews were conducted with four subject matter experts, identifying ten superordinate themes, including the theoretical foundations of deviance, interpretive complexity, and the dual nature of deviance as both constructive and destructive. Findings suggest that rigid or misinterpreted religious and cultural frameworks can legitimize deviance, particularly when norms are imposed rather than internalized. The research challenges assumptions that religiosity inherently deters deviance, highlighting the role of contextual interpretation and socialization. Implications call for culturally sensitive interventions and moral education emphasizing critical reflection to address deviant behavior effectively
War on Terror in Headlines: Lexical Choices and Ideological Positioning in Dawn Newspaper
This study examines the ideological construction of the “War on Terror” in the headlines of Dawn, a leading English-language newspaper in Pakistan. Drawing on Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis and van Dijk’s socio-cognitive approach, the research investigates how lexical choices, agency patterns, and evaluative language position actors, assign responsibility, and frame national identity within terrorism-related reporting. A purposive corpus of front-page headlines published during key phases of Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations is analyzed to identify recurring lexical patterns, including nominalization, passive constructions, metaphor, and militarized vocabulary. The findings reveal systematic tendencies toward agency suppression, strategic ambiguity, and selective lexical intensification, which collectively construct particular ideological narratives regarding state authority, militancy, and national security. The analysis demonstrates that headlines do not merely summarize events but actively shape public perception through condensed, ideologically loaded language. By foregrounding lexical selection as a site of power negotiation, this study contributes to scholarship on media discourse, political communication, and the role of English-language press in framing security discourse in Pakistan. Keywords: War on Terror, Headlines, Critical Discourse Analysis, Dawn Newspaper, Lexical Choices, Ideology, Media Discourse.
Displacing the Dominant Fiction: Historical Trauma, Psychic Disintegration, and the Anti-Heroic Real in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried
This essay critically examines Tim O’ Brien’s The Things They Carried as a literary site of resistance, positioning it against dominant narratives of heroism, national, and moral clarity characteristically associated with war. Drawing on Kaja Silverman’s theoretical notions of “dominant fiction” and “historical trauma” and Kali Tal’s insights into trauma literature and mythologization, the paper explores how O’ Brien disrupts the ideological coherence of war stories through emotionally fragmented, metafictional narratives. Key events, such as the deaths of two American military officers, Curt Lemon and Kiowa in Vietnam are analyzed to reveal how trauma, absurdity, and emotional incoherence disrupts the myth of noble national sacrifice. The paper argues that O’Brien’s narrative strategy displaces the sanitized war memory and offers instead a raw, unfiltered, anti-heroic counter-memory grounded in loss, fragmented reality, and the impossibility of closure.
Critical Discourse Analysis of Language used in Beauty Products Advertisement in Pakistan
This study examines the advertisements of beauty products in the light of critical discourse analysis. This study especially focuses on the language used in fairness and beauty products such as Faiza Beauty Cream, Golden Pearl Cream and Lux Soap used in advertisements on television in Pakistan. This study explains how language is used to influence people to buy fair products. Since language is the discourse, so advertisements are taken from media discourse. Fairclough famous Critical Discourse Analysis model is used as a theoretical framework to analyze how language influences and exploits the minds of customers to achieve their selling targets. The finding depicts that the different approaches, concepts and mindsets are drawn to buy those products. The study finds that people, especially women, are approached through exaggerated manipulations in discourse. The analysis shows that ads exploit the concepts of women for getting desired and accepted fair complexion. These advertisements, such as Faiza Beauty Cream, Golden Pearl cream and lux soap, have set their ideologies and representing confidence, career, opportunity, love and marriage. The study also finds that social structures are set in discourse to control people's minds and make unrealistic beliefs for getting privilege in life. Keywords: Discourse Analysis, Beauty Products, Faiza Beauty Cream, Golden Pearl, Lux Soap, Fairclough Model.
