Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.

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Language Planning in Higher Education: A Case Study of Pakistan by Sabiha Mansoor Review by: Tariq Rahman TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 41, No. 2 (Jun., 2007), pp. 433-436 Published by: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40264373 . Accessed: 05/03/2014 12:52
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itsbreadth and In a book of justunder200 pages,itis easyto question of This is a valid criticism this such a on particular complextopic. depth thefollowing also requires book,but such an observation qualification: becausea text ofeventwice are short and concisebydesign The chapters Whatis more,each wouldbe subjectto the same criticism. the length researcher forthe interested chapterends witha shortbibliography ELT or a curricula for of different points departure examining country's in educational history greater depth. ofthebookis anticipated A secondshortcoming bytheeditor, George is It seems No African in the introduction: Braine, country represented. authorsfrom he was unable to identify that,despitehis best efforts, a chapter on thestate or able towrite countries whowerewilling African a future editionwill Braine that in home nations. their ELT of hopes broader haveeven representation. geographical fronts. texton many is an engaging World tothe First, English Teaching curricular ELT and current of of the overview a concise it offers history the countries. different from15 vastly features Second, it introduces and with an admirable each NNES to several reader story colleagues, the on theworldof English Finally, languageteaching. unique window NNESs who conduct for forum a much-needed book gives refreshingly to their their on ELT issuesto communicate research findings original and a text The world. the around informative, enbrief, counterparts to a niceaddition be will in countries ELT various into joyableglimpse and ELT of libraries educators, researchers, programadministrators, students. graduate
DENNIS BRICAULT
NorthPark University Chicago,Illinois, UnitedStates

Language Planningin Higher Education: A Case StudyofPakistan. OxfordUniversity Pakistan: Sabiha Mansoor.Karachi, Press,2005. Pp. xvii+ 445. in Pakistan. research Sabiha Mansooris thepioneerof sociolinguistic in Lahore's the students of the attitudes In 1990-1991,she surveyed This data and toward educationalinstitutions Urdu, Punjabi. English, A Pakistan: in titled were publishedas a book English Punjabi,Urdu, this of in a landmark It is still (Mansoor,1993). type Study Sociolinguistic in the country. research to a thesis submitted is theauthor'sdoctoral The book underreview
BOOK REVIEWS 433

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wereto (a) inin 2003. The majoraims of the study British university medium in different the of learners (s) in vestigate languageproficiency thelevelofsuccessofstudents schooland collegeand (b) to determine in highereducation.The authortests18 fromdifferent backgrounds thelanguageactually medium ofinstruction, to the relating hypotheses and otheraspects. of the and used in classrooms availability English, and placesit on this which Besidestheintroduction, objective expatiates six the has the book in thecontext academicwork, ofrelevant chapters, a conclusion. and the research lastof whichsummarizes findings gives of the main are devotedto the development The otherfivechapters ofdata,and lists oftables, The bookalso includes appendices arguments. of the work increase the value These items an extensive bibliography. in one source. available not because so muchdata are generally administered out hersurvey Mansoorcarried through questionnaires adminIn she interviewed and parents. addition, to students, teachers, The education. connected with istrators and prominent subjects persons In the first cluster werechosenthrough stage,edutwo-stage sampling. werechowerechosen,and in thesecond,students cationalinstitutions from35 students The samplesize was 2,450 sen from each institution. four cities of the in thecapital distributed institutions educational prov- Karachi(Sindh),Lahore (Punjab),Peshawar incesofPakistan (NorthTeacherswerealso and Quetta (Baluchistan). westFrontier Province), located theclusters forthesamplefrom selected institutions) (education an array to represent in thesecities. The sampling wascarefully designed in Pakistan. of collegesand universities and her conclusions On the basis of thissurvey Mansoorpresents Enlearn The majorconclusion is thatthedesireto recommendations. is not surprising is very high.This result glishbyall groupsof students as wellas abroad thecountry that within considering powerand prestige thatthe It is also not surprising is availableonlyifone knows English. - bywhichshe meanstheindigenous of languages "regional languages" - are Pakistansuch as Punjabi,Sindhi,Pashto,Balochi,and so forth "seen as deficient foreducational all, no govpurposes"(p. 241). After But themanyrespect. ernment ofPakistan has developedthemor given what is surprising Sindhispeakers "useUrdumorein theinformal is that domain (77%) than Sindhi (25%)" (p. 242). Because the samplehad and Sindhispeakers constitute 14.10% of the only4% Sindhispeakers of Sindhi population,the sample may not have been representative hardto represent them theauthor worked by speakers, though obviously in her sample. (A a largely including Hyderabad, city, Sindhi-speaking nonrandom of 153 Sindhistudents of 10thclassin 2000 indicates survey muchhigher forSindhi;see Rahman, 2002,592-593). affinity Mansoor's aboutthelanguagepolicy tobe adopted recommendations in highereducationneed to be seen fromthe historical, and political,
434 TESOL QUARTERLY

