LINGUISTIC INNOVATIONS IN PAKISTANI ENGLISH: A CORPUS ASSISTED STUDY OF EDUCATIONAL ADVERTISEMENTS

Abstract

In an increasingly globalized linguistic environment, understanding how English adapts in postcolonial contexts like Pakistan is vital for capturing the dynamic nature of language and identity. This study aims to investigate the linguistic innovations occurring in Pakistani English as observed in educational advertisements, highlighting how Urdu-English code-switching, localized expressions, and stylistic patterns reveal a unique sociocultural blend. The research addresses a critical theoretical and sociolinguistics gap by exploring how advertising discourse both reflects and shapes the evolution of Pakistani English. Using a corpus-assisted approach, a data set of print and digital educational advertisements was compiled, coded, and analyzed for recurring linguistic features, borrowing strategies, and rhetorical devices. Text analysis tools and qualitative categorization were employed to measure frequency patterns, semantic shifts, and syntactic innovations. Evaluation metrics included discourse frequency, lexical innovation, and syntactic deviation from Standard British English. Key findings reveal a marked trend of hybridization, creative code-mixing, and the functional repurposing of English vocabulary in localized educational contexts. The study concludes that educational advertisements serve as active agents of linguistic innovation, reinforcing Pakistani English as a distinctive and evolving variety. Future research may explore cross-media comparisons or extend the study to other sectors such as health or technology advertising.