Analyzing the Portrayal of Indigenous Culture and Language in Uzma Aslam Khan’s The Geometry of God
This research explores the indigenous culture and language in The Geometry of God, by Uzma Aslam Khan. The novel takes place in northern Pakistan and examines the intricate dynamics among the various communities of the region. Within the context of post-colonial theory, this research analyzes the novel’s embodiment of the consequences of colonization on indigenous people’s cultures and languages, and how the characters in the novel manage the conflicts of the old and the new. Based upon the in-depth analysis of the narrative, this research articulates that in The Geometry of God, marginalization of culture and language of the indigenous people’s communities is a backlash to the prevailing hegemony of such discourse. The novel’s narrative preserves and documents the cultural and linguistic heritages of the people’s communities of the region, which are of great significance for the social, political, and environmental sustainability of the region. The research examines the complexities of narrative structures of the novel in representing the complexity of the indigenous communities and the resistance to oversimplified and exotic stereotypes of indigenous people. This research contribute to the use of literature as a tool of indigenous advocacy by addressing the gaps in literature and offering a more complex analysis of dominant assumptions on the indigenous communities. Keywords: Indigenous culture, Cultural identity, Linguistic heritage, Postcolonial Pakistani fiction, Marginalized voices.
PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY PASHTUN STUDENTS WHILE LEARNING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AT DISTRICT SHANGLA
The aim of this study is come up with the appliances to evaluate the problems of Pashtun students who are learning English at Shangla. Phonetics/phonology closely study the linguistic features of a speech in order to arrive at an understanding that are numerous problems faced by the Pashtun students while learning English as a second language at Shangla .The present study aims to ascertain the problems, faced by Pashtun speakers at intermediate level in District Shangla and as well as to find out the root causes behind the phonetics and phonology problems. Moreover, to resolve the troubles, faced by Pashtun speakers in District Shangla. Furthermore, to evaluate the speech characteristics of speech sound produce by Pashtun students in Shangla with different tools of phonetics/phonology. The present research introduces the language and its pronunciation at different level of learners in learning of English as a second language.
Upturned Moustaches and Manufactured Manhood: A Study of Hegemonic Masculinity in Tariq Rehman’s Moustache
This study explores the construction and performance of masculinity in Moustache by Tariq Rehman through the theoretical lens of hegemonic masculinity as developed by R. W. Connell. While previous scholarship has interpreted the story through postcolonial paradigms such as mimicry and subalternity, this paper argues that the narrative fundamentally dramatizes the production, regulation, and humiliation of masculine identity within a rural Punjabi power structure. The moustache operates as a symbolic marker of hegemonic masculinity, linking honor, authority, class, and bodily discipline. Through qualitative textual analysis, this study demonstrates how Allah Dad (Dadu) and Shafaqat attempt to perform dominant masculinity but are repeatedly subordinated within shifting hierarchies of power. The findings reveal that masculinity in the story is neither natural nor stable; rather, it is socially constructed, policed, and violently enforced. Keywords: Hegemonic Masculinity, Masculinity Studies, Power, Symbolism, Rural Hierarchy, Identity Performance, Tariq Rehman
SHINA ASTORI DIALECT (ASTORIJA) VERB INFLECTIONS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS IN PRESENT INDEFINITE TENSE: A MORPHOSYNTACTIC ANALYSIS
The study has carried out a morphological analysis so as to investigate the verb inflections and their functions in Astori dialect (locally known as Astorija) of Shina language specifically focusing on the inflections and their functions in the present indefinite tense. It is a descriptive research which involves describing the morphological structure of verb inflections in Shina (Astorija) in the present indefinite tense. The study examines the verb inflection systems in Astorija so as to identify their functions in sentences. Ten Shina verbs, targeting all the possible situations of verb inflections with different subjects, were sent through WhatsApp to fifteen educated native speakers of Astorija, and they were asked to use the verbs in sentences. The sentences sent by the participants, targeting the focused verb inflections, were selected for the analysis. The sentences have been analyzed in the framework "Inflectional Morphology" which deals with the study of inflectional morphemes.The study reveals that Astorija verbs are inflected with all the subjects, whether the subject is first person singular male or female, second person singular male or female, third person singular male or female, first person plural, or second person plural, the verb has to be inflected accordingly. The analysis also indicates that Astorija verb inflections (a single inflection) most of the time show several functions at a time. From the analysis of the study, it is concluded that morphology plays significantly a vital role in Astorija. Thus, Astorija can be considered polysynthetic as Haspelmath and Sims opine that when a language has an extraordinary amount of morphology and perhaps many compound words, it is called polysynthetic (Haspelmath & Sims 2010: 4, 5).
LANGUAGE AS RESISTANCE: A STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF IMAGERY AND SOUND PATTERNS IN SYLVIA PLATH’S “DADDY”
The study is a stylistic analysis of the poem Daddy by Sylvia Plath, specifically how language, imagery and sound patterns all combine to create meaning and frame reader response. Based on the theoretical models of the literary stylistics developed by Leech and Short (2007) and Simpson (2004), the study adopts qualitative, text-based approach to analyzing the poem on the lexical, imagistic, and phonological levels, where style is seen as the primary denoting device instead of ornamental element. It is seen that Plath uses pretentious simple but violent diction, which is characterized by monosyllabic words, the harshness of consonants and repetitive syntax patterns, which create the effect of aggressiveness and amplify the emotional impact. The high occurrence of direct address further makes relationship between the speaker and the addressee intimate, yet confrontational and the readers are attracted to the psychological disturbances of the speaker. Furthermore, the poem is characterized by impressive and sometimes exaggerated imagery including metaphors of entrapment, violence, death, and historical oppression, and the purpose of which is to alienate inner trauma, but also widens the symbolic, ideological reverberation of the poem. These pictures are appalling to the reader and support the speaker in her fight against being controlled and suppressed. Along with that, sound patterns also contribute to the creation of the disturbing impact of the poem as rhyme, alliteration, assonance, and resultant nursery-rhyme rhythm establish a worrying contrast between the lighthearted musicality of the poem and the dark themes presented in it. This conflict adds to the emotional instability of the poem and helps it have a haunting quality. Comprehensively, the research shows that all these stylistic features work together as opposed to their individual roles, and the meaning is released as a result of the reciprocal engagement of form and content. This study can be relevant to the field of stylistics by emphasizing the significance of the micro-level linguistic strategies, which create strong emotional and aesthetic impressions, and provide a fresh perspective on one of the most controversially discussed poems by Sylvia Plath.
INTERGENERATIONAL CONFLICT AND PARENTING ANXIETY: PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESENTATION IN HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2
The current research paper examines the psychological modeling of the intergenerational conflict and parenting anxiety within the animated film Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) which is directed by Genndy Tartakovsky. Based on the attachment theory developed by John Bowlby, which is used as the main theoretical backbone of the study, supplemented by the intergenerational transmission of attachment model, the qualitative thematic analysis of the main narrative moments and visual elements allows unravelling the ways these dynamics manifest themselves in a family of a hybrid monster-human. The storyline is built around Count Dracula becoming anxious in his over-protectiveness toward his grandson Dennis- a half-vampire, half-human child, whose tardiness in becoming a vampire brings about a sense of a legacy being lost and identity being eroded. This is anxiety based on the unresolved trauma of Dracula as it is expressed in dominating behavior that is inconsistent with the balanced approach to parenting exhibited by his daughter Mavis. Value discordances and insecure attachment transmission are emphasized in scenes like the monster training boot camp, lullaby distractions and climactic conflicts. Results indicate that the film is optimistic on the role of breaking anxious cycles through empathy and acceptance and provides the understanding of family resilience and the implication on therapeutic discourse on attachment processes.
The Role of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in Enhancing the Writing Comprehension Skills of ESL Learners
This study investigates the role of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in enhancing the writing comprehension skills of ESL learners at the tertiary level. Grounded in interactionist and learner-centered theories of second language acquisition, the research examines how CALL tools—such as automated writing evaluation systems, interactive platforms, grammar checkers, and collaborative digital spaces—support learners in developing coherence, cohesion, vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy in writing. A quasi-experimental mixed-methods design was employed with 60 university-level ESL learners. Data were collected through questionnaire. The findings reveal a statistically significant improvement in the writing comprehension skills of learners exposed to CALL, with significance values below 0.05. Survey results further indicate strong positive perceptions toward CALL, as 70–90% of participants agreed that CALL enhanced motivation, confidence, vocabulary development, organization of ideas, and immediate error correction. The study concludes that CALL provides an interactive, feedback-rich, and learner-autonomous environment that effectively enhances writing comprehension. It recommends integrating well-designed CALL tools into ESL curricula to promote meaningful writing development and improved learning outcomes.
Where Death Pauses and Death Boasts: A Comparative Study of Dickinson and Donne’s Poetry
This research examines the representation of death in the poetry of John Donne and Emily Dickinson through a comparative literary approach to understand how poetic language reshapes human responses to mortality. The study is introduced by situating both poets within their distinct historical and literary contexts and by highlighting death as a central and enduring poetic concern. The primary objectives are to analyse how death is personified and expressed through imagery, tone, and structure, and to compare the philosophical and theological perspectives that shape Donne’s metaphysical defiance and Dickinson’s lyrical restraint. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative design based on close textual analysis of four selected poems by each poet, supported by a comparative and stylistic theoretical framework. The analysis demonstrates that Donne presents death as a boastful force that can be challenged and overcome through faith and rhetorical control, whereas Dickinson portrays death as a paused, ambiguous experience marked by stillness and emotional introspection. The findings reveal that although both poets diminish the authority of death, they do so through contrasting poetic strategies shaped by their cultural and religious contexts. In conclusion, the study shows that poetry functions as a powerful medium for negotiating mortality, allowing death to be either openly confronted or quietly suspended through language and imagination.
The linguistic, historical and cultural relation between the Saraiki and Punjabi as wide concept of the Indo-Aryan languages. Both languages have deep historical roots of centuries migration, and cultural exchange in Indus Valley. Saraiki has often considered as dialect of Punjabi, modern linguistic research recognizes it as an independent language with specific phonological, lexical and grammatical features. It presents that Saraiki is not confined to Southern Punjab alone but is widely spoken across Sindh, Balochistan and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, specifically in regions like as Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Jacobabad, Kashmore and Ghotki. In this Saraiki has absorted significant influences from Sindhi, Balochi, Sanskrit and other languages of Pakistan that enhance linguistic diversity. These influences also demonstrate Saraiki’s role as a bridge language facilitating inter-community situation communication among provinces of Punjab. Scholars like George Grierson, Sajjid Haider Parvez and Dr. Gopi Chand Narang regarding the origin and status of the Saraiki language. There point of view Saraiki and Punjabi share a common linguistic heritage and exhibit extensive lexical overlap, Saraiki fulfills the criteria of a distinct language continued use of ancient vocabulary support Saraiki’s linguistic antiquity. Relationship between Saraiki and Punjabi is best understood as one of shared origin and matual influence rather than hierarchy. Recognizing Saraiki as an independent language its cultural identity . The paper emphasizes the need for academic acknowledgment and institutional support to safeguard Saraiki’s linguistics and cultural heritage for future generations.
Analyzing Grammatical Errors in ESL Learners’ Narrative Writing: A Case Study
Errors are the most frequent possibility during the ESL learning process, and as long people are learning second or foreign languages, study into error analysis will continue. This study aims to identify the different types of grammatical errors in ESL learners’ narrative writing. The aims of this study are: (1) To investigate the grammatical errors committed by the ESL learners, (2) to discuss the factors affecting ESL learners to commit errors in their narrative writing. This research used a mixed-method design integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches. For this research the researcher used a purposive sampling technique. A study has composed of 115 short stories written by the students of BS English department. This study has selected the participants from three sections. The students have given a task to compose short stories on six different topics. This study investigated the 13 types of grammatical errors proposed by Erel and Bulut (2007) in short stories. This study used the coding scheme to give codes of each error and also used Erel & Bulut model to analyze the learner’s errors. After analyzing the errors percentage and frequency through tests the SPSS statistics 27 version tool used for the results. It implies that even though students may be aware of the rules of the target language, their inability to perform adequately is caused by a lack of practice. Error analysis is beneficial for students. Finding the errors plays a crucial role in discovering the problems which are faced by learners at any level. Students can learn from their mistakes and develop their mathematical thinking skills through the unique learning possibilities offered by error analysis. Enhancing teacher-student, student-student, and student-content exchanges also help to improve the calibre of classroom interaction.
The Role of Self-Hypnosis in Enhancing Second Language Learning: Evidence from an Experimental Study of ESL Learners
Psychological readiness and emotional regulation play a decisive role in second language learning, yet they are often overlooked in formal instructional practices. This study investigates the impact of a structured self-hypnosis intervention on second language learning outcomes among undergraduate ESL learners. Using a single-group pre-test–post-test experimental design, data were collected from 150 BS-level students enrolled in English-related programs at universities in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The intervention integrated self-hypnosis techniques with Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) strategies over a twelve-week period. Quantitative analysis revealed statistically significant improvements in vocabulary retention, grammatical accuracy, emotional regulation, and learner confidence following the intervention. The findings suggest that self-hypnosis facilitates optimal cognitive and affective conditions for language learning and can serve as an effective pedagogical support strategy in ESL contexts.