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She citeswhatappear to be democratic reasons economicperspectives. forstrengthening such as the demand by stakeholders Englishat the In level. this context she that the attitude of educational says higher "have from ambivalence toward students English may changedradically from to "an enthusiastic and hostility" acceptance" (p. 342). In fact, apart schools the elitist some protest sixties, during against English-medium levelof hostility to English.English neverhad anysignificant Pakistan in SouthAsiaeventhough movement wasneverpartoftheanticolonial rhetoric. This general it in his anticolonial to recruit Gandhi did try is thepragdemocratic consensus. It of is not merely acceptance English are to the common who maticacceptanceof reality resigned people by conditions whichprivilege theirfateand feel thatbecause the market This acquiesshouldacquireit somehow. willnot change,they English cence of the people should not blind us to the factthatEnglishdoes fortheunderprivileged a narrow elite;it does makeit difficult privilege and and social to seek elitist it,along withUrdu, prestige employment are becoming weak the that of on the people languages putspressure are not issues soon. These and someofwhich problematic disappear may that Mansoor does attention the suggest theydeserve,though given see learninglanregionallanguagesshould be taught.But students toa job nortoprestige. leadsneither iflearning them guagesas a burden - as the of if the So, Englishis to continue presentpolicy privileging the combe its would recommendations author's paid by suggest price and their Pakistan of mon people languages. Mansoordoes notsuggest anyradicalchangein thepresEssentially, four She ent languagepolicy. policyoptionsand choosesone presents of as mediums and English Urdu between a choice to which appears give of and the school level at the instruction strengthening English (p. 353) choiceis meaninglevel (p. 257). Thisso-called education at thehigher are schools less because English-medium expensiveand poor people in them. to to children send their afford to cannot Contrary study simply and emaim at "democratization does not this Mansoor'sclaim, policy meanthat ofcourse, ofthemasses"(p. 357). It may, English powerment education at the more willbe taught level,but that higher proficiently of therichand thepowerful does notchangethefactthatthechildren in fargreater with do as this at willarrive level, proficiency just they now, their vernacular-medium than counterparts. English Mansoor's with and emphasized I haveclarified myowndisagreement the because of recommended bearingit has policies language-teaching I also in must Pakistan. on the language-teaching emphasizethe policy of Pakistanis on attitudes in research a Sabiha was factthat pioneer her as the book establishes and this toward leadingauthority languages, it is formany reasons.First, useful in thisfield.This book is, therefore, in on focus with of thefirst English, the majorsurvey languageattitudes,
BOOK REVIEWS 435

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needs of of theeducational Second,it is theonlymajorsurvey country. a and it administrators. students, teachers, And,third, provides parents, on and source of and discussion of documents major analysis language educationpolicies.For thesereasonsit willlong remaina majorlandin Pakistan. markin educational linguistics
REFERENCES
A sociolinguistic in Pakistan: Lahore, Mansoor,S. (1993). Punjabi,Urdu, study. English the Muslims andpower: Rahman,T. (2002). Language, among Language-learning ideology Press. and North India. Karachi,Pakistan:OxfordUniversity ofPakistan TARIQ RAHMAN Quaid-i-Azam University Pakistan Islamabad,

Pakistan: Vanguard.

in Second Language Acquisition. TheoryConstruction Geoff Amsterdam: 2004. Pp. xviii+ 294. JohnBenjamins, Jordan. of the In thisbook,Jordanprovides a comprehensible exploration is in which second (SLA) grounded languageacquisition epistemologies and fromwhichit has evolved. Jordanopens his workwitha set of conduct ourprogress Theseguidelines are theprinciples that guidelines. to Popper's fromDescartesand the paradigmof the Enlightenment notionof falsification. firm side of a stand on the rationalism, Taking of scholars Jordantakesus on a journeyamong squabblingfactions his readers the articulate the to examine all theories, offering possibility in found and then like" kite we each, problems "fly any (p. 265). As we makethejourneythrough theories as wellas generallearning theories ofSLA, serves as an able tour who Jordan guide skillfully displays but who periodically on the focusesour attention pointsof interest, lest in we lose our the A brief ofepistemologies. guidelines way labyrinth of the six the summary guidelinesappears immediately following abstract. six and forthe fivecriteria Jordanproposes assumptions offers of SLA . I have takentheliberty evaluation the of listing kernelof only theseassumptions and theories. The assumptions: 1. An external worldexists of our perceptions. independently Research is from 2. inseparable theory.
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