ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING PRACTICES AND THE GROWTH OF PAKISTANI ENGLISH IN CLASSROOMS

Abstract

This study investigates the linguistic features of Pakistani English (PakE) and examines teachers’ teaching practices and language choices promote the use of Pakistani English. Although English is taught without the proper sociocultural context, it is acknowledged as an official language in Pakistan. The research aims to bring attention to the development of Pakistani English in ESL Classrooms and analyze teachers’ attitudes towards Pakistani English in classroom teaching. The study uses a qualitative methodology, notably theme analysis of group of seven ESL teachers from a random private school in Karachi were selected, through purposive sampling and four classrooms were observed of the same teachers. Early investigations revealed native language speech patterns, widespread usage of Pakistani English, instances of Urdu-influenced grammar, and frequent code switching used for comprehension and control. The results of this study show that Pakistani English is the most commonly used variation in ESL schools, with teachers using it more often than American or British English. This supports the notion that localized variations develop organically in situations involving second languages. Teachers’ positive attitude, compassionate and soft strategies for correcting and frequently making use of code-switching help learners get comfortable and strengthen their knowledge of classroom material. Such tactics illustrate that employing a mix of languages is not a constraint but a useful teaching approach that serves a vital function in defining how interaction occurs in classroom.