NATURE AS A SANCTUARY: AN ECOCRITICAL COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ESCAPISM IN JOHN KEATS’S ODE TO A NIGHTINGALE AND GHANI KHAN’S THE PALACE
The research at hand explores how nature is portrayed as an escapist refuge in John Keats’s Ode to a Nightingale and Ghani Khan’s The Palace using the ecocritical approach. The study will examine how the two poets, both in different cultural, historical and stylistic settings, utilize the use of natural imagery, sensory motives and imaginary constructs to establish spaces of refuge that offered psychological, emotional and philosophical reprieve to the human suffering and existential fears. Based on the qualitative research design, the study applies a comparative literary analysis under the influence of close reading, thematic categorization, and ecocritical interpretation. As the poem by Keats is analyzed, the refuge is based on the momentary aesthetic and emotional escapism, where the song of the nightingale and the countryside scenery serves as the moment of transporting the poet out of mortality and worldly matters. Ghani Khan, in his turn, creates a sustainable and holistic refuge encompassing natural components in the walls of the palace to provide a more sensual and environment-oriented environment of both imaginative and philosophical contemplation. The comparative analysis shows that the two poets share the idea of finding solace and imaginative renewal and spiritual contemplation in nature, and diverge in their attitudes toward the temporality, the focus of senses, and cultural outlook. The study indicates how ecocriticism is applicable to the study of the role of literature in the development of the human perception of the natural world and their interaction with it. The results indicate that literature can be viewed as a reflection of ecological awareness and as the means of exploration of the imaginations, which points at the transformative role of nature in human experience.
AUTHORS AS SOCIAL LEADERS: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF COUNTER NARRATIVES IN POSTCOLONIAL AND MARGINAL LITERATURE
Literature acts as a dynamic situate of an ideological struggle where leading power organizations, especially those of historical conquest and colonialism, are both propagated and challenged. The current study aims to investigate how postcolonial and marginal authors played their role in social leadership by creating potent counter-narratives that counterfeit new identities, restore the lost histories, and model alternative futures. The objectives of the study is to analyze the linguistic and narrative strategies used in seminal novels; “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, “The God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy, “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, and “Season of Migration to the North” by Tayab Salih was examined to notice that how these colonial literature works to empower marginalized voices and proposition substitute models of social leadership. This study adopt qualitative approach, as methodology used Norman Fairclough’s three dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis framework. This consist of describing key literary elements such as metaphor and narrative structure elucidating their discursive process, and read between the lines their role within wide social practices of power and resistance. Findings of the study showed that authors played their role as an agent of “linguistic treason” by integrating local linguistic configurations into English, using language as a direct tool of resistance against power. Moreover, the use of disjointed, non-linear narratives successfully challenges official histories of a colonial state. It is concluded that colonial and marginal novels deconstruct dominant discourses and demonstrate the evolution of social leadership from solitary hero’s to collaborative forms, thereby colonial and marginal authors themselves played the transformative role of social leaders or social agent.
Poetry as Protest: Social Injustice in the Poetry of William Blake and Langston Hughes
This study explores poetry as a form of protest by examining representations of social injustice in the selected poems of William Blake and Langston Hughes. Drawing on a comparative literary approach, the research analyses how both poets respond to oppression within their distinct historical and cultural contexts. Blake’s poetry exposes institutional, religious, and ideological injustices in late eighteenth-century England through symbolic imagery and visionary critique, particularly highlighting the exploitation of children, the poor, and the marginalised. In contrast, Hughes’s poetry addresses racial discrimination, economic inequality, and social exclusion in twentieth-century America using a direct and accessible voice rooted in everyday African American experience. The findings reveal that despite differences in style and context, both poets employ poetry as a powerful tool of resistance, challenging dominant ideologies and giving voice to marginalised communities. The study concludes that poetic protest transcends time and place, serving as an enduring medium for social critique and the assertion of human dignity.
