Abstract
The controversy of the medium of instruction in Pakistan is old
and its roots date back to the pre-Independence Colonial
period. Pakistan inherited an educational structure from the
British Empire which was later largely modified but its certain
essential features are in place to date. The banishment of
Urduand, in its stead, the inclusion of English as a medium of
instruction is one such feature which, in its own right, is a wellrecognized colonial relic. The use of English as a medium of
instruction in Pakistan has its defenders as well as detractors.
However, what is crucially missing in this debate, is the expert
opinion and the evidence-based technical and dispassionate
analysis of the problem at hand. A large number of the people
who usually participate in this debate tend to come up with
unsubstantiated claims and opinion-based generalizations. This
paper intends to make a well substantiated appraisal of the loss
and gain of the medium of instruction, andexamines the
relevance and value of the first language (in our case, Urdu)in
the context of the medium of instruction. Finally, the paper
expects to bring about an informed understanding of the
process, context, objectives, and outcomes of the medium of
instruction from the perspective of language pedagogy and
planning.
Dr. Jamil Asghar , Muhammad Yousaf . (2016) Banishing Urdu as a Medium of Instruction from Pakistan: An Appraisal of Loss and Gain , Mayar , Volume 15-16, Issue 2.
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