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN SHAPING LANGUAGE USE AMONG PAKISTANI YOUTH: A MIXED-METHOD STUDY OF COLLEGES IN TEHSIL DARGAI, DISTRICT MALAKAND
This study delves into the ways in which social media platforms are impacting the language patterns of young Pakistanis, particularly college students in Tehsil Dargai, District Malakand. This research examines how digital interaction influences vocabulary selection, code-switching behaviors, syntactic adaptability, and the development of hybrid linguistic registers among bilingual and multilingual youth, utilising theoretical frameworks from Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC), Sociolinguistics, and Language Change Theory. The emergence of platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook has led to the negotiation of language in informal, virtual environments that frequently bypass conventional standards of usage. The study used a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative survey data from 200 college students, regardless of gender, with qualitative semi-structured interviews and discourse analysis of social media content. The results indicate the widespread occurrence of code-mixing (notably English-Urdu-Pashto), the acceptance of non-standard abbreviations, the utilization of emojis as pragmatic identifiers, and the incorporation of internet slang that embodies both global trends and local identity formations. Variations in language choices based on gender and urban-rural distinctions also manifest as significant patterns. The study contends that social media is not only hastening linguistic evolution but also transforming language ideologies, identity articulation, and communication standards among adolescents in peripheral areas such as Tehsil Dargai. It engages with current discussions on digital sociolinguistics, youth language, and the globalization of English, while providing pedagogical suggestions for English Language Teaching (ELT) and language policy in Pakistan
A COMPARATIVE DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF PASHTO AND ENGLISH TEXTS: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS PERSPECTIVE
This study is made up by a qualitative comparative discourse analysis in Pashto and English using the Systemic Functional Linguistics to investigate the difference between structure of discourse and role of linguistic and cultural factors to form discourse functions. Based on original texts, which are not translated, this non-translation-oriented analysis uses the Halliday's metafunctional text as the framework to examine the ideational, interpersonal and textual meanings of texts across languages. The results show very clear and consistent cross-linguistic differences in discourse patterns. Pashto texts, especially editorials, are inclined towards emphasizes collective responsibility, moral responsibility and explicit logical order, while the English discourse has a higher concentration on individual agency, rational argumentation and built themed progression. These contrasts have been exhibited in contrast patterns of transitivity, modality, cohesion, information organization, and that discourse construction is culturally and linguistically embedded. By conducting the comparative analysis of language with Systemic Functional Linguistics, the present research is feasibly contributed the discourse research and gives an insight for language education and cross-cultural communication.
AI, PSYCHOLOGY, AND MEDIA: DESIGNING FUTURE READY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES
The evolution of learning environments, cognitive engagement, and media-based instruction due to rapid adoption of AI in Education has resulted in an unprecedented acceleration of cultural change in educational systems. At the same time, AI technologies have not yet produced large scale empirical documentation regarding the specific effect AI based media has on Student Psychological Readiness or Experience. The goal of this Quantitative Research is to identify using a Structured Survey Research Design how AI technologies, Psychological Factors and Media Engagement converge to create Future Ready Learning Experiences. Data obtained from students and teachers using a standardized Likert-type Scale Survey administered at both Secondary and Tertiary Education institutions. The sample consist of respondents selected through Stratified Random Sampling to ensure representation across the various levels of Academics and Disciplines, with the goal of obtaining an accurate representation of students and teachers. Descriptive Statistics, Correlation, and Multiple Regression analyses performed to identify and analyze the relationship of AI adoption, Motivation, Cognitive Load, Media Literacy, and Perceived Learning Effectiveness on participants' educational experiences and potential for Future Readiness. The results demonstrate a significant positive correlation between using artificial intelligence solutions to facilitate media education and three (3) dimensions of student experience: motivation, engagement, and perceived competency. Additionally, the data show that several psychological factors (self-efficacy and attitude toward technology) mediate the relationship between using AI tools and learning outcomes. Integrating the use of AI-enhanced media technologies (for example: intelligent tutoring systems and adaptive learning environments) with effective instructional practices results in much more personalized learning experiences. However, there are some potential drawbacks associated with relying on technology as the primary means of instruction, ethical issues, and disparities in access to digital resources. Finally, this research indicates that the best way to prepare for the future of education (creating a more equitable, socially and emotionally supportive, engaging and interactive) will be to integrate AI, psychology and media. Furthermore, this survey provides implications for curriculum developers, policymakers and educational institutions about how best to incorporate AI-enhanced media tools into their schools and to promote student mental health.
THE DECLINE OF THE PUNJABI LANGUAGE IN PAKISTAN: SOCIOLINGUISTIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND DIGITAL FACTORS AMONG YOUNGER SPEAKERS
This paper will look into the degradation of the Punjabi language in Pakistan by looking at the sociolinguistic, educational, and digital influences that alienate the language in the minds of younger generation speakers. The study reveals that language preferences are influenced by social prestige, power systems, and poor intergenerational transmission. These trends are examples of larger social inequalities as opposed to mere language abandonment. Based on the mixed-method research design, comprising surveys and digital discourse analysis of IIUI students, the authors discover that Urdu and English are perceived as high-status languages, but Punjabi is commonly perceived as informal or joking in the online community. Using the Theory of Language Shift by Fishman (1991) and the Theory of Linguistic Capital by Bourdieu (1991), the study reveals that language preferences are influenced by social prestige, power systems, and poor intergenerational transmission. Even though the Punjabi language is popular, it has little academic, professional, and digital significance, decreasing its upward mobility. The paper gives special emphasis on the importance of more effective educational inclusion, digital representation, and institutional support to promote the symbolic value of Punjabi and stimulate the use of this language. Key Words: Punjabi Language Shift, India, language shift, linguistic capital, sociolinguistic attitudes, digital discursive analysis, language prestige, marginalization of the regional language.
COMPUTATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS AND DIGITAL PRESERVATION OF CLASSICAL URDU POETRY
Digital Humanities (DH) researchers are largely interested in digitally privileged texts or European languages. There is very little research on classical non-Latin script literature using computational methods. Urdu is one of those languages. Urdu poetry has not received a substantial amount of attention for computational literary study despite the extensive poetic tradition and cultural value associated with its use within South Asia. Many of the challenges most associated with conducting computational literary analysis of Urdu poetry include the need to properly represent a right-to-left writing system, inconsistent encoding methods, and a lack of digital resources. The authors of this article are presenting a framework for creating a verifiable and reproducible descriptive analysis and digital preservation of classical Urdu poetry, using selected stanzas from Mirza Ghalib's Diwan-e-Ghalib (1797-1869) as a case study. This framework utilizes methods that are accessible via low-resource, reproducible, and transparent approaches. The core components of this framework are: (1) verification of all Urdu characters using the UTF-8 encoding standard, (2) processing of text as "right-to-left", (3) creation of a tokenization process based on rules, (4) analysis of lexical frequency, and (5) creation of a corpus pipeline associated with the use of Python programing language. This study analyses traditional Urdu poetry (i.e., the works of Ghalib) using computational methods without employing advanced machine learning models, therefore creating easier access to researchers working in low-resource environments and providing researchers with the ability to effectively conduct their analyses of literary works within the long-term preservation of these poetic traditions of Urdu literature. Additionally, the findings of this study support the idea that the earliest forms of computational analysis were applicable to other works that contain similar themes and styles to those of Urdu poetry. This framework provides a model for the development of Digital Humanities research beyond collections of Western-language corpora of literary works.
THE ACOUSTICS OF GENDER AND REGIONAL VARIATION IN PAKISTANI ENGLISH: A SOCIOPHONETIC ANALYSIS OF LONG OPEN MONOPHTHONG [A:]
This study examines the acoustic recognition of the long open vowel /aː/ in thirteen regional varieties of Pakistani, with specific consideration to gender-based and regional disparities. Grounded on speech data from 208 undergraduate speakers (including 104 females, 104 males), the study uses formant analysis (F1 and F2), vowel duration, z-score normalization, and inferential statistics to analyze how vowel quality and duration differ across Pakistan. Vowel segments were automatically time-aligned employing the Montreal Forced Aligner (MFA), following acoustic extraction via custom-written PRAAT scripts. The findings expose strong gender impacts, with female speakers articulating more open and centralized productions, whereas male speakers display greater regional disparity, especially in duration and vowel backness. Regional trends further highlight substratal impact from local languages; for instance, Sindhi, Saraiki, Pashto, Balochi, and Shina. The emerging patterns validate that /aː/ serves as a sociophonetic marker of both regional and gender identity in Pakistani English, supporting the pluricentric property of this postcolonial English variety.
Mobile-Assisted English Language Learning (MALL): Exploring the Integration of AI Tools in Emerging Mobile Technologies
This article reviews the recent integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools within emerging mobile technologies for Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL). As mobile devices become increasingly ubiquitous, their potential as powerful language learning tools is amplified by AI. This review explores how AI-driven functionalities such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), speech recognition, adaptive learning algorithms, and generative AI are transforming MALL applications. It investigates the impact of these advancements on language acquisition, examining their benefits in providing personalized learning experiences, immediate feedback, and immersive environments. Furthermore, the article addresses the challenges and ethical considerations associated with the widespread adoption of AI in MALL, including data privacy, bias, and the need for robust pedagogical integration. By synthesizing current research, this paper offers insights into the evolving landscape of MALL, highlighting its future trajectory and implications for both learners and